2 KINGS 4:1-7 “EMPTY”
A) 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.”
* 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.
B) Some Bible teachers believe that Obadiah of 1 Kings 18 could have been
the husband of this widow.
* Be as that may, we know that she is the widow of a prophet, and prior to his
death she had no worries.
* Everything is going well until death came knocking on her door and then her
whole life was turned upside down.
C) Just look at here life now – The husband is dead – He brought heartache
to his wife and almost brought slavery to his sons by having debts unpaid.
* The widow was utterly heartbroken ... She grieved over her dead husband.
D) No doubt she grieved over the unpaid debts as any godly woman would do.
* And she was emotionally out of control that the pitiless creditor was about to
take her 2 sons into bondage.
E) The cupboards are bare – The bank account has no money in it.
* The only thing she has left is a little pot of oil – Now she is totally empty
and feeling hopeless.
* However, she CRIED out to the Prophet Elisha in her despair – v.1.
F) God’s faithful prophet Elisha had a remedy which God showed him.
* Thank God there is always a way out for a child of God if we go to God
and trust Him.
* I mean, who could be more helpless than such a poor widow in Bible times?
G) She had no trade, she couldn’t teach school nor be a secretary as modern
women can.
* She had her 2 sons to care for – Had no money to live on and was faced with
disaster.
* You talking about somebody being at the end of their rope, brother she was.
H) But she came to God through His prophet and God showed the way out.
* Let us remember that when trouble comes, the thing to do is come to God.
* Psa. 50:15 “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou
shalt glorify me.”
I) God loves us – He always has plenty – He always knows a way out.
* Let me share with you several things as we focus on the word “empty.”
(1) THE REASON FOR THE EMPTINESS
A) Death had robbed her of her husband and her means of support.
* And debt was wrapped around her neck, choking the very life out of her and she
was absolutely hopeless.
B) She is suffering from depression – She was going to lose her sons if
something didn’t happen, and happen quickly.
* She was desperate – She turned to the prophet when all things were gone
from the house except a little pot (bottle) of oil.
C) These things that this widow went through are the same things that will
bring emptiness in our lives as well.
* Death of a spouse or a loved one – Debt has choked many with unhappiness.
D) Rom. 13:8 “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he .......”
* Prov. 22:7 “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to .......”
E) Depression is real even to believers – Let’s define depression: A state of
feeling sad; a pressing down.
* There are times in Christians’ lives that they are sad – They do feel pressed
down – Then that depression makes us turn to Someone for help.
* And that Someone is Jesus – Listen to some promises in the Word of God.
F) Psa. 57:2 “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth .......”
* Psa. 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart .......”
* Psa. 107:19 “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth .......”
G) Psa. 141:1 “LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear .......”
* Luke 11:9 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and .......”
* John 14:14 “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
* And there’s plenty more where those came from, but I think you get it.
(2) THE REALITY OF THE EXPERIENCE
A) Provision Of A Possession – She stilled owned a little bottle of oil.
* If you’ll notice, what she needed was already in her house – v.2.
* What you need is already in the house ... If it’s nothing but a pot of oil, God can
multiply the oil.
B) 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.
* If there are only 5 small loaves and 2 fishes in a little lad’s lunch, when Jesus
blesses it and breaks it, it’ll be enough for 5000+ people.
C) God said to Moses, “What is that in your hand?” and Moses said, “A rod”
* But that stick became the rod of God that could bring plagues upon all of Egypt,
* That could become a serpent before Pharaoh, that could open or close the
Red Sea – That could bring water out of a rock for millions of people.
D) Samson took the jawbone of an ass and killed 1000 Philistines, the enemies
of Israel.
* It’s wonderful to come to realize that God is the Master of circumstances.
E) I asked someone one time, “How’s it going?”
* He said, “Oh, pretty good under the circumstances.”
* I said, “You ought to get out from under the circumstances – A Christian is not
under circumstances, they’re under grace.”
F) God is teaching us a lesson here in our text.
* How little you have doesn’t matter – The only thing that matters is that you
wholly surrender what you have to God.
PREPARATION OF THE POTS
A) v.3 – Go, borrow vessels; borrow as many as you can – God was in essence
telling her, “You’re not empty enough.”
* She probably wanted to debate that with God at this point.
B) To the logical, unbelieving mind, it would appear silly to get a lot of empty
vessels to hold oil when one didn’t know where the oil was coming from.
* But those who get help from God must provide the empty vessels.
C) For the poor widow to go out and appeal to her neighbors that she might
borrow empty vessels, lots of empty vessels, would be a real test of her faith.
* Illustrate: “Hello Mrs. Jacobson, may I borrow all the vessels you can spare?”
* “I’d like to borrow the churn, milk pail, vinegar jugs, syrup buckets, water jars,
anything you can spare.”
D) I can imagine the raised eyebrows of Mrs. Jacobson ... Surely she is glad to
let her widowed neighbor borrow some vessels .......
* But what in the world is she gonna do with so many? – Fill them with oil?
E) But where will the oil come from? – 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.
F) Some of the neighbors probably laughed at her.
* Another would smile and say, “She’s off her rocker, she’s lost it.”
* Some probably insisted that she must not depend on such foolishness ... That prophet
ain’t right ... She ought not listen to him like that.
G) And I can imagine that as the widow and her sons brought all the vessels
home to the bare house .......
* Fear gripped the widow’s heart and she thought she would surely die of shame .......
* If she had to carry all those vessels back and tell all the curious, gossipy neighbors
that after all, God didn’t furnish oil to fill them all.
SHE HAD FAITH IN GOD AND IN THE PROPHET OF GOD
A) God wants empty vessels – He can fill ‘em.
* Some people are not filled with the Holy Spirit ... Perhaps the reason is that they
have not been emptied of other things.
* The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches so choke the Word that it
becomes unfruitful.
B) And too much to eat at the tables of this world means that one does not feed
upon the manna from heaven.
* May we, like this poor widow woman in the days of Elisha, get empty vessels and
set them down where God can fill them with oil – Empty ourselves.
C) Personal And Private – Then Elisha told her to step beyond the threshold
of your house, close the door, and let your sons see God’s provision.
(3) THE RESULTS OF THE ENDOWMENT
A) Debt Satisfied – Go pay off the creditor – What happened is she struck oil.
* I believe that every one of us remember the Beverly Hillbillies.
* Most of us grew up watching Jed and all his kin ... It was a great show and very
realistic, right? – Well, it may not have been realistic but it was a good show.
B) Can you imagine going out into the woods and hunting for food but instead
you strike oil?
* Hard to believe but on the show that’s exactly what happened to Jed Clampett.
* Do you remember in the theme song what they called oil? – Black gold, Texas tea.
C) We may never be as blessed as Jed Clampett.
* We may never strike oil ... We may never have more than what we need to get
us through the week – But there’s good news – There’s a hymn that says,
* “Be not dismayed, what’re betide, God will take care of you.”
D) God never promises us that if we put our trust in Him that He is going
to make us rich.
* He never promises that He is going to give us everything we want.
* He never says that we are going to strike oil ... But when we accept Jesus Christ
as our personal Savior, we have riches beyond what this world can give.
E) One more thing – Daily Sustenance – v.7 .......
* She went and told the man of God and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt
and you and your sons live on what is left.
F) Olive oil was very expensive in Bible times, and so she had a goldmine
left, so to speak.
* The widow’s time of trial and poverty and worry is done ... Her sons are no longer
in danger of enslavement.
G) 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.
H) 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.” (Stopped)
* When there were no more vessels, God worked no more miracles.
I) When faith asked no more, God gave no more.
* I was not there, and 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 vessels to fill.” – She got only as much oil as she provided vessels for.
CLOSE
A) What is the reason for your emptiness – Death, debt, disease, despair?
* Do you desire an experience in Christ? – Now is the best time to cry out to Him.
* He specializes in the impossible.
B) Why not go borrow vessels, empty vessels, borrow not a few?
* Why not make plenty of room for God to work?
C) Why not make big plans and pray big prayers?
* And as we put our faith in God and follow His directions, we may expect Him
to fill every vessel that, in faith, we empty and provide for Him.
D) Oh, that God would fill us tonight with His Spirit – But in order for Him
to fill us, we must be EMPTY – Sin – Self – Substitutes.
* We all have sinned – We all sometimes are filled with selfishness – And a lot of
times we are filled with substitutes.
* We substitute service for surrender and work for worship – Serving is good and right,
* But don’t let yourself get so busy doing things for Christ that you neglect spending
time with Him – Empty the sin, the self, all substitutes, then ask God to fill you.
