The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 400

threatened (ver. 12), is contrasted with her agony when trouble actually comes (ver. 18). She believed in Jehovah though in a heathen kingdom; yet there was a blend- ing of superstition with her faith. She supposed that God might have overlooked her sin, had it not been that He was present with His prophet in her honae ; and she confounded discipline with retribution. The latter was the mistake of the bar- barians at Melita. (Compare Acts xxviii. 4.) See also our Lord's teaching, Luke xiii. 4. The death of this child is to be explained on the principle which asserted itself in the blindness of the man whom Jesus cured (John ix. 3), or in the illness of Lazarus, concerning which our Lord said, " This sickness is not unto death, but for glory of God" (John xi. 4). Rembrandt has depicted the scene brought before us in this chapter. In a roughly built upper room the dead child lies upon the bed; one hand rests upon his breast, while the other has fallen heavily at his side, giving a wonderful idea of the weight of death. Elijah stands on the further side of the bed with his rugged, earnest face upturned towards heaven and bis hands clasped in an agony of supplication as he says, " 0 Lord my God, I pray thee let this child's soul come into him again I" This event was not intended to be wondered at as a prodigy, nor was it merely to benefit the widow, but for all time bas spiritual significance. With this belief we see in it- I. AN EMBLEM OF SPIRITUAL DEATH. The child had died suddenly, or Elijah would have been told of his illness. His death was real, and was more than the insensibility of Eutychus (Acts xx. 10). We say that a thing, susceptible of life, is dead when it cannot receive what is essential to its growth and well-being; e.g., a tree is dead when it is no longer able to absorb the nutriment without which it must fade, and ultimately fall. An animal is dead which cn.n no longer breath air or assimilitte food. The mind is dead-as is that of an idiot-when it receives no true mental impressions. The soul is dead which is insensible to spiritual influence. As it is possible to have physical without mental life, so it is possible to have mental without spiritual life. " Spiritual death" is not a mere figure of speech. It may be illustrated by the condition of this child. The footl provided for him was useless now, the tenderest words of his mother were un- heeded, and the voice that so lately was musical with laughter was silent. Simi- larly the spiritually dead are indifferent to God's provision, unconscious of their own possibilities, irresponsive to the Father's voice. " Except e. man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God." "He that hath not the Son bath not life.'' "Dead in trespasses and sins." "Come from the four winds, 0 breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live." II. AN EXAMPLE OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER. A man of Elijah's strong nature would have strong affections, and we can imagine how intensely he had come to love this child. On hearing of his death he could only say to the distracted mother, "Give me thy son," and then carried him up to his own room, and ariecl to God iu an agony of prayer. 1. It was offered in solitude. Not even the mother was there. Such intense c1ises in life must be met alone. Jesus Christ was wont tc "depart into a solitary place'' to pray. Understanding our needs He said, "Wheu thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut to the door, ancl prny to thy Father which seeth in secret." " Jacob was left alone" when he wrestled with the angel. Compare Elijah's miracle with that of the Lord, who, when He went into the room where J11.irus' daughter lay dead," suffered no man to go in,'' beyond those who were one with Him in sympathy and prayer. 2. It was peculiarly definite. There was one want in his heart, one cry on his lips. Our prayers too often are medita- tions on the Divine attributes, or general confessions, nnd thanksgivings. If our King asked " What is thy petition? '' we should sometimes be at o. loss for an answer. Pray for one grace, for one unbelieving friend, &c. 8. It was intensely earnest. Elijah could not be denied. His was not o. speech, but e. cry. He looked for the awakening, ancl flung himself on the dead in an agony of earnestness as if he would infuse his own warmth and life. The touch was similar to tlrnt of Peter, when he took the c1:ipple by the hand (Acts iii. 7)-not the cause of blessing, but the meclium of blessing. The Divine power works through the human agency. III. AN EARNEST OF 1muE RES'OBRECTION, Elijah coulLl not give life, but lie coulu 410 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [ea. XVll. 1-24,