In the history of Elisha the prophet there is a story most startling in its revelation of the wondrous grace of God. Many of you may be familiar with it, but all should refresh their hearts and minds by reading it again. See 2 Kings 4:1-71Now 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. 2And 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. 3Then 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. 5So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6And 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. 7Then 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. (2 Kings 4:1‑7).
Sometimes in seeking to present Christ we find those who hesitate to accept Him for fear they will not "hold out." Some, under most difficult conditions, unquestioningly put their full trust in HIM. So it was with this widow of a prophet. He had died and left her and their two boys destitute.
It has been said that misfortunes do not come singly, but in battalions. This woman had not only lost her husband, but a creditor was going to take her boys and sell them into slavery—a common thing in those days. The widow went and told Elisha, a man of God, about it. He asked her what she had in the house. "Nothing," she said, "but a pot of oil." Now we know that in Scripture, oil is emblematic of the Holy Spirit. With such a resource her case, though hard, could not be hopeless.
Elisha told her to go home and borrow all the vessels she could. His command was: "Borrow not a few." Evidently he would "ask large gifts of the King" on her behalf.
The poor widow took him at his word and borrowed all the vessels her neighbors would lend her. Can you not see her and her two sons going from house to house asking for the loan of their vessels? No doubt many of the neighbors wondered what it was all about. Even so, people sometimes come into an inquiry room after a gospel meeting, curious to see what is going on.
If this woman had been like some modern skeptics, she would have questioned as very absurd the prophet's bidding her to borrow empty vessels. She would have asked: "What good can come of that?" But her faith asks no questions. The woman did just what the man of God told her to do.
Friend, do you not see her going up the street, knocking at every door, and asking for empty vessels? "How many do you want?" she was probably asked. "All you can spare," would be her answer. One can also imagine the two sons carrying the great vessels.
"Borrow not a few," the mother had been told. As she went on, asking for as many as she could get, what gossip this strange procedure would occasion! All the people in the street would be talking about her. "This woman and her sons have been carrying borrowed vessels into their house all day. Why?" So the natural heart would question.
At last the little family had all the vessels the neighbors would lend. Still following the prophet's advice, the mother locked the door and said to one of the sons: "Bring me the empty vessels." When I have filled them, you take them away."
So she began to pour. Perhaps the first vessel was twice as big as the one she poured from. Did that deter her? No! In faith she kept pouring. It was soon filled, and she kept on pouring into vessel after vessel. At last her son said, "Mother, this is the last one!" We are told that the oil was not stayed till every vessel was full. What thanksgiving must have ascended to God from that room!
Dear friends, in simple faith in Christ, bring your empty vessels to God. He will fill them with Himself.
I am an empty vessel—not one thought,
Or look of love to Thee I've ever brought;
Yet I may come, and come again to Thee,
With this the empty sinner's only plea—
"Thou lovest me!"
Oh! fill me, Jesus Savior, with Thy love;
Lead, lead me to the living fount above!
Thither may I in simple faith draw nigh
And never to another fountain fly,
But unto Thee.
The woman went and told the man of God what had happened. He said to her: "Go, sell the oil and pay thy debt; and live thou and thy children off the rest."
Isn't that truly God's grace for the present and grace for the future? Friend, His grace will not only cover all your sins, but carry you right into glory. Let the grace of God into your heart. He will prove to you His all-sufficiency.
Here are the words to an old prayer: "God, give us grace to see our need of grace; give us grace to ask for grace; give us grace to receive grace; give us grace to use the grace we have received."
Grace taught my soul to pray
And pardoning love to know;
'Twas grace that kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.
Grace all the work shall crown
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone
And well deserves all praise.