Not a Few

Not a Few! October 6^th 2002

2 Kings 4:1-7

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. [2] 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. [3] Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] 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. [7] 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.

Introduction: I want to bring a message of encouragement to you today. God has laid out a picture of His blessing here in 2 Kings. Here was a woman who was at the end of her rope! At the end of her resources! At the end of her self and even at the end of her very life! God stepped in and blessed her life, her family and her future. *** We have the same God. God’s nature is to bless us.

Using the expository method, and keeping clearly in mind the fact that God has one interpretation but many applications, I want to look at the life of this widow and apply her circumstances to the New Testament Church. Hers is a recipe for the blessing of God. As a church we can apply her life to the life of our church.

v.1 Her Conundrum: By the way, the local Church is always seen as feminine. She was uncertain but God knew her for certain. She was called by His name. Her husband feared God! Notice, she had a godly heritage. You know we can lose that! We can turn our back on our heritage and have nothing to offer –forget the next generation, WE WILL HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER THIS GENERATION!!!

The generation around her was dying. Do you know that our generation can die and the next generation will be brought into bondage? We can sell out the next generation!

She was starving to death, her husband was dead, her generation was about to die -she was about to lose her children! I’m talking about this woman but I’m preaching to our church. This church can learn from this widow woman. Her children were about to be brought into bondage. Do you know that our children could grow up to be sodomites and drug addicts and fornicators and criminals?

What did she do that was right? What did she do that safe guarded her family? She went to Elisha. She went to the prophet of God. You can go to your pastor today but do you know you have the prophets of God right at your finger tips. You can go to the multitude of counsellors that are found in the pages of this Book. As a church we need to be in the pages of the BOOK!

v.2 Her Condition: God wanted to bless her. That is a great condition to be in. He sent God’s man to meet her need.

Notice also that she was poor. All she had was a pot of oil.

Praise God that, in the Bible, oil is a type of the Holy Spirit.

If you have the Holy Spirit you have everything because you have God!

I believe in the all sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. (expand)

I also believe in the promises of the Lord. (expand)

Her condition was not that condition that was outward…

v.3-4 Her Commandment: God told her what to do. God told her to "GO". God will not allow us to walk in darkness. He has told us what to do as well.

Luke 14:23,

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Verse 4 is interesting: They were to "come in". They were to "pour out". Then they were to "set them aside". WHAT A WONDERFUL PICTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH!!! We are to bring them in, fill them with the Word, then God can set them apart for Himself.

They come in empty so that God can send them out full!

v.5 Her Commitment: Her commitment was measured by the extent of her obedience. (*ILL. Boy in Mexico got saved and burned out giving gospel.)

v.6-7 Her Conclusion: When I speak of her conclusion I am referring to the future of the New Testament Church. Notice how the oil stayed when there were no more vessels. This is truly a type of the end of this dispensation, at the rapture when their will be no more vessels filled for the LORD. When the last soul is saved there will be a rapture of the saints and the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way.

2 Thes. 2:6-12

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. [8] And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Notice too that after the vessels were filled they became useful to the work of God. God used these vessels to meet others needs.

God has some vessels out there he wants to fill with the oil of His Holy Spirit, bring not a few…