"Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, 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." 2 Kings 4:3,43Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4And 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. (2 Kings 4:3‑4).
In Elijah's ministry of repentance, the vessel was emptied, cleansed and made ready to fill with oil. Like the empty vessels at the wedding in John 2, the newborn soul must be filled with the water of the Word and this must be made good in the soul by the power of the Spirit. If a new believer is not received as an empty vessel, a great deal of trouble may result. Those who lead in the assembly should be able to discern if the vessel is empty and ready to be filled.
"Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors." It pictures the gospel going abroad from the midst of the assembly and that whosoever will may come. When brought into the assembly, the vessel needs to be emptied of the world and filled with Christ.