Word of Encouragement (07/02/2024)
When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. (2 Kings 4:32-35)
We are told that Elisha prayed, but we don’t have his words. But we do notice that this incident is quite similar to Elijah raising the son of the widow at Zarephath to life (1 Kings 17:17-24). Elijah did so by stretching himself upon the child (three times) (v. 21). As he did, he cried to the LORD, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again” (v. 21). Even though Elisha had not yet been called to follow Elisha at this time, Elisha must have heard about this incident either directly from Elijah or by word of mouth. So, it is likely that Elisha prayed the same prayer and employed a similar method to do the same.
We don’t know whether Elisha was simply imitating Elijah or directed by the Holy Spirit to do what he did. Given that he was a prophet of God, and he received a double portion of the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that he was induced by the Holy Spirit in some way, either by the Spirit’s direct instruction or prompting (by reminding him of Elijah’s precedence).
God is the Lord of life and death: He gives life, and He takes it away. Even so, to pray for the dead to be brought back to life is no small thing. God does not flippantly raise the dead. Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead even if he sacrificed him according to God’s command (Heb. 11:19). But Elijah raising the son of the widow at Zarephath from the dead was the very first instance of its kind in the Bible. As long as a person is alive, we can hope. But the finality of death cuts off all hope. Even David gave up and stopped praying when his son he had with Bathsheba died.
We may desperately want our loved ones to come back to life, but few people actually pray for it. If they did, they would do it privately; they would not dare say the prayer publicly in the hearing of others, especially if they claimed to have special access to God as a prophet like Elijah. A prayer not answered can raise serious doubts about their credibility. Even when God gives a direct command, it is not easy to carry it out. Think of the many individuals in the Bible, who (at least, initially) refused to obey like Moses and Gideon. Yet, Elisha did not hesitate to pray for the boy to be brought back to life. If God used Elijah to raise someone from the dead, Elisha trusted that God could certainly use him to do the same since God was pleased to bestow on him a double portion of Elijah’s Spirit.
Why Elisha prayed in this particular way, we can’t be sure. Maybe he was imitating/enacting the way God made Adam a living soul by breathing into his nostrils the breath of life after forming him of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7). Matthew Henry says, “He first put his mouth to the child's mouth, as if, in God's name, he would breathe into him the breath of life; then his eyes to the child's eyes, to open them again to the light of life; then his hands to the child's hands, to put strength into them.”
Should we pray for the dead to be brought back to life? There is nothing wrong with that—there is nothing in the Bible that explicitly prohibits such prayer—unless it is done in the spirit of putting God to the test and as long as you submit to God’s will. But we must admit that we tend to confine God to the small box of our little faith. When we pray, we should remember to whom we are directing our prayers: “Thou art coming to a King, / Large petitions with thee bring, / For His grace and power are such, / None can ever ask too much...” (“Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare”).