With the sad news of the passing of a lady named Tabitha (or Dorcas) in Acts 9:36-37 (see previous article for details), we learn in verse 39 that she made clothing. I suppose that we could read this passage literally and speculate that perhaps she was employed as a seamstress while also doing good and helping the poor in other ways, but it seems logical to infer that she served others in the same way that she was skilled: by making clothes for those in need.
I wonder if Tabitha was a widow herself, given the description of who was attending her wake. Or, since we know that there weren’t good social safety nets in that culture, perhaps those mourning her loss were those who had received clothing from her because they were the ones who were in need. A commentator [Reese] suggests that perhaps Dorcas was part of a group of widows who sewed for those who needed clothing.
Continuing in this chapter, Peter – as seems to be his normal practice – doesn’t try to imply that he has some sort of personal power to heal (after all, the signs performed through Peter were done through the power of God). He sends people out of the room, and prays.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.
Acts 9:40-41 NIV
This sounds like when Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead (see Mark 5:21-24, 35-43). In that case, people were also weeping in the room, and Jesus sent most of them out (although Peter was one of those who was allowed to remain).
This also has some similarities to an account of the prophet Elijah, who stayed with a widow of Zarephath (see 1 Kings 17:8-16). As you may recall, her flour and oil were miraculously supplied to get her and her son through a drought, after she gave some bread to the prophet before eating what she expected to be their last meal. Later on, though, the widow’s son died. Elijah prayed and God brought the son back to life.
Now, I’ve wondered if those who were raised from the dead in the Bible wanted to return? I won’t claim to know exactly what happened when they died, but – if they trusted in God – I would expect their situation after death to have been better than this fallen world.
However, there was always a purpose for someone being raised to life: I suspect that the widow of Zarephath’s son, as well as the son of the widow in Nain (Luke 7:11-17), were providing for their mothers, and Lazarus (John 11:1-44) may have been the breadwinner for his sisters (i.e., Mary and Martha). In this case from Acts 9, it sounds like those in need at Joppa were benefiting from Tabitha’s generosity, and so God wasn’t necessarily only providing comfort for their hearts; He could have been providing for their physical needs in the future, as well.
As verse 42 tells us, the result of this miracle is that people believed. God is compassionate and He provides for people (especially when they pray to Him and trust Him), but our blessings don’t have to merely stop with us. We should return glory to God, and whenever His work in our lives brings more people to Jesus Christ, that glory increases all the more.
So, don’t let your happy endings be the end of the story. Give thanks to God for His blessings, and continue the process of bringing glory to Him. After all, the happiness we have in Jesus Christ doesn’t have an ending.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for October 29, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, October 29, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- New Testament History: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Acts, by Gareth L. Reese. © 1976, College Press Publishing Company.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Acts, by Dennis Gaertner. © 1993 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 