David's Sermons - 2 Kings 4

Elisha and the Widow's Oil

Date: 12/08/01
Speaker: David Meiklejohn
Text: 2 Kings 4 v 1-7

2 Kings 4 v 1-7

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.
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.
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Today I'd like to look at a miracle that God performed through Elisha. When we look at Elisha's life we see many parallels with that of Elijah, his master. He had a very different character, but performed similar miracles, though twice as many, in fulfilment of his request for a double blessing from Elijah.

In our passage today a widow of one of Elisha's followers comes to him with a problem. She has no money, and the creditors are coming to take her children from her. Elisha asks what she has in the house and she replies "just a pot of oil". Elisha tells her to gather empty pots from her neighbours, shut herself in and start pouring into the pots. As she does so she finds that her pot has a supply of oil that only runs out when all the borrowed pots are full. She can then pay off her debts and use the rest to live on.

The first verse highlights some problems that are very relevant in today's world. Debt is very much a problem in our society. The ready availability of loans and credit cards means it is easy to fall into debt and start off a downwards spiral. Also we see here a single mother with two children, struggling to get by: also a common problem today. This brings up the topic of stewardship. God has given us much, but he expects us to take care of, and make good use of the things he gives us. It's important not to waste our money on vain pursuits and worldy excess, but it isn't just about money. God has given us talents and abilities which he expects us to use for his glory. He may also have given us charge over a group of people. He expects us to take a responsible attitude towards these things. Elisha had a responsibility towards this woman, and he made sure he carried out this responsibility. Do we shy away when God offers us responsibility, or do we take it up with gratitude? Sometimes we can take on too many responsibilities, and not be properly observant of any of them.

Elisha took on his responsibility and looked to tackle the widow's problem. The first thing he did was evaluate. This is the best thing we can do when we find ourselves in problems: step back and evaluate where we are and what we have. We learn that the widow had very little, but did have a small pot of oil. The oil in the Word represents the Holy Spirit, and sometimes our lives can become like the widow's, with only a very small portion of the Spirit evident. Getting a proper self-image is important for the Christian, and even when we think we have nothing, we must realise that we still have the Spirit indwelling us.

The widow was to borrow pots from her neighbours. How would we feel about lending her our property? Communities are a vital part of our lives and a good Christian fellowship even more so. Our fellowships should be places where love is seen: not in shows of emotion, but in acts of charity, helping each other.

Elisha told the widow that when she had gathered her pots she should shut herself in. How often do we shut ourself in with the Lord. It is then that we form that close bond with the Spirit that powers our service. It is then that the Spirit grow in our life, filling those parts of our life that we vacate. We must learn to shut ourselves in and meditate on the Word of God. It's not just about learning knowledge, but about reading what God has for us, then thinking it over through our day, applying it to situations.

The widow did as Elisha had commanded. She was obedient. It's only as we are obedient to the Lord that we will see the blessing in our lives. Like Gideon we may not understand the Lord's reason for asking us to do wat he has, but God doesn't ask us to understand, just to do. If you're not seeing blessing in your life, ask yourself this: are you being obedient to God's revealed Word?

The oil flowed and filled all the pots. It stopped when the last one was full. I wonder how many pots the widow had gathered. How much supply does the Lord give us? As much as we in faith claim. How much does the Spirit fill us? As much of us as we empty for him.

Thw widow was able to pay off her debt, and use some more to provide for her family in the future. God provides for our present needs, and also for our future. His plan is perfect, and he knows exactly what we need. You may not know why you have gone through something, but you may later find that what you gained was just what you needed in a later experience.

We see in this passage a woman with a real problem. She was given a real solution. We have a real God, who knows our needs, and supplies for them.

It's important for us to learn to shut ourselves up with the Lord. It is in these times he strengthens us, guides us and supplies us.

The more faith we have, the more God will bless us. Are you limiting God's blessing for you?