OUR GOD OF RESTORATION
1 KINGS 17:17-24
In our passage today, we are going to study our Lord as the God of Restoration. The Hebrew word for “Restore” is “Chayah”.
The root word is “Chai” which means “life”.
Every morning Mrs Lana wakes up but seems half dead. She goes to the kitchen and makes her some Tea. (Chinese word for tea is “chai”). After drinking her tea, all of a sudden Mrs Lana is refreshed, renewed, and alive again. (I go thru the same ritual with Dr. Pepper).
* Jewish people use the phrase of celebration “L’Chiam” which means “to life”. It is kind of like a toast. A celebration of the life God gives.
“Chayah” means to “restore life”. It can speak of the restoration of physical life, as in revive or resurrection. It can speak of restoring the joy of life. It can speak about restoration of hope, faith, and spirit. The cool thing is that it speaks of restoring something to better than it was.
Now, for something to be restored, then it must have previously died or been destroyed or wasted away. And, you know, that is the awesome thing about Jesus Christ. He is in the business of restoring people. To bring life, joy, faith, and purpose to our life.
* When you feel that everything good in your life has been destroyed, then come to Jesus. He will not only restore it to the level it was, but He will restore your life to a level you never dreamed possible.
Lets see what Yahweh Chaya restores.
1 Kings 17:17-24
17 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. 18 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!” 19 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. 20 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?” 21 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.” 22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. 23 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.” 24 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.”
What do we see in this passage? We see a boy that has died, a boy in need of a resurrection. But he is not the only one in need of restoration. Our God of Restoration is watching over 3 people in this story and He is going to visit them and instantaneously restore life to each of them.
1. THE DEAD BOY.
The central tragedy in this passage is the death of the boy. Here was a young boy growing up in a difficult time of famine. He is growing up without a father, but has a mother that deeper loves him. God has met some needs for him, but then he gets very sick and dies.
All of the hopes and dreams of life are gone. His life is gone and all those around him are grieving the loss.
* Notice in the passage that everyone is asking the question of “Why did this boy have to die?” The mother is blaming herself thinking that her great sins have caused him to die. Elijah is basically stating that “God took the boy” when he is asking God “why?”. But nowhere in the passage does it say that God “took him”, only that “he died”.
Oftentimes God gets the blame for people dying. But, in truth, God is the giver of life. Life is truly a gift. I notice that in our losses, we seem to question “why God took someone’s life” but we rarely thank Him for “giving them the gift of life in the first place”.
* If we read the passage for what is said, then there is no one to blame for his death– not the mother, not Elijah, and not God.
* The argument can be made that “God did nothing to prevent his death” and I suppose that is true. BUT, as we examine the passage it becomes enormously obvious that God had a greater purpose for his death. God was going to do some very special things.
2. THE GRIEVING MOTHER.
If there’s ever been a person that was familiar with grief and defeat, then this woman is it.
(1) Many years ago she married a man and started a family. Home was filled with joy and hope for the future. Then, tragedy struck and her husband died. She lost the love of her life. Her provider and protector. Losing him meant she would live a lonely and difficult life.
(2) A famine comes and things get even worse. Maybe someone had helped her some after her husband died, but in a famine no one has anything to spare. Her food ran out and they were at the brink of death when Elijah showed up.
(3) Now, after seeing God provide for them each day for many months her son dies anyway. Not from starvation, but from a disease. She is devastated. The only thing she left in life that she really loved is gone.
(4) There is one more grief this woman has that is spiritually destroying her. The weight of this grief is so heavy she can’t breathe.
* What is this grief? She is convinced that everything that has happened is her fault. In vs 17 it comes pouring out as she spoke to Elijah. “You have come to remind me of my iniquity and put my son to death.”
Somewhere along the way she became convinced that her husband’s death, the famine, and every bad thing that has happened to her was her fault– because she was a great sinner. Who made her believe this?
* Satan has taken her grief and imprisoned her with guilt.
How many saints today are imprisoned in their own guilt? They’ve confessed their sins and repented to God, but Satan keeps reminding them of their failures constantly. If this describes you and your life, then you need to let Jesus set you free and restore your joy.
3. THE DISCOURAGED PROPHET.
Let’s examine the pain that God’s prophet is going thru.
(1) He stood before Ahab and delivered God’s message, but that was more than 2 years ago. Certainly God spoke to him and led him to Zaraphath, but Elijah has to be eager to face Ahab again. How long must I wait? I’m tired. Lonely. Feeling kind of useless.
(2) Elijah is harshly criticized by the mother. It’s hard to minister to others when the people you minister to are constantly criticizing you. Constant criticism wears you down and discourages you.
(3) Elijah’s faith is also wavering. He is at a crossroads of faith.
* Has God just toyed with them with the flour and oil?
* Has God allowed them to stay alive for this short time only to kill the boy at His whim?
In Vs 20, Elijah cries out to God in despair “Have You also brought calamity to the widow by causing her son to die?”
* So Elijah has come to the place of questioning God.
* Elijah still believes in God, but Elijah’s faith needs to be spiritually strengthened. He has a spiritual battle at Carmel coming up and needs God to anoint him to be victorious.
4. OUR GOD OF RESTORATION.
Read 1 Kings 17:21-24
21 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.” 22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. 23 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.” 24 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.”
Elijah prayed and God answered. It seems God was sitting on the edge of His seat waiting for Elijah to pray the prayer that He already knew He was going to answer.
* I wonder how many times God is waiting to answer our prayers that we never get around to praying? That we never believe in Him enough to ask Him?
Once Elijah prayed, God met each of their needs in one moment.
(1) The boy’s life was returned to him and I imagine that he lived it fuller than he ever would have if he hadn’t already experienced death.
(2) The mother’s joy was returned. It had been many years since she had really experienced joy. When her son died, she died emotionally. When her son was returned to her, she came to believe in Elijah and finally came to believe in El Elyon– the Most High God. And her joy was returned to her– greater than it previously was.
(3) Elijah’s faith was restored to a level greater than it likely ever was. This was so important for Elijah because in just a short time he will be standing for God on Mt Carmel against Ahab, Jezebel, and the false prophets of Baal, and Satan himself. He will need every ounce of faith and spiritual strength in order to see the victory that God desires.
In our passage, we see God as Yahweh Chayah-the God of Restoration
Each of them was restored by God, but each in their own more personal way:
* the boy met “Yahweh Rapha- Lord our Healer.
* The mother met “El Simchah Giyl”- God of my exceeding great joy
* Elijah was strengthened by Yahweh Tsur- The Lord my Strength.
What are you in need of today?
he God of the Ages is here today and He wants to restore you.
He wants to bless you.
He wants to give you back everything that the enemy has taken from you.
Won’t you come to Him?
Won’t you trust Him?
