II Kings 4:1-6
“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.” (II Kings 4:1)
Since Jeroboam became king of Israel, they had been in constant economic turmoil and god had not blessed as richly as he did under David and Solomon. During Ahab and Ahaziah’s reigns, it had been especially hard for those who were trying to serve God. They had tried to get rid of all the prophets of God. It didn’t get much better under Jehorm’s reign.
During this period, one of the sons of the prophets borrowed money to care for his family. When he died before paying off the loan, the lender demanded immediate repayment, threatening to have her sons sold as bondservants if payment was not made by a specific date.
The only difference between a bond or indentured servant and a slave was that their slavery was limited to a specified length of time by law while a slave was not. Greedy masters trying to get the maximum for their investment often drove them even harder than their slaves. The penalty for running away was the same as for a slave.
The widow could see no way to pay the debt, and the creditor was not willing to give her more time. She came to Elisha hoping he could help some way since her husband had been serving God. Devout Christians experience the same difficulties other people experience and sometimes more, contrary to what some teachers believe.
In John 16;33, Jesus said, “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world…” Paul warned, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.,” in II Timothy 3:12. This is one of those promises I sometimes don’t like, that as a Christian, I will have trouble.
“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house?
And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.” (II Kings 4:2)
Elisha didn’t have any money to help her, but he asked her what she had in the house. She responded that the only thing she had left was a pot of oil.
“Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.” (II Kings 4:3-4)
Elisha told her to borrow as many containers from her neighbors as she could get and take them home with her. When she got there she was to start pouring oil into them and set them aside, She was just to use what she already had.
“So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel.
And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.” (II Kings 4:5-6)
As long as she kept pouring the oil into the containers, there was enough to fill it. When she stopped pouring because there was no where else to put it, the oil stopped flowing. In many ways this story is much like that of the woman at Zarephath’s flour in Elijah’s day. They simply trusted God and used what they had, and he supplied what they needed.
Far too often in our day, we want to be sure we have enough to complete the job before we start. As a result we never learn to trust God to supply day by day. I wonder how often we miss out on God’s blessings because we don’t use what he has given us.
Because of this experience. The woman, her sons, and her neighbors received a tremendous testimony of how God can and does provide for his people. Their faith was undoubtedly strengthened as a result. Had they not been in the situation, they would never have seen this power. Had they not borrowed the containers and started pouring oil, they would not have seen it either.
While we are definitely advised to count the cost whether we have enough, we often miscount God's power in the process, either discounting his ability to supply, or expecting him to supply for things that are solely to satisfy our own lusts.
“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.” (II Kings 4:1)
Since Jeroboam became king of Israel, they had been in constant economic turmoil and god had not blessed as richly as he did under David and Solomon. During Ahab and Ahaziah’s reigns, it had been especially hard for those who were trying to serve God. They had tried to get rid of all the prophets of God. It didn’t get much better under Jehorm’s reign.
During this period, one of the sons of the prophets borrowed money to care for his family. When he died before paying off the loan, the lender demanded immediate repayment, threatening to have her sons sold as bondservants if payment was not made by a specific date.
The only difference between a bond or indentured servant and a slave was that their slavery was limited to a specified length of time by law while a slave was not. Greedy masters trying to get the maximum for their investment often drove them even harder than their slaves. The penalty for running away was the same as for a slave.
The widow could see no way to pay the debt, and the creditor was not willing to give her more time. She came to Elisha hoping he could help some way since her husband had been serving God. Devout Christians experience the same difficulties other people experience and sometimes more, contrary to what some teachers believe.
In John 16;33, Jesus said, “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world…” Paul warned, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.,” in II Timothy 3:12. This is one of those promises I sometimes don’t like, that as a Christian, I will have trouble.
“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house?
And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.” (II Kings 4:2)
Elisha didn’t have any money to help her, but he asked her what she had in the house. She responded that the only thing she had left was a pot of oil.
“Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.” (II Kings 4:3-4)
Elisha told her to borrow as many containers from her neighbors as she could get and take them home with her. When she got there she was to start pouring oil into them and set them aside, She was just to use what she already had.
“So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel.
And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.” (II Kings 4:5-6)
As long as she kept pouring the oil into the containers, there was enough to fill it. When she stopped pouring because there was no where else to put it, the oil stopped flowing. In many ways this story is much like that of the woman at Zarephath’s flour in Elijah’s day. They simply trusted God and used what they had, and he supplied what they needed.
Far too often in our day, we want to be sure we have enough to complete the job before we start. As a result we never learn to trust God to supply day by day. I wonder how often we miss out on God’s blessings because we don’t use what he has given us.
Because of this experience. The woman, her sons, and her neighbors received a tremendous testimony of how God can and does provide for his people. Their faith was undoubtedly strengthened as a result. Had they not been in the situation, they would never have seen this power. Had they not borrowed the containers and started pouring oil, they would not have seen it either.
While we are definitely advised to count the cost whether we have enough, we often miscount God's power in the process, either discounting his ability to supply, or expecting him to supply for things that are solely to satisfy our own lusts.
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