1 Kings 17:19-24

The Sign of the Widow's Son.

Here is a touching scene—a poor widow pressing to her bosom the corpse of her only child, while in the agony of her bereaved soul, addressing Elijah, she says, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come to call my sin to my remembrance, and to slay my son?" Now note the words of the text: "And he said unto her, Give me thy son , " etc. In this history we have—

I. AN EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF FAITH . Behold here—

1. The spirit of faith .

2 . The prayer of faith .

(3) He entreated Him confidingly: "O Lord my God." This appealing to God in the possessive expresses a loving trust in a Covenant Friend. (See Le 26:12; Jeremiah 31:33 ; 2 Corinthians 6:16 ; Hebrews 11:16 ; Revelation 21:3 .)

3 . But what example is this for us?

II. A PROPHETIC SIGN .

1 . So the widow interpreted it (verse 24).

2 . Such signs were parables . The question, then, is, what did this parable teach?

HOMILIES BY A. ROWLAND