A Widow, A Pot Of Oil, And God
2 Kings 4:1-4:7
A guy was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the middle of a storm. The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.
Suddenly he saw a car coming toward him and stop.
Without thinking about it, the guy got into the back seat, closed the door and then realized there was nobody behind the wheel! The car started slowly; the guy looked at the road and saw a curve coming his way. Scared, he started to pray begging for his life. He hadn't come out of shock, when
just before he hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and moved the wheel. The guy, paralyzed in terror, watched how the hand appeared every time right before a curve.
Gathering his strength, the guy finally jumped out of the car and ran to the nearest town. Wet and in shock, he went to a restaurant and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he went through.
A silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy was serious.
About half an hour later, two guys walked in the same restaurant. They looked around for a table when one said to the other,
"Look John, that's the dummy who got in the car when we were pushing it."
Introduction:
All of us have faced some hard times financially and spiritually. There are times when the cupboard is bare and the bank accounts are empty and the creditors are screaming for payment and there seems to be nowhere to turn but to God for help. We are like the woman in this story. We are destitute of the things we need and we have no visible means to get what we need from anywhere but 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."
* In the days of Elijah and Elisha in Israel, the principle prophets of God gathered about them a group of God’s workers called "the sons of the prophets." …and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen…
This widow’s husband, Obadiah, had taken his own money and spent it in the support of the prophets of God that had gone into hiding in a cave to escape the sword of King Ahab.
His commitment reminds us of the stories of those who hid and fed the Jews during Hitler’s occupation of Europe and the operation of the death camps. Those who did so had to do it at their own peril and at their own expense.
Obadiah had supported 50 prophets for a long time, buying food and drink for them all. It is no surprise then that he had accumulated such a large debt.
To most of us this scenario seems somewhat unfair. God’s man, doing God’s work, taking care of God’s people, doesn’t get any help from God and then it’s his own family that suffers in the end. What injustice is that in the eyes of man?
* One of these "sons of the prophets" died leaving debts and the creditor harassed the widow,
seeking to sell her two sons as bondservants to pay the debt.
* The thrilling story of how God heard the cry of this poor widow is a blessing to our lives!
* Note with me a few things in this message this Morning!
I. GOD CAN ALWAYS OPEN A WAY FOR HIS CHILDREN IN TROUBLE!
this "son of the prophets" died in debt - v.1
A. He brought heartache to his wife & almost brought slavery to his sons by having debts unpaid.
1. The widow was heartbroken! --She grieved over her dead
husband, she grieved over the unpaid debts
2. And she was nearly frantic that the pitiless creditor was about
to take her 2 sons into bondage.
B. In desperation, she cried unto Elisha in v.1 "Thy servant my husband is dead ......."
1. God’s prophet Elisha had a remedy which God showed him!
C. Who could be more helpless than such a poor widow in Bible times?
1. She had no trade, she couldn’t teach school nor be a
secretary as modern women can.
2. She had her children to care for, had no money to live on &
was faced with disaster!
3. You talking about somebody being at the end of their rope,
brother she was!
D. But she came to God through His prophet and God showed the way out!
1. Let us remember that when trouble comes, the thing to do is come to God!
Ps.50:15 "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."
2. God loves us; He has plenty; He always knows a way out!
II. WHAT YOU HAVE IS ENOUGH FOR GOD!
Verse 2--Elisha said to the poor widow, "What shall I do for thee? tell me, what have you got in the house?"
!
A. If it’s nothing but a pot of oil, God can multiply the oil!
1. If it’s only a handful of meal in the bottom of the barrel, God
can make it last to feed Elijah and a woman and her son until
the drought is passed - 1 Kings 17:8-16
2. If its only 5 barley biscuits & 2 fishes in a little lad’s lunch,
when Jesus blesses it, and breaks it, it’ll be enough for 5000
people!
B. God said to Moses, "What’s in your hand?" and Moses said, "A rod (stick)."
1. That stick became the "rod of God" that could bring plagues upon all of Egypt,
2. That Stick could become a serpent before Pharaoh,
3. That Stick could turn the might Nile River into blood
4. That “Stick” over brooks-streams-ponds brought Frogs .
5. That “Stick” brought flies-mosquitoes-Locusts.
6. That “Stick” opened and closed the Red Sea!
7. That “Stick” could bring water out of a rock
My question to you today is “What do you have that the Lord can use?”
C. Samson took the jawbone of a Donkey killed 1000 Philistines, the enemies of Israel.
It’s TIME to realize that
God is the Master of circumstances!
Illustration
A man was sitting on his porch. He recently retired from the post office and he’s sitting there when his first Social Security check is delivered. He’s very discouraged and thinks to himself, “Is this what life is going to be from now on--sitting on the porch waiting for my check to arrive?”
He decided that he wouldn’t be content with this so, he made a list of all of the things he had going for him, all of his blessings and the things that were unique to him. The list was long because he listed everything he could think of and in the list was the fact that he was the only person on earth who knew his mother’s recipe for fried chicken. It used eleven different herbs and spices.
So he went to a nearby restaurant and asked if he could cook the chicken, and they said, “Yes.” It soon became the most popular item on the menu. He opened his own restaurant. Next, he opened others and then a string of restaurants. Eventually Harland Sanders sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise across all of America. He finally retired a second time and he continued in the service of the company as their public relations representative for $250,000 dollars a year until his death.
Perhaps you are thinking that what you have is so small and insignificant. Remember, God can use anything or anyone to accomplish His purposes. History is full of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God because they used what they had been given. What talent or experiences do you have that God can use? Do you know your spiritual gifting? If not, then you need to find out what that is.
D) God is teaching us “How little you have doesn’t matter!”
III. GOD WANTS EMPTY VESSELS
Verse 3,”Elisha said to the troubled widow, "Go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy ......."
A. To the logical, but unbelieving mind, it would appear silly to get a lot of empty vessels to hold oil when one did not know
where the oil was coming from!
1. But those who get help from God must provide the empty vessels!
B. For the poor widow to go out & appeal to her neighbors That she might borrow empty vessels, would be a real test of her faith!
Let me illustrate:
"Hello Mrs. Jacobson, “I’d like to borrow the churn, milk pail, vinegar jugs, syrup buckets, water jars, anything you can spare!"
C. I can imagine the raised eyebrows of Mrs. Jacobson. She is glad to let her widowed neighbor borrow some vessels,
but what in the world is she going do with so many?
1. Fill them with oil?
2. But where will the oil come from?
3. Out of that one little pot of oil she has?
Then the explanation! The prophet of God said she should get plenty of vessels and that God would fill them all! And she could sell enough to pay all of her debts!
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted,
Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am." The woman replied,
"You are in a hot air balloon approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be a republican," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman. How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help so far."
The woman below responded. "You must be a democrat."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
D. The neighbors probably laughed at her (ha Ha)
1. * "She’s off her rocker, she’s lost it."
2. Some probably insisted that she must not depend on such foolishness, that prophet –don’t pay no attention.!
E. I can see them as they gather the vessels-- the widow and her sons brought all the vessels home to the bare house,
1. Fear could have gripped the widow’s heart and she thought she would surely die of shame
2. What if the words of the Prophet don’t come true?
3. If she had to carry all those vessels back & tell all the curious, gossipy neighbors that after all, God did not furnish oil to fill them all.
F. She had faith in God and in the prophet of God!
1. God will fill empty vessels!
2. You are going to be filled with something
Jesus spoke about people being filled with The cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches so choke the Word that it becomes unfruitful!
3. May we, like the Widow set our vessels down where God can fill them with oil!
IV. THE MIRACLE BEHIND CLOSED DOOR
Elisha said to the widow in v.4 ....... 4Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
This miracle and work of faith was not to be seen by outsiders! Only the Widow and her sons!
A. Were there any witnesses besides the family?
Only the family. Others saw the result of the miracle
Are there miracles in the world today?
B. You can be sure that in most cases where God heals the
body of some individual –There is no committee of
Doctors present
C. When Jesus raised the little daughter of the ruler of the
synagogue, the people laughed Him to scorn. But when he had put
them all out- He took the father & mother of the damsel & them
that were with Him & entereth in where the damsel was lying and
Jesus raised her from the dead - Mark 5:40
D. When Peter was sent forth to pray over the dead body of
Dorcas, we are told in Acts 9:40, "But Peter put them all forth,
and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said,
Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw
Peter, she sat up."
1. Don’t you see that when God does big business
with needy souls, He does it where the
unbelievers & the scoffers will not see it?
V. THE OIL FILLED ALL THE VESSELS, THEN STOPPED -
V.6 When all the jars were ---the Oil Stopped Flowing
1. The vessels had been borrowed & the door was shut, then the mother took her place with the little pot of oil,
2..And her sons prepared to bring her the vessels for filling, one after the other.
A. The destiny of these lads depends upon the outcome.
1. The mother’s heart is fearful, yet glad and expectant!
3. I think her hand trembles as she lifts the pot of oil!
4. And as she pours it into the first vessel, pours & pours, the vessel is filled,
5. The pot of oil has not diminished!
B. Quickly, lest the miraculous stream of riches cease to flow, she asks for another vessel.
1. And she pours into it as a son sets the first to the side.
2. Her lips tremble with praise!
4. Vessel after vessel is filled with the rich olive oil until every vessel available has been filled to the brim!
Among Jews who used no lard-* Olive oil was a necessity with no substitute! -* Oil - frying food-- burn in lamps-- every kind of ointment—salve--face cream Oil to make leather pliable, to keep iron from rusting! Oil was as good as Gold!
D. No wonder olive oil could be sold in any market!
1. The widow’s time of trial & poverty & worry is done!
2. Her sons are no longer in danger of enslavement!
E) I can imagine that the muscles in the widow’s back are cramped, that beads of sweat are on her forehead, she
pours in the oil from the undiminished store in the little pot!
* And as the vessel is nearly full she says quickly to her son, "bring me yet another vessel."
* But the son says, "There is not a vessel more!"
* And then the scripture says, "And the oil stayed."
F) When there were no more vessels, God worked no more miracles!
* When faith asked no more, God gave no more! * I was not there & scripture doesn’t tell us what the woman thought or said, but I have long imagined that she cried aloud,
* "Oh if I had only known the oil would keep pouring, I could have gotten so many more vesselsto fill." * She got only as much oil as she provided vessels for!
G) This same prophet Elisha who had encouraged the widow to trust God to multiply her oil later was near death, and King Joash of Israel came to see him. * 2 Kings 13:14-19
* Elisha promised deliverance from the Syrians and said to Joash, "Take the arrows."
* Joash took them & Elisha said, "Smite upon the ground." * And Joash smote the ground 3 times and stopped. * Then the Bible says that Elisha was wroth with him and said in v.19, "Thou shouldest have smitten 5 or 6 times, then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hast consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice."
H) The King could’ve smitten 6 times as well as three times!
* His victory was limited by his faith beforehand!
* So when the woman’s vessels were all filled, the oil stayed! * Had she gathered more vessels, she would’ve had more oil!
VI. ENOUGH OIL LEFT TO LIVE ON!
* Immediately the widow came to tell the prophet Elisha, the man of God and He said in v.7 .......
A. First: She was to pay her debt!
1. Let every Christian remember that that comes first!
Matt. 5:23-24 " 23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift”
B. How gladly this woman must’ve paid the debt that had hung over her husband now gone to Glory,
1. The debt that hung over her and threatened to rob her of her sons
2. So the debt was paid!
But Elisha said, "And live thou and thy children of the rest."
C. One of the marvels of God’s goodness is that when God answers prayer, He can do more than give us the bare necessities!
Eph.3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think……
…."
* So when the woman got enough oil to pay her debt, she also got enough for her & her sons to live on!
CLOSE
A) Why not go borrow vessels, empty vessels, borrow not a few?
* Why not make plenty of room for God to work?
* Why not make big plans and pray big prayers?
B) And as certainly as we put our faith in God & follow His directions, we may expect Him to fill
every vessel that, in faith, we empty and provide for Him!
C) Oh, that God would fill us tonight with His Spirit!
* The one who is full of the Spirit has all the fullness of God!
* He can have everything else he needs!
D) I make it my resolve that for all my future needs, I will be filled with the Holy Spirit!
