Hope For The Hopeless

Title: Hope to the Hopeless

Text: 2 Kings 4:1 - 7

2 Kings 4:1-7 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

In 2 Kings 4 we are introduced to a widow lady. She was not just your ordinary widow lady but her husband had been a prophet.

Wife of Obadiah from Don De Loney message A Widow, A Pot of Oil, and God

According to Jewish history this widow was the wife of Obadiah, who had hid the prophets by fifty in a cave in the times of Ahab. Ahab and Jezebel had persecuted and attempted to kill every true prophet or teacher of the Law of Moses.

…saying, thy servant my husband is dead…

…and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord…

Her husband was well known to the prophet, and known to be a good man, one of the 7000 who bowed not the knee to Baal. Because of the faithfulness of her husband she went to Elisha for help.

This was not a man who had squandered his income. He had done his best to supply the needs of his family and support the work of the ministry. In fact, it was his commitment to the work of the Lord that played a large part in the debt that he owed after his death."

So why was this widow in debt? Well her husband had passed away and her sons were too young to work. She had bills to pay, maybe rent food. Credit from the two. She had no way of paying.

I cannot tell you why she was in debt but I can tell you why she was desperately in need of a miracles. Why? For God’s glory. Sometimes it is not about the reason or responsibility it is about God’s glory.

Joh 9:1-3 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. (2) And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (3) Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

Lazarus risen from the dead

Joh 11:4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Maybe this is an opportunity

So here we find a desperate woman. Desperate to fix her debt. Desperate to take care of her sons.

Desperation is the breeding ground for miracles.

Psalms 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.

MSG 17 I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.

What shall I do for you?

God hears her desperate cry. She has access.

This is different than chapter 3 where 14 where he tells the king of Israel “I don’t know you”. You don’t have access to me.

We have access to God.

Heb 4:12-16 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13) And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (14) Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (15) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.