ELIJAH – PART III
For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”
19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.
23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”
A poverty stricken widow woke up with a heavy heart. She was going to prepare the last meal for her and her little boy Hajjir.
One wonders what went through her mind. She was facing the cruel death of starvation. Hajjir was uppermost in her mind.
the very afternoon a tired, thirsty Hebrew arrived from Israel asking her for a drink of water.
She can give him a cup of water. She would have helped this stranger but the flour and olive oil just enough to feed her and her boy.
But then the very thing she feared. While she was walking to fetch him water from the clay pot he calls: “And please bring me a piece of bread.”
Fear takes hold of her. Must she tell this uninformed stranger that she and her son faces starvation. Must she just ignore him? Fortunately she talked to him.
It is of vital importance that we talk to one another. How on earth will we know about our various needs if we do not speak about it?
Helathy communication is the oil that keeps human machinary from ceasing.
Listen to what she told the stranger:
1 Kings 17:12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
This woman was extremely desparet and worried. I her heart of hearts she realy wanted to this stanger, but if she does, she hastens the death of her and her son.
One wonders why she told the stranger of her plight? May it was the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Listen to the unbelievable assurance Elijah gave her:
Verse 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.
Comforting words: “Do not fear.” This is the Elijah message. God is always bigger than our embarrassments.
If you do not know how to cope with your present crisis, then this message is aspecially for you as it was in the case of the widow of long agon
Do not fear!
Listen to the reason Elijah mentioned to her why she should not be worried:
Verse 14 “For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”
THE TEST
I dont think a more severe test could come to this poor widow. Since she lost her husband, she lavished all her love and care on little Hajjir. He was her every thing.
She would rather die than to see her child suffer. And here comes this Hebrew who looks like a genuine child of God, asking her to feed him.
She would love to feed Elijah but then she and Hajjir would face starvation. Humanly speaking what he asked her is impossible.
But here comes the assurance that if she obeys Elijah’s word “The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry.”
Can you appreciate the struggle she is going through?
She either satisfies her own needs and lives a few days longer; or believe the Elijah message and escape starvation.
SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
The same test that came to our little lady of long ago, also comes to you and me: Seek ye first…
The Elijah message needs my time, talents and means. It goes at time a little further and asks the very last of my resources.
This is the test of the hour. Am I going to give all that I have or am I for some personal reasons, hold back everthing that I have?
By the way nothing precious happens without painful personal continual sacrifice
The Elijah message are mentioned in Revelation 14 under the name of the three angels’ messages. Listen to what it sounds like:
Revelation 14:7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him.
While visiting Sarafand I thought of the way this widow acted. Her faith challenges me to give every thing the Elijah messages asks of me.
Her actions challenges me not to seek my glory but the glory of the God of Elijah.
Many years ago when I did a course on counselling, a panel of phychologists asked me the following question:
“You are on your way to attend a very important meeting. You come across somebody lying helpless next to the road. Should you pay attention to this victim of fate, you will be late for your appointment which involved financial lossess.
They wanted to know from me what I would do. I pose the same question to you. What would you do?
Jesus helps us to exercise our free will. Listen what He says:
Matthew 6:31-33 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
THE MIRACLE
19. Die weduwee van Sarfat het ‘n besluit geneem. Sy gaan in geloof haar laaste bietjie meel en olie neem en vir die profeet Elia ‘n roosterkoek bak.
Sy is oortuig dat dit is wat die Here van haar verwag en sy wil dit doen.
20. “Hajjir,” roep sy. “Kom pak vir mamma die houtjies en help my om gou ‘n vuurtjie aan te slaan. Ons gaan vir oom Elia ‘n roosterkoekie bak.”
Hajjir kyk hoe sy ma die laaste bietjie meel en die laaste bietjie olie gebruik om ‘n roosterkoek te bak. Sy sit die leë houers eenkant en die geur van vars brood trek in die neusgate van drie honger mense op. Toe die roosterkoek gaar gebak is, neem sy dit vir Elia. Hy bedank haar en begin te praat:
“Gaan kyk hoeveel meel daar in die kruik en hoeveel olie daar in die erdekan is.”
Tot hulle verbasing ontdek hulle dat daar meer meel en meer olie is as wat hulle sopas gebruik het. Genoeg vir drie mense.
1 Kings 17:15,16 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
Wat ‘n pragtige verhaal! Wat ‘n pragtige les. As die weduwee van Sarfat gehou het wat sy gehad het, sou sy alles verloor het. Maar omdat sy gegee het wat sy gehad het, het sy alles behou.
22. Wat ons vir onsself hou, verloor ons; wat ons vir die behoeftes van die Elia-boodskap gee, behou ons.
Elke liewe dag het hulle die meel in die kruik en die olie in die erdekan leeg gemaak. En elke keer het dit weer vol geraak.
Sy het so min gegee en so baie ontvang.
23. Handelinge 20:35 …Onthou die woorde van die Here Jesus. Hy het self gesê: Om te gee, maak ‘n mens gelukkiger as om te ontvang.
Die Eliaboodskap daag ons uit om in ander mense se behoeftes te voorsien.
DIE DOOD VAN DIE SEUNTJIE
24. Op ‘n dag het klein Hajjir gekla dat sy kop verskriklik seer is. Sy ma het hom bed toe gestuur en gesê hy moet gaan stil lê. Die volgende dag het dit nog erger gegaan. Hy het ‘n vreeslike hoë koors ontwikkel.
Die arme weduwee was verskriklik bekommerd. Hajjir se voorkop was vuurwarm van die koors. Hy wou nie eers van die wonder brood eet nie.
1 Kings 17:17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him.
26. Dag en nag sit sy by daardie ou siek liggaampie en waak. Sy het al die medisyne gebruik wat die mense in Sarfat vir haar voorgeskryf het. Niks het gehelp nie. Inteendeel, klein Hajjir het net sieker geword.
Nou kyk sy na die bleek gesiggie van haar dierbare kindjie. Sy asempie word al hoe vlakker.
Eers het sy haar man verloor en nou is haar kind besig om te sterf. Toe die ou seuntjie uiteindelik sy laaste asempie uitblaas, het sy half histeries geraak.
Kom ons lees wat sy alles vir Elia gesê het:
27. 1 Kings 17:18 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”
Hier leer ek ‘n groot les. Moenie met iemand in ‘n gesprek tree wat jou valslik beskuldig nie. Moenie die persoon op daardie oomblik teregwys of jouself verdedig nie. Wag so ‘n bietjie.
28. Elia-boodskappers gedra hulle waardig en bly stil wanneer hulle valslik beskuldig word.
Die weduwee van Sarfat sit met klein Hajjir se lewelose liggaampie op haar skoot. Terwyl sy onbeheersd huil, hang haar seuntjie se ou armpies slap na onder. Op die ou gesiggie sien mens daardie aardige wit kleur van die dood.
Elia voel saam met die mamma die pyn want hy het ook vir klein Hajjir lief geword.
29. 1 Kings 17:19,20 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?”
Met oë vol trane stap Elia met die dooie liggaampie na die bokamer toe. Hy onthou nog Hajjir se stralende gesiggie daardie eerste dag toe hy vir sy ma vertel het dat die meel terug is in die kruik en die olie terug is in die erdekan. Dit was nadat sy vir Elia kos gemaak het.
1 Kings 17:21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
Nadat hy die lykie op die bed neergesit het, kniel hy langs die bed. Hy neem dan die ou seuntjie in sy arms en begin ernstig bid:
31. “Ag Here. Hierdie arme vrou het nie ‘n man nie. Sy leef net vir haar ou seuntjie. Hoor net hoe snik sy daar onder. Ek bid dat U hier waar Baal aanbid word, U krag sal openbaar en die kind sal lewendig maak. Amen”
Elia los die lykie om te kyk of daar lewe is. Ongelukkig lê Hajjir nog net so leweloos.
32. Elia omhels die kindjie ‘n tweede maal. “Here. U is magtig om hierdie kind lewendig te maak. Ek glo dit met my hele hart want U het nog elke dag ‘n wonderwerk met die meel en olie laat geskied. Ek bid dit nie omdat ek of sy ma enigiets verdien nie. Ek vra dat U hom uit U groot genade sal opwek. Amen.”
Elia los die lykie om te kyk of daar lewe is. Hajjir lê nog net so leweloos. Die ou liggaampie begin koud word.
DIE EERSTE OPSTANDING UIT DIE DODE
Elia omhels die lykie vir ‘n derde maal. Die eerste wonderwerk waar iemand uit die dode opgewek gaan word, gaan binne minute plaasvind.
In my geestesoog kan ek sien hoe Elia klein Hajjir vashou en bid.
1 Kings 17:21 “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.”
En toe gebeur dit. Hy hoor hoe die seuntjie begin asem haal. Elia staan terug en kyk hoe Hajjir sy oë oopmaak.
“Oom Elia, my koppie is nie meer seer nie. Waar is Mamma? Ek wil vir haar sê sy moenie meer huil nie.”
Verse 22 Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.
WEDUWEE SE REAKSIE
Hoe dink u het daardie weduwee gereageer toe Elia met ‘n groot glimlag met klein Hajjir by haar aankom? Hoe sou u gereageer het as u kind vanoggend uit die dood kon opstaan?
Sy spring op en gryp haar seuntjie by Elia en soen hom en soen hom en soen hom. Sy druk hom styf vas en sê:
35. “My skat. Jy was dood en mamma se hart het gebreek. Die God van Israel het iets gedoen wat ou Baäl nie kan doen nie. Hy het jou weer lewend gemaak. Ek kan nie glo my kind leef nie.
Kom Mamma gaan maak gou vir hom ‘n broodjie van die wondermeel en die wonderolie.”
Verses 23,24 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”
Die vrou sê toe vir Elia: “Nou weet ek dat u ‘n man van God is, en dat wat die Here deur u sê, die waarheid is.”
ELIA – TIPE VAN JESUS
Ons sal arm wees as ons die verhaal van Elia in isolasie lees want hy was ‘n tipe van die profeet Jesus wat eendag sou kom.
37. Net soos Elia deur Goddelike krag ‘n dooie opgewek het, net so het Jesus ook dooies opgewek.
Ons dink byvoorbeeld aan Jairus se ou dogtertjie. Wat ‘n wonderwerk van troos vir die ouers was dit nie.
38. Dan was daar ‘n ander weduwee, die een van Nain. Sy het haar enigste seun aan die dood afgegee. Jesus het gekom en hom weer lewend gemaak.
39. Die merkwaardigste van al die wonderwerke was die een van die opwekking van Lasarus.
Dis die God wat ons dien, die God van Elia.
40. En net soos Elia lewend hemel toe opgevaar het, net so het Jesus ook lewend hemel toe opgevaar.
ELIA – ‘N TIPE VAN DIE PROFEET JOHANNES DIE DOPER
41. Maar Elia was ook ‘n tipe van die profeet Johannes wat die eerste koms van Jesus verkondig het.
Malachi 4:5,6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.
Ek gaan vir julle die profeet Elia stuur voordat die dag van die Here kom, die groot, die verskriklike dag. Elia sal vaders en kinders met mekaar versoen sodat Ek nie hoef te kom en die land heeltemal vernietig nie.
En toe, op ‘n dag, het Johannes die Doper sy verskyning gemaak. Dit wat Elia van ouds gedoen het, het hierdie magtige prediker ook gedoen.
Luister wat die engel Gabriël vir Sagaria aangaande sy toekomstige seun Johannes gesê het:
43. Luke 1:17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
“En hy sal voor die Here uit gaan in dieselfde gees en krag as Elia, om vaders en kinders met mekaar te versoen, om ongehoorsames op die regte pad terug te bring en om so vir die koms van die Here ‘n volk voor te berei.”
ELIA – ‘N TIPE VAN DIE EINDTYD ELIAS
Maar Elia is ook ‘n tipe van die eindtyd Elias, van u en my.
44. Soos Elia destyds na die behoeftes van ‘n weduwee omgesien het, so moet ons ook in die behoeftes van mense voorsien. En net soos die Here destyds die meel en olie nie laat opraak het nie, so sal Hy sorg dat die middele om behoeftiges te help, nooit sal opraak nie.
Elia het ‘n dooie seuntjie aan sy ma terugbesorg. Dis ook ons werk.
45. Baie mense is dood in hulle misdade soos Efesiërs 2:1 sê. Ons moet hulle terugbring na hulle hemelse Vader.
Baie van ons kinders is dood in misdaad. Die werk van die eindtyd Elias is om hierdie kinders terug te bring na hulle hemelse Vader.
Elia het daardie dooie ou liggaampie gaan omhels en aanhou bid totdat hy weer geleef het.
46. Kan ons nie ook na ons kinders gaan wat geestelik gesterf het en hulle vashou en bid, vashou en bid, vashou en bid totdat hulle ‘n geestelike opwekking sal ondergaan nie?
47. Mag die Here gee dat ek en u die koue lyke van ons afgedwaalde kinders en jongmense sal gaan omhels. Mag Hy ons help om hulle styf vas te hou met ons warmte van omgee totdat hulle weer lewe.
Mag die Here gee dat ek en u nie die oorsaak sal wees dat kinders en jongmense geestelik sal sterf nie.