Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Kings 17:17-24.

“Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick;  and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.  So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God?  You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!”  He said to her, “Give me your son.”  Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed.  He called to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”  Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”  The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.  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 is alive.”  Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”  1 Kings 17:17-24.

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Did the woman see that her son was alive and come to faith and believe through her own wisdom and will?  Or, could the LORD have chosen to do two miracles in this story, namely resurrect the child and resurrect her heart causing her to believe? 

Today’s concluding statement by the woman in bold italic font leads us to meditate on whether we come to faith and believe because of what we see through our own wisdom and will or whether we come to faith and believe because the LORD chooses us and works faith into us by His own sovereign action.  

Although we will spend most of our time in this devotion on other Scriptures to answer this question, we can consider that there is supporting Scripture in the prior Scripture to lead us to believe that the LORD chose to do two miracles in this story, namely resurrect the child and resurrect her heart causing her to believe.  

We remember that the LORD did a prior miracle for the woman.  “So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.  The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.”  1 Kings 17:15-16.

Why did the woman not make such a statement of faith then?  It was only after this second miracle that she said:  “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”  Emphasis added.

Let us consider that there were many of Jesus’ disciples who were with Jesus and not only saw many miracles but also hear many of Jesus’ words but who did not come to faith and believe.

“Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement;  who can listen to it?”  But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble?  What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life;  the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe.”  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.  And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”  John 6:60-66.

Consider also the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE Of the Corruption of Man, His Conversion to God, and the Manner Thereof.  

Article 14.  Faith is therefore to be considered as the gift of God, not on account of its being offered by God to man, to be accepted or rejected at his pleasure;  but because it is in reality conferred, breathed, and infused into him;  or even because God bestows the power or ability to believe, and then expects that man should by the exercise of his own free will, consent to the terms of that salvation, and actually believe in Christ;  but because he who works in man both to will and to do, and indeed all things in all, produces both the will to believe, and the act of believing also.

Consider also the following concluding Scriptures.

“So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You?  What work do You perform?  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness;  as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’”  Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;  he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  John 6:30-37. 

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:44. 

“Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:28-29.