The God of Life and Death – Part II

 

Time and again, the Lord has tried to tell us that He is life, but our myopic understanding cannot comprehend it. John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” There are many examples in the Scriptures that testify to the fact that the Master over life, death, and destiny is the creator God. Some examples are appended.

The first instance where God gave life to the dead is in the case of the son of the Shunamite woman narrated in II Kings. The Shunamite woman made a rest room for Elisha, who would rest there on his sojourns. This woman had no children, the prophet blessed her, and she bore a son the very next year. Sometime later, the Shunammite woman’s boy had a terrible headache and was taken to his mother, and he died in her arms. She laid his body on the bed and went to Elisha for help. II Kings 4:32-37 “And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.   33 He went in therefore and shut the door upon them twain and prayed unto the LORD.   34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands:  and he stretched himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxed warm.   35 Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro; and went up and stretched himself upon him:  and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.   36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite.   So, he called her.   And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.   37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.” 

The second powerful incident is the case of the widow of Zarephath in I Kings 17. When the famine became severe, the Lord told Elijah to go to Zarephath in Zidon. The Lord told him of a widow over there who will sustain him. Accordingly, he went there, and the little bit of oil and flour that was with her sustained the widow, her son, and Elijah. I Kings 17:14 “For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.” 

It so happened that the son of the widow fell sick and died. The widow accused Elijah of slaying her son. I Kings 17:20-23 “And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?  21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.   22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.   23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the chamber into the house and delivered him unto his mother:  and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.” 

The great God raised the sons of both women. He is plainly telling us that He is the Lord of life and sustains everything that lives. He is above death and raises the dead to life. In Him is an abundance of life.

Dr Ashwin Drummond

laddertoheaven.co.in