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Theosis · English Bible
3 Kingdoms (1 Kings)

3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) 17

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1And Eliu the prophet, the Thesbite of Thesbæ of Galaad, said to Achaab, As the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be these years dew nor rain, except by the word of my mouth. 2And the word of the Lord came to Eliu, saying, 3Depart hence eastward, and hide thee by the brook of Chorrath, that is before Jordan. 4And it shall be that thou shalt drink water of the brook, and I will charge the ravens to feed thee there. 5And Eliu did according to the word of the Lord, and he sat by the brook of Chorrath before Jordan. 6And the ravens brought him loaves in the morning, and flesh in the evening, and he drank water of the brook. 7And it came to pass after some time, that the brook was dried up, because there had been no rain upon the earth. 8And the word of the Lord came to Eliu, saying, 9Arise, and go to Sarepta of the Sidonian land: behold, I have there commanded a widow-woman to maintain thee. 10And he arose and went to Sarepta, and came to the gate of the city: and, behold, a widow-woman was there gathering sticks; and Eliu cried after her, and said to her, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11And she went to fetch it; and Eliu cried after her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of the bread that is in thy hand. 12And the woman said, As the Lord thy God lives, I have not a cake, but only a handful of meal in the pitcher, and a little oil in a cruse, and, behold, I am going to gather two sticks, and I shall go in and dress it for myself and my children, and we shall eat it and die. 13And Eliu said to her, Be of good courage, go in and do according to thy word: but make me thereof a little cake, and thou shalt bring it out to me first, and thou shalt make some for thyself and thy children last. 14For thus saith the Lord, The pitcher of meal shall not fail, and the cruse of oil shall not diminish, until the day that the Lord gives rain upon the earth. 15And the woman went and did so, and did eat, she, and he, and her children. 16And the pitcher of meal failed not, and the cruse of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by the hand of Eliu. 17And it came to pass afterward, that the son of the woman the mistress of the house was sick; and his sickness was very severe, until there was no breath left in him. 18And she said to Eliu, What have I to do with thee, O man of God? hast thou come in to me to bring my sins to remembrance, and to slay my son? 19And Eliu said to the woman, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and took him up to the chamber in which he himself lodged, and laid him on the bed. 20And Eliu cried aloud, and said, Alas, O Lord, the witness of the widow with whom I sojourn, thou hast wrought evil for her in slaying her son. 21And he breathed on the child thrice, and called on the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, let, I pray thee, the soul of this child return to him. 22And it was so, and the child cried out, 23and he brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; and Eliu said, See, thy son lives. 24And the woman said to Eliu, Behold, I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.

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3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) 17:3

John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom4th century

When God intends to administer judgment, He does not simply issue a punishment without justification. Instead, He demonstrates His righteousness to humanity through His actions, much like a judge in a court who stands before the gathered crowd. Just as judges who are about to condemn someone to death take their seats in a prominent position, raise the veils, and call upon the entire city to witness the proceedings, God, positioned as if on a high platform—the foundation of Scripture—surrounds Himself with the cosmos to examine sins in full view and hearing of all. He does not merely call forth records of wrongdoing or lay out written evidence; rather, He openly displays the actual sins of the condemned.

For instance, when He intended to unleash His fierce judgment on Sodom with fire and brimstone, causing destruction to cities and nations, He first revealed the wickedness of those destined for punishment. This was not through reading accusations but by making their transgressions evident. Therefore, He sent angels not only to rescue Lot but to illuminate the sinful behaviors of the Sodomites. When Lot welcomed the visitors, the men of the city assaulted his home, driven by unclean desires for illicit relations that disregarded the natural order and the boundaries of age. Young and old alike showed no restraint; even the elderly surrendered to wicked impulses. Their depravity extended further—when Lot offered his daughters for their satisfaction, they persisted, threatening harm to him for showing kindness to the strangers (Gen. 19:1-11).

Notice how God clearly demonstrated the depravity of Sodom prior to their punishment, ensuring that when their retribution came, it would not be seen as undeserved tragedy. This forewarning allowed the onlookers to recognize the justice of God's judgment rather than pitying the condemned. Similarly, in dealing with the prophet, when you observe the Jewish people suffering, God exposes their inhumanity and cruelty. They did not only reject the prophet; they openly threatened his life, as reflected in the Lord's message. He did not merely say, “flee,” but added “and be concealed.” Your salvation, He indicates, requires more than escaping; you must take care to hide, for the Jewish people thirst for the blood of prophets and are accustomed to shedding the blood of the saints—their hands have always been stained with this guilt.