Topical Bible: Poor: The Widow's Son

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The account of the widow's son is a poignant narrative found in the Bible, illustrating themes of poverty, divine compassion, and miraculous intervention. This account is primarily located in the Old Testament, specifically in 1 Kings 17:8-24, and is further echoed in the New Testament in Luke 7:11-17.

Old Testament Account:

In 1 Kings 17, during a severe famine in the land, the prophet Elijah is directed by God to go to Zarephath, where he encounters a destitute widow gathering sticks. The widow is preparing to use the last of her flour and oil to make a final meal for herself and her son before they succumb to starvation. Elijah requests that she first make a small cake for him, promising that her jar of flour and jug of oil will not run dry until the Lord sends rain upon the land. The widow, in faith, obeys Elijah's request, and the miracle occurs as promised: "The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word of the LORD spoken through Elijah" (1 Kings 17:16).

Tragedy strikes when the widow's son falls ill and dies. In her grief, the widow questions Elijah, suggesting that his presence has brought her sin to remembrance and resulted in her son's death. Elijah takes the boy to his upper room, lays him on his own bed, and cries out to the Lord. He stretches himself upon the child three times and prays, "O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!" (1 Kings 17:21). The Lord hears Elijah's plea, and the boy's life is restored. Elijah presents the revived son to his mother, affirming the power and truth of God's word.

New Testament Reflection:

The New Testament recounts a similar miracle performed by Jesus in Luke 7:11-17. As Jesus approaches the town of Nain, He encounters a funeral procession for the only son of a widow. Moved by compassion, Jesus tells the widow not to weep. He then touches the bier and commands, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" (Luke 7:14). The dead man sits up and begins to speak, and Jesus gives him back to his mother. This miracle elicits awe and glorification of God among the people, who declare, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has visited His people!" (Luke 7:16).

Theological Significance:

The account of the widow's son underscores the biblical theme of God's care for the poor and marginalized. The widow, a figure of vulnerability and need, is the recipient of divine intervention through the prophet Elijah and later through Jesus Christ. These narratives highlight God's compassion and power to bring life and hope where there is death and despair. They also serve as a testament to the faith required to trust in God's provision and the miraculous outcomes that can result from such faith.

In both accounts, the restoration of life to the widow's son serves as a powerful demonstration of God's sovereignty over life and death, affirming His ability to provide for and sustain His people in times of dire need. These accounts continue to inspire believers to trust in God's providence and to recognize His presence and power in their lives.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 4:1-7
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets to Elisha, saying, Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take to him my two sons to be slaves.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Elijah and the Widow's Son.
... strange words, but she believed the man, and went away to her poor home; there ... Now
it happened some time later that this widow's son fell sick and died, and ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/elijah and the widows son.htm

The Widow's Mite
... and while the scribes were devouring widows' houses, a poor widow could still, with
two mites which make a farthing, win honorable mention from the Son of God. ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 12 41-44 the widows mite.htm

The Raising of the Young Man of Nain - the Meeting of Life and ...
... [2658] But this distinction between rich and poor was abolished ... We cannot, then,
be mistaken in supposing that the body of the widow's son was laid on the bed ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xx the raising of.htm

The Little Chamber on the Wall.
... He helped a poor widow to pay a debt and take care of her two sons by telling her
to ... story in the life of Elisha is that of the Shun-amite mother and her son. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxviii the little chamber.htm

Of the Union of Man's Will with God's in those Inspirations which ...
... And the great S. Paulinus, who sold himself to ransom a poor widow's son, how could
he do it according to ordinary laws, since he was not his own, but, by his ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xii of the union.htm

Doubts of John the Baptist in his Imprisonment. --His Message to ...
... Nor is a chronological connexion between the resurrection of the widow's son and
this message of John's to be inferred from the ... [344] The word "poor" may be ...
/.../section 135 doubts of john.htm

Intenser Wooing.
... the water, but the appealing sympathetic element in that this poor man's lifelong ...
body at Elisha's grave,[90] Jairus' daughter,[91] and the widow's son at Nain ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/intenser wooing.htm

Chronological Table of the Life of Christ [From Andrews. ]
... in the temple; parables of the two sons; of the wicked husbandmen; of the king's
son; attempts of his enemies to entangle him; the poor widow; the Greeks who ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/chronological table of the life.htm

The Gospel According to St. Luke
... by the name Ebionim, a Hebrew word which designated the poor and oppressed ... The
centurion's servant, the widow's son, Christ's description of John and of the age ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter v the gospel according.htm

Concerning the Martyrs.
... For if he that gives his goods to the poor be perfect, supposing his knowledge of ...
both by Himself and by others; as when He raised the widow's son [2998] by ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec i concerning the martyrs.htm