Empty Vessels - Revisited Series

Note: There are a variety of notes in here from study and research. Some are from Charles Brewington's message on the same topic. Also one other author that I could not find in my notes.

Title: Empty Vessels

Theme: Showing the importance of being empty for the Lord

Text: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Communion

1Co 11:23-29 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

(24) and when He had given thanks,

This is how he began communion. In thanks an worship.

He broke it and said, "Take, eat; [33] this is My body which is broken [34] for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (25) In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (27) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood [35] of the Lord. (28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner [36] eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's [37] body.

Offering

Luke 6:38 ESV / Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Opening Scripture

2Ki 4:1-7 NKJV A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves." (2) So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil." (3) Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors; empty vessels; do not gather just a few. (4) "And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones." (5) So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. (6) Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another vessel." So the oil ceased. (7) Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest."

Introduction

Elisha was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom. During the reign of King Rehoboam, son of Solomon, Israel had been split up into two kingdoms the North and the South. A prophet in those days carried to same role as a preacher today. He or she was sent to share the principles of the kingdom of God. To share the word of God and how it affected the lives of the people.

This is one miracle in a series of many where God was affecting the destiny of an individual. Let me just pause right here and tell you that God is interested in where you are. No matter how insignificant you seem an only 1 of 7 billion. But God cares where you are. I think it is interesting that the one spiritual principle that is seen the most is the principle of faith.

What a beautiful story of God’s provision. Can I tell you today that God’s makes provision for those who trusts Him? If you will trust the Lord you can know that he will always come through. Now it might be blind trust but you can trust him.

This is what this lady realized. The story is simple. Her husband had been one of the prophets who was part of company of prophets that followed Elisha. The Bible says that he died. Now we know that in the OT times only men worked. So when he died she lost all of her income. On top of that they were in deep debt. With no income and debt the only option was for the creditors to take her sons and sell them as a slaves, this is part of the OT law. It was legal until the year of Jubilee.