We have been reading the ministries of the various prophets, mainly with the Kings and dealing with the affairs of the nations.
• Today, we have come to the segment where we read of a prophet ministry with the ordinary, dealing with the common needs of life.
• These incidents show us that God is concerned, not just with the high and mighty, but with everyone, the lowly and helpless, widows and orphans, poor and weak.
We have four incidents recorded for us in 2 Kings 4. We’re going to look at the first one today – the desperate need of a nameless widow. Read 2 Kings 4:1-7.
4:1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
This widow was caught in a very pitiful state. She has lost her husband and now because of the debt he owed, the creditor is coming for her two sons.
• The creditor demands to take the boys as slaves, to pay for the debt. This was likely a common practice then, because she did not accuse him of being unjust.
• But it was a very desperate situation for her. Without her husband, she would need her sons, her only means of support and security. They are her lifeline.
Is this God’s judgement? People would like to read it that way when bad things happen.
• But her husband was a prophet in training, one of those in the company of the prophets. And “he revered the Lord”, the wife says.
• We have here a God-honouring family in a time when Baal worship was prevalent.
• Yet they were facing great financial difficulties. Who says Christians will have no troubles in life? Who says Christians will surely have good and easy lives?
• The godly can still face hardships and troubles in life. Even a prophet’s family can have financial difficulties.
Paul in his ministry faces financial needs too, but listen to what he says about his needs:
• Phil 4:10-13 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
• Being rich is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing; contentment is.
• In fact, Paul gave more warnings about riches because of the great temptations that wealth can brings.
Will the godly face troubles in life? “I have been a good Christian, why am I diagnosed with cancer? I’ve been an honest worker, why am I the one being retrenched? I have been faithful, why so poor..?”
• The Bible did not tell us any WHY this but showed us instead that God cares and He can be trusted.
• God did not give us the answers to the WHYs but help us, through the difficulties, to see Him in a better light and understand His purposes.
The desperate situation drove the woman to CRY OUT to God.
• Asking for help is the single, most important, first step that she took.
• Some today struggle quietly and refuse to break the silence because they do not want people to know that they are in need. That’s pride and not wisdom.
• The widow came to Elisha expecting to hear God’s answer to her problem.
And she presented her need a matter-of-factly. No bitterness, no complaining, no blaming God, or accusing anyone, not even the creditor.
• If this is an acceptable practice then – for the creditor to take her sons as slaves for her debts – then she has nothing to complain about; she owed him the money.
4:2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."
Elisha was eager to help, unlike the previous encounter that we saw. In 3:13-14 we read last week, Elisha was not that willing to help King Joram (Israel):
• 3:13-14 “Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father (Ahab) and the prophets of your mother (Jezebel)."
"No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab."
14 Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. (an idolator)
Clearly Elisha recognises this woman’s faith. She is different. She honours God.
• She might be a nameless widow to the society, but to God.
• If we know the Lord today, then we are not nameless people before Him. Jesus says he calls us (His own sheep) by name (cf. John 10:3).
• God will grant this widow access to His throne of grace, because of her faith.
Heb 4:16 says we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
• If we are in a time of need, this is what we need to do – COME to the throne of God’s grace and seek Him.
4:3-4 "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."
3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."
Elisha gave her the WORD of the Lord. It’s the Word from God because his instructions led to a miracle. It didn’t come from man.
• Elisha’s instructions, coming right after she said, “I have nothing here except a little oil”, sounded ridiculous.
• He tells her to pour that little oil into the jars that she will be collecting, and then expecting that “when each is filled, put it aside.”
It might not make sense but that’s the words of the prophet. The widow trusted these words and responded in obedience, believing it.
• She did not question Elisha or say anything else. She acted upon what she heard.
4:5-7 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one."
But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
She did exactly as she was told and saw the miracle of God, in the privacy of her ownhome.
• Elisha was not present at the miracle. For most of the miracles that we have seen so far, the prophet has been present at the place of the miracle, but not this one.
• The widow left Elisha and followed his instruction. She experienced God’s presence and power in a very personal way. It’s like a miracle happening through her own hands.
• God came close and made His presence and power felt within her own home, with her two sons.
• If we had been standing there watching, the message we would get is: God is here, right here with you and your sons, in your family. You might have a great need, feeling lonely and helpless, but the Lord is here and He provides.
The miracle came through her obedience. She obeyed because she believed the words spoken to her.
• Obedience and trust are like Siamese twins. We obey because we trust Him. If we trust Him, we will obey Him.
• She acted upon a promise actually. The promise given in 4:4b “Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
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We see God’s GENEROUS provision in response to her faith.
• God’s provision is always abundant. He does not give just enough, although enough is already very good.
• Elisha tells the widow (4:7), "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
• God produces enough oil for the widow to pay off her debts and to live on with her two sons.
God provides MORE THAN ENOUGH. We’ve seen that a couple of times:
• When He provided manna for His people in the wilderness. It’s eat all you want.
• The feeding of the 5000 (men only) with five loaves of bread and two fish and with 12 basketful of leftover (Matt 14).
• The feeding of the 4000 (Matt 15) and with 7 basketfuls of leftovers.
• If you ask Paul, he would say God is One “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” (Eph 3:20)
The only limit is our stomach, with regard to God’s provision of food. Eat all you want. The limit is how much we can eat. The limit is not on God’s side.
I read this interesting story about two man who went on a fishing trip in a lake. The companion noticed that his friend has this strange behaviour. Every time he catches a fish he would pull out a little ruler and measure it. If it measured larger than the ruler he would throw it back. If it fits, he keeps it in the bucket.
His partner watched him for some time and then asked, “I can’t help it, but I’ve never seen a man fish like you. Why did you keep only the smaller ones and throw the big ones back?”
The man said, “Oh, I’m going to fry the fish. And I have only an eight-inch frying pan.”
God blesses us abundantly. His supply is not limited.
• As long as we need it, God can meet it. The supply of oil will continue as long as there are empty jars to fill.
• There is no needs in our lives that are beyond His help. Trust Him.
The story begins with human need and ends with God’s abundance.
• God cares. He cares for the widows and the fatherless, the poor and the oppressed, the weak and the needy.
• He is the HELP of the helpless. Don’t hold back. Cry out to Him when in need.
• The important first step is to admit we cannot, and only He can.
• Come boldly to the throne of grace and we shall receive mercy and find God’s grace to help us in our time of need. (cf. Heb 4:16)
