The Bible says that Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38, NASB). Indeed, all the Gospels are full of accounts of Jesus ministering to many needy and hurting souls, which is why later many Jews came to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

“There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of His divine anointing. Love, mercy, and compassion were revealed in every act of His life; His heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men. He took man’s nature, that He might reach man’s wants. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even little children were attracted to Him.” — Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, Pages 11, 12.

Read Luke 7:11-17. What important difference is there between what happened in this resurrection and the ones we looked at yesterday?

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

During His ministry in Galilee, Jesus healed the sick and expelled demons. One time He and His followers were approaching the gates of Nain when a funeral procession was going through those gates. In the open coffin was the only son of a widow, who was weeping inconsolably. Full of compassion for the grieving mother, Jesus said to her, “Do not weep.” Then Jesus turned to the dead son in the coffin and ordered him, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” The son came to life and Jesus “presented him to his mother” (Luke 7:13-15, NKJV). The presence of Jesus completely changed the whole scenario, and many people who had witnessed the miracle knew not only that something astonishing had happened, but that someone special (they called him “a great prophet”) was among them.

Both the Phoenician widow (1 Kings 17:8-24) and the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:18-37) had asked for help — from Elijah and Elisha, respectively. But the widow of Nain was helped without her even asking for it. This means that God cares for us even when we are unable or feel unworthy to ask Him for help. Jesus saw the problem and dealt with it — so typical of Jesus through all His ministry.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Amen!(1)

The post Tuesday: The Son of the Widow of Nain first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Tuesday: The Son of the Widow of Nain appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-son-of-widow-of-nain/

Read 1 Kings 17:8-24 and 2 Kings 4:18-37. What similarities and differences do you see in these two resurrections?

In Hebrews 11:1-40, we read that by faith “women received back their dead by resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35, NASB). This was the case in the two resurrections depicted in the texts for today.

Image © Kim Justinen at Goodsalt.com

The first one (see 1 Kings 17:8-24) occurred during the great apostasy in Israel, which happened under the influence of king Ahab and his pagan wife Jezebel. As a severe drought was ravaging the land, God commanded Elijah to go to Zarephath, a town outside of Israel. There he met a poor Phoenician widow who was about to cook a last paltry meal for herself and her son, and then die. But their lives were spared through the miracle of the flour and the oil, which didn’t run out until the drought was over. Sometime later her son became sick and died. In despair, the mother pled with Elijah, who cried out to the Lord. “The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the life of the boy returned to him and he revived” (1 Kings 17:22, NASB).

The second resurrection (see 2 Kings 4:18-37) took place in Shunem, a small village south of Mount Gilboa. Elisha had helped a poor widow to pay her debts through the miracle of filling many vessels with oil (2 Kings 4:1-7). Later, in Shunem, he met a prominent married woman who had no children. The prophet told her that she would have a son, and it happened as predicted. The child grew and was healthy, but one day got sick and died. The Shunammite woman went to Mount Carmel and asked Elisha to come with her to see her son. Elisha prayed persistently to the Lord, and finally the child was alive again.

These women had different backgrounds but the same saving faith. The Phoenician widow hosted the prophet Elijah in an extremely difficult time when there was no safe place for him in Israel. The Shunammite woman and her husband built a special room where the prophet Elisha could stay while passing through their region. When the two children died, their faithful mothers appealed to those prophets of God and had the joy of seeing their children come to life again.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Amen!(3)

The post Monday: Two Old Testament Cases first appeared on Sabbath School Net.

The post Monday: Two Old Testament Cases appeared first on Sabbath School Net.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-two-old-testament-cases/