What is the meaning of 1 Kings 17:22? And the LORD listened • The verse opens by stressing God’s personal attentiveness. He is not distant; “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry” (Psalm 34:15). • Scripture repeatedly shows that God hears prayer—Psalm 65:2 calls Him the One “who hears prayer,” and 1 John 5:14–15 promises confidence that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” • This listening is grounded in covenant loyalty. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God pledges to “hear from heaven” when His people humble themselves. Elijah’s appeal fits that pattern perfectly. to the voice of Elijah • Elijah is presented as a man whose prayers move heaven. James 5:16–18 highlights him: “The prayer of a righteous man has great power… Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly.” • His bold intercession (1 Kings 17:20–21) was: – Personal: he cried, “O LORD my God.” – Passionate: he “stretched himself out on the child three times.” – Specific: he asked for the child’s “life to return.” • Elijah’s confidence mirrors Hebrews 4:16’s invitation to “approach the throne of grace with confidence,” showing that prayer is more than ritual—it is real conversation with the living God. • God’s response underscores the relationship He invites each believer to enjoy. and the child’s life returned to him • Here the narrative turns from request to miracle. The God who “forms the spirit of man within him” (Zechariah 12:1) restores that spirit to the boy. • Resurrection power appears throughout Scripture: – 2 Kings 4:32–37 records Elisha raising the Shunammite’s son in a striking parallel. – Luke 7:14–15 shows Jesus commanding, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” and the dead rises. – Acts 9:40–41 tells of Peter saying, “Tabitha, arise,” with the same life-giving result. • Each account—including this one—foreshadows the ultimate victory in Christ’s own resurrection and points to His authority over death itself (John 11:25). and he lived • The closing words celebrate tangible, observable life. God’s answer is complete—no half-measure. • This living child becomes: – A testimony to the widow’s faith journey (1 Kings 17:24). – A sign to surrounding Baal-worshipping culture that the LORD alone gives life (Deuteronomy 32:39). • Spiritually, the scene anticipates New-Covenant reality: “God… made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4–5) and promises future bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52). • Practically, it reminds believers today that the God who answers prayer also brings life—physical, spiritual, eternal (John 10:10). summary 1 Kings 17:22 demonstrates that God attentively hears the fervent prayers of His people, acts with sovereign power to reverse death, and produces unmistakable life that glorifies His name and strengthens faith. |
    |