Making Something Out Of Nothing

2 Kings 4:1-7 (KJV) 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.

[2] 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.

[3] Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty

vessels; borrow not a few.

[4] 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.

[5] 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.

[6] 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.

[7] Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy

debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

TOPIC- MAKING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

AS WE EXAMINE 2ND KINGS 4TH CHP VERSES 1-7

WE ARE INTRODUCED TO A WOMAN WHO FINDS HERSELF BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

THE ISSUES`S OF LIFE HAD SERVED HER A LEMON

AND DARED HER TO MAKE LEMONADE

BUT AS WE EAVESDROP ON HER CONVERSATION WITH THE PROPHET ELISHA

WE ALL SHOULD BE ABLE TO EMPATHIZE WITH HER PAIN

BECAUSE THIS WOMAN HUSBAND

WHO WAS HER PROVIDER-AND PROTECTER HAD DIED

AND NOT ONLY WAS THIS WOMAN IN A SAD AND PITIFUL SITUATION

BUT TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE

THE CREDITORS WHO HER HUSBAND OWED WAS

COMING TO TAKE HER TWO SONS INTO SLAVERY

IN VERSE 1 IN THE TEXT

SHE DESCRIBE HER HUSBAND AS ONE WHO WAS FROM THE COMPANY OF THE PROPHETS

A SERVANT OF THE PROPHET ELISHA

AND A MAN THAT REVRENCED THE LORD

A GOOD MAN-

A GOOD HUSBAND-

BUT HE HAD BAD CREDIT

A MAN WHO WAS STUDYING TO BE A PROPHET

A PREACHER

BUT THE ANGEL OF DEATH KNOCK ON HIS DOOR

LEAVING HIS WIFE TO TAKE CARE OF THERE TWO SONS

AND TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING

AND I DON`T KNOW ABOUT YOU THIS MORNING

BUT I CAN IDENTIFY WITH THE FRUSTATIONS

THAT THIS WOMAN IS DEALING WITH

BECAUSE SOMETIMES LIFE JUST DOSEN`T SEEM FAIR

(CAN I TELL YOU WHAT I`M TALKING ABOUT)

SOMETIMES IN LIFE IT SEEMS LIKE

THE RICH GET RICHER

THE POOR GET POORER

THE WICKED LIVES LONGER

THE RIGHTEOUS DIE SOONER

LIFE SOMETIMES TAKES ALL YOU HAVE AND THEN ASK YOU TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF

NOTHING

BUT THIS WOMAN IN THE TEXT FOUND HERSELF ON THE ROUGH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN

AND IN THE TEXT PROPHET ELISHA ASK THE WOMAN TWO QUESTIONS

THE 1ST QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH HIS RESPONSIBILITY

AND THE 2ND QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH HERS

THE 1ST OUESTION THE PROPHET ASK IS

(WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO)

AND I NEED TO TELL YOU THIS WAS A GOOD QUESTION

BECAUSE IT SHOWS ELISHA WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST THE WOMAN

BECAUSE IF HE WOULD HAVE STOP AT THAT QUESTION

HE WOULD HAVE DONE LIKE MOST OF OUR CHURCHES ARE DOING TODAY

GIVING A HAND-OUT AND NOT A HAND UP

THE SECOND QUESTION OFFERED HER NOT A HANDOUT --BUT A HAND UP

ELISHA ASK HER WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE

THEREFORE ELISHA REMOVES THE

RESPONSIBILITY FROM HIMSELF AND PLACES IT ON HER

INVITING HER TO TAKE PART IN HER OWN MIRACLE

IN VERSE 3 IN THE TEXT ELISHA INSTRUCT HER

TO Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours,

even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

[4] 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.

AND BECAUSE SHE WAS OBEDIENT TO THE MAN OF GOD INSTRUCTIONS

SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING

SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF A LEMON

LIFE HAD PITCH HER A CURVE BALL AND SHE HIT A HOME RUN

AND THIS TEXT BEFORE US IS TAILORED TO TEACH US ALL HOW TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT

OF NOTHING

BE CAUSE IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING

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FRIST OF ALL WE HAVE TO PROPERLY EVALUATE