DON’T ASK JUST A FEW

2 Kings 4:1-7

Key Verse 3b

“Don’t ask for just a few.”

1. Read verse 1. Why did the wife of a prophet cry out to Elisha? (1) Why might the Lord have allowed this to happen even to a man who revered and served Him?

2. Read verses 2-4. What can we learn from Elisha’s reply? (2a, Mark 6:37b-38) What does her answer show about her situation? (2b) What does he ask her to do? (3-4) Meditate on each step of his instructions.

3. Read verses 5-7. What did the widow and her sons do? (5-6a) What can we learn from the fact that the oil stopped flowing when there was no jar left? (6b) What do the final instructions of Elisha tell us about how to meet our daily needs in life? (7)

DON’T ASK JUST A FEW

2 Kings 4:1-7

Key Verse 3b

“Don’t ask for just a few.”

Introduction

In chapter 3, God used Elisha to save kings from defeat and death. In today’s passage, God used him to help a poor widow. Elisha received a double portion of God’s spirit in chapter 2. Imagine if you received a lot of spirit and power from the Lord as a servant of God, you might have been tempted to misuse it for your glory. But Elisha was well balanced in light of his service to help all people who are in need. It is God’s great compassionate heart for all people on earth. Jesus helped Nicodemus as well as the Samaritan woman. May the Lord help us to grow in spirit so that we may grow as shepherds of compassionate heart to carry God’s love. Also we may grow in our personal faith like the woman in this passage so that we may obey and trust the Lord and His servant to always win the battle. Amen.

1. Read verse 1. Why did the wife of a prophet cry out to Elisha? (1) Why might the Lord have allowed this to happen even to a man who revered and served Him?

1-1, Read verse 1.

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

1-2, Why did the wife of a prophet cry out to Elisha? (1)

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

• This woman was evidently a believer and the widowed wife of one of the prophets. “Your servant, my husband is dead.” indicates that he was involved in the ministry and teaching of Elisha.

• “You know that he revered the Lord” Elisha must have known him in person. “But now his creditor is coming to take my 2 boys as his slaves.” Wow!

• She had no means to pay them back. The legal system in Israel would not declare bankruptcy. She had to give her sons to her creditor as payment.

• According to Moses’ law, she might have had a silver lining to take them back at the year of Jubilee. But still it was a cruel thing for her to endure!

• She must have been familiar with what God had been doing through the prophet Elisha. In essence, she was seeking God’s provision through him.

1-3, Why might the Lord have allowed this to happen even to a man who revered and served Him?

• 1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

• The issue appeared to be the financial problem of the woman. But the real issue was not the problem per se. Rather our response to the Lord in the face of problems is the one. How do we react? We learned to trust and obey God!

• Galatians 6:9-10 reads, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

• God might have allowed this seemingly sad thing to happen to the prophet in order that God would like to reveal who He is for His glory!

• God would never disappoint those who earnestly seek him and reward them indeed as long as they keep their personal faith to the end no matter what.

1. Read verses 2-4. What can we learn from Elisha’s reply? (2a, Mark 6:37b-38) What does her answer show about her situation? (2b) What does he ask her to do? (3-4) Meditate on each step of his instructions.

2-1, Read verses 2-4.

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

2-2, What can we learn from Elisha’s reply? (2a, Mark 6:37b-38)

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

• First of all Elisha was as available to a poor widow woman as he was with kings in chapter 3. So he was quick to come to her aid and attention.

• As God shows no favoritism, but treats all men alike if they will come to HIm in faith and prayer. So the people of God should show no favoritism and be just as available to minister to the poor as to the rich and the powerful. In this way we void the sin of partiality. (James 2:1-10)

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

• Apostle Paul also taught about the qualification for elders and deacons that they should put the widows on the list for support. (1 Timothy 5:3-5)

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God And continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.

• “What shall I do for you?” He meant, “What do you want God to do for you through me?

• According to James 4:2-3, We do not have because we do not ask God or we do have the wrong motive.

• “Tell me. What do you have in your house?” Elisha asked her to think of what she already had in her house by faith in the Almighty God.

• Mark 6:37-38 reads, “But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.””

• We need to investigate what we have in all areas. Then we surrender them to the Lord and trust the Lord to bless and provide as He sees fit.

• Sometimes God does supply from places unknown and in ways beyond our imagination. But our responsibility is to take whatever we have no matter how small or large and turn it over to Him.

2-3, What does her answer show about her situation? (2b)

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

• She had nothing except a small jar of olive oil. It was not a larger supply held for cooking, but a smaller vessel for anointing. In other words, she was really poor!

2-4, What does he ask her to do? (3-4)

2-5, Meditate on each step of his instructions.

3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

• First of all, Elisha made this woman commit herself in faith to God’s provision. To borrow vessels from all her neighbors for empty jars seems awkward.

• She might already have asked all her neighbors to borrow money or food. So it might have been hard for her to ask for empty jars from them.

• “Don’t ask for just a few” She must ask for as many jars as possible. She needed food. Why empty jars? She might have thought that it sounded nonsense.

• “Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons.” The closed door suggests the principle of privacy.

• What she did was to be done without distractions so she and her sons could focus on the Lord and set their hearts upon Him in faith.

• To be alone with God is one of the vital needs of any believer at any time, but it is especially true in the days in which we live with all the noise and busyness.

• One of the reasons we often do not see God working is because we fail to get along with Him individually. Elisha’s absence helped her to rely on God only.

• They might have thought that each detailed step is too weird to obey them. Then “pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

• God’s instructions in and through the prophet Elisha were step by step command. Each step was not to skip it according to their own thoughts. Humble obedience and trust are absolutely required for them to see God’s intervention on this.

1. Read verses 5-7. What did the widow and her sons do? (5-6a) What can we learn from the fact that the oil stopped flowing when there was no jar left? (6b) What do the final instructions of Elisha tell us about how to meet our daily needs in life? (7)

3-1, Read verses 5-7.

5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

3-2, What did the widow and her sons do? (5-6a)

5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

• Although this author did not describe how she borrowed empty jars from her friends or neighbors, she must have obeyed as Elisha had said.

• She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.

• When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “bring me another one.” We notice that Elisha made her do this from A to Z by herself.

• He might have been tempted to gather the jars and pour the oil by himself. But he knew that she had to trust God by herself and by her own faith including her son’s obedience. Praise the Lord!

3-3, What can we learn from the fact that the oil stopped flowing when there was no jar left? (6b)

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

3-4, What do the final instructions of Elisha tell us about how to meet our daily needs in life? (7)

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

• The miracle was given according to the measure of her faith in borrowing vessels. She borrowed enough so the excess oil was sold and provided money to pay the debt to the creditor and to provide for the future.

• Had she borrowed more, more would have been provided. If she borrowed a few vessels, she would have but little oil.

• The oil did not pour out on the ground. It was intended for a prepared vessel. Each vessel had to be prepared by being gathered, by being assembled, by being emptied, by being put in the right position.

• When there was no more prepared vessel, the oil stopped. God’s powerful provision invites our hard work and never excuses laziness or complacency.

• She was not requested to gather a specific number of vessels. Rather God wanted her to act in faith.

• For this reason Elisha warned, “do not get a few.” In other words, bring as many as you have faith that God will fill.

• God’s supply was provided in a proportion to her faith and obedience, without greediness. The moment we become greedy and selfish in our request, the flow of God’s provision would stop there.

• I believe this godly woman brought vessels sufficient enough for her needs and stopped before greed took over.

• The amount of vessels was limited by the size of her room. God has promised to meet our needs, but not our greed.

Conclusion

God is a God of blessing and provision. The widow might have been hard on her poor condition when her husband served faithfully and sacrificially the Lord and His servant, Elisha as a companion in the evil times. But God never forgot her. When she did not lose her faith, God provided her through Elisha. “Trust and obey” is the right response of believers in any situation. May the Lord help us to grow in our faith so that we may live by faith, but by sight. Amen. One word: Don’t ask just a few!

Don’t Ask for Just a Few

(Make Something out of Nothing)

2 Kings 4:1-7,

Key Verse 4:3

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few.”

What do you believe and rely on? Let us practice some examples by filling a space here. When we have faith in the world, we will get what the world is capable of. When we have faith in America, we get what she is capable of. When we have faith in Money, we get what money can buy. When we have faith in ourselves, we basically get what we are able to do and NO more. But when we have faith in God, we get what He is capable of. There is nothing He can not do, I repeat NOTHING. HE is able to do what? Everything! He makes something out of nothing. Today Elisha helped a widow to have faith in God. “Don’t ask for just a few!” Do not limit God, His power, love and blessing! May God help us to grow in our faith so that we may obey and trust HIM always. Today I have 3 parts. Part 1, Your servant my husband is dead (v1) Part 2, Elisha’s help and instructions (v2-4) Part 3, Obedience and miracle (v5-7)

Part 1, Your servant my husband is dead. (1)

In this part, we can think about her situation & the meaning of her suffering. Look at v1. “The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” The story begins with a sorrowful widow. The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha. “Your servant, my husband is dead.” It indicates that he was involved in the ministry of Elisha. “You know that he revered the Lord.” Elisha must have known him in person. Tradition tells us that his name could be Obadiah. If that’s true, then we know that during the time of Ahab & Jezebel who were trying to kill the prophets, Obadiah, fearing God, hid 100 prophets in 2 caves and personally provided them with food & water. He might have gone extra miles by borrowing the money to help them. If indeed this was his wife, then she had so little because he gave so much, poured out his life, to meet the needs of others. In that culture women didn’t work outside the home. The legal system in Israel would not allow her to declare bankruptcy. She had to give her sons to her creditor as payment. What a cruel situation for her! Here let us put ourselves in her position. How must she have felt about her husband, Elisha, and the Lord? She might have loved her husband & revered him. But she might have felt bitter towards him, for he failed to fulfill his financial responsibility. Elisha could have paid her husband, but he did not do that. It seemed that Elisha was doing nothing but studying the Bible. She could have said, “Enough is enough.” She might have had complaints towards God. She might have suffered from an entitlement mentality, “you owe me” towards God & others who were beneficiaries of the sacrificial services her husband had made. But she was not victimized in such a way that she became more miserable. Rather she cried out to God for a while, now Elisha, the man of God who represented God. Money wise both of them were poor, but Elisha was super-rich in God’s eyes. When she was running out of everything, out of a husband, out of money, she turned to him and shared her agony. When we are deeply troubled, remember that we are not alone. We have Elisha-like servants who are willingly to help. We can humbly ask for their prayers & spiritual advice. God uses ordinary people to care for His people! Also during the time of crisis, nothing is more important than remembering God’s faithfulness. She must have believed all God’s promised words to be true. She chose to trust in the Lord and to exercise her personal faith! She must have believed that God will never fail to give her what is best. She believed that living by faith was never wasted! The Lord God loved her and found her worthy of receiving “faith” training so that she would grow as a woman of real faith. Truly, God is the one who creates something meaningful & valuable out of nothing. She must have believed that her 2 sons would be protected and grow as men of faith. What else can be a better blessing than this? Each time we have hardship, we better think about the Lord’s special love for us. What difficulty have you run into lately? God loves us so much that he has given us some difficulty as an opportunity to become a man & a woman of faith. Everything is for us as we keep our faith! In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Part 2, Elisha’s help and instructions (2-4)

In this 2nd part, Elisha helped her to stand on her own feet. Look at v2a. “Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Elisha was available to a poor widow as he was available to 3 kings. God shows no favoritism. He treats all men alike if they come to Him in faith. Elisha said to her “How can I help you?” He meant, “What do you want God to do for you through me? He further asked her, “Tell me. What do you have in your house?” Did Elisha give her money? No. Instead, she was asked to think about what she had in her house. Similarly, Jesus says in Mk6:37-38, “You give them something to eat. ”They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five- & two fish.”” We need to go, see, & investigate what we have. Then we surrender them to God by trusting Him who would bless. It is our duty and responsibility to bring whatever we might have to Him by faith.

Look at v 2b. “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” She said, “Your servant has nothing there at all.” But she must have sensed where Elisha was coming from through his next one, “Tell me, What do you have in your house?” Then she began to remember what she had instead of what she did not have. With obedience, she paid more attention to anything available at home. Then she just remembered “a small jar of olive oil.” It was a flask oil for anointing that her husband left behind. Then she corrected herself by saying, “except for a small jar of olive oil.” The word “except’ is so subtle that it is as insignificant as nothing. But is it really nothing? No. It is really something in God’s eyes. Elisha saw an ocean of oil out of the “little” oil she had. Faith sees what the carnal eyes cannot see. It is called a paradigm shift or perspective change! To Elisha, the man of God, this “little oil” would soon become the capital to generate lots of oil. So he helped her not to overlook it, rather appreciate its value. Nothing is more important than appreciating what the Lord blesses us with already rather than being fatalistic, giving up or complaining about what we do not have! She could see & count God’s blessings like her life, health, personal faith, the ability to cry out, her 2 healthy boys & God’s promises and so on. Now she found oil. When we become thankful, the Lord God starts working for us and blesses us with a seemingly limited resource like oil. Here I have a Q for you. What could be ‘a little oil’ in us all? We have ‘something’ in common without exception! Can you try? It is the “Holy Spirit”. In OT, the HS was selectively given to a handful of people like prophets for special ministry. But now He is always available for all of us to pay attention to his presence and rely on him. We are prone to forget that he is within us. The Spirit always helps us in our weakness, even when we do not know how to pray. Jesus says in Jn 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” His presence may seem small compared to our big problem, but we must rely on Him who will remind us of everything Jesus had said through many Bible studies, especially in troubled times! That’s why we call HIM the spirit of TRUTH. Then the word of truth enlightens & guides us. Have you been? When we do it again & again, we surely see what’s going on in the spiritual realm. Importantly we’re being led out of all kinds of dark, neg. ideas, Satan’s lies & resume thankful hearts. So ‘tough’ time is a blessing in disguise and the high time for us to grow, rely on the Holy Spirit and struggle with God’s word until one word may be alive within us. What a great blessing it is for us to grow in His living word & become Bible teachers.

Look at v3-4. “Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” Let us think of Elisha’s words. He first made this woman commit herself to God’s provision by going around, taking actions instead of just waiting. To borrow jars from all her neighbors for empty jars requires many visits. She had to explain again & again why she needed the empty jars. Elisha further asked her, “Don’t ask for just a few.” She must ask for as many jars as possible. In this way, he asked her not to limit God! She needed food. Why empty jars? She might have thought that it did not make sense. To follow His instructions she needed to empty her own ideas, and believe each of his words as God’s word. It requires her personal faith, trust and obedience.

Also here let’s think about how much she had to depend on the hospitality of her neighbours. Quite heavily actually! She had to ask ALL her neighbors for empty jars. Her local community’s involvement was so crucial that it was a key factor to make it happen too. Our culture is very good at creating self-made men and women. But we are now God’s children, belonging to His kingdom. That Kingdom is only realized through the loving community. So we can focus on not only what I can do but also what we can do together! No doubt the neighbors of the widow's community were glad to help her. Her sons must have kept bringing her jars. During the Covid 19 lockdown, one family among us had a newborn baby. They were happy but very limited. Many coworkers among us expressed their love for them by bringing food & helping them out. Praise God who blesses us with a believing community of love. We have overflowing joy in Jesus who fills all our needs for the church.

What is next? “Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons.” Here the closed door means the principle of privacy. Without any distractions she & her sons could focus on God & set their hearts upon Him fully. To be alone with God is one of the vital things of any believer at any time. In the days of trouble, we are easily distracted with all the unbelieving words and noise. Psa 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God” Are you getting alone with God daily? It is critical to have personal Bible reading, prayer, reflection, and meditation. One of the reasons we often do not see God working is because we first fail to do so. Even Elisha’s absence helped her to rely on God only. Then “pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” God’s instructions through Elisha were step by step command. Each step should not skip it. Humble obedience & trust are required to see God’s intervention who makes something out of nothing.

Part 3, Obedience and miracle (5-7)

In this last part, God richly blessed their obedience. What did the widow and her sons do? Look at v 5-6a. “She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” Although the author did not describe how she borrowed empty jars from all her neighbors, she must have obeyed as Elisha had said. She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “bring me another one.” We notice that Elisha made her do this from A to Z by herself. At least he might have been tempted to gather the jars and pour the oil by himself. But he knew that she HERSELF had to trust God. Her own faith including her son’s obedience was required. In this way she trusts God and does focus on doing what she could do and leave the rest in God’s hands. Look at v 6b. “But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.” What can we learn from the fact that the oil stopped flowing when there was no jar left? The miracle was given according to the measure of her faith in borrowing jars. Had she borrowed more, more would have been given. That’s why Elisha told her to not ask for just a few from the beginning. The size of her blessing was directly related to how obedient she had been in getting the jars. Obedience leads to blessings. As long as the boys kept bringing, God kept blessing. Jesus says in Mt 9:29, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” The oil did not pour out on the ground. It was intended for a prepared empty jar. Each jar had to be gathered & assembled in the right position. God’s powerful provision always invites our hard work.

Look at v 7. “She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” She went and told Elisha about what happened. Then he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, you and your sons can live on what is left.” What can we learn from this final instruction? God provided her with abundant oil to pay debt & to prepare the future. God wants us to work hard on what he is going to bless us with. She can use the leftovers as capital to make a living. This miracle might have been well spread to Israel. But the greatest work must be in the hearts of her 2 sons. They must have received a valuable experience that can never be taken away from them. Who knows? They might become prophets like..

Let's read the key verse again! Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few.” Let us practice this again! When we have faith in America, we get what she is capable of. When we have faith in Money, we get what money can buy. When we have faith in ourselves, we basically get what we are able to do and NO more. When we have faith in God, we will surely get what the Almighty God is capable of. There is nothing he can not do, I repeat, NOTHING. HE is Capable Of? Everything! We have to empty ourselves & erase our wrong objects of faith. We are God’s children and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. God is happy to be with us through the Spirit and answer our prayers & provide us ALL. God even called us friends. We are blessed with believing brothers & sisters in our loving community. We are “rich” in God’s family of love. So we are not victimized by troubles, rather we can set them aside. We are eager to serve others. Then little oil like the Spirit of Truth in us will work. We will be filled with joy. The pouring comes from the spirit within us, not from outside.Then our life problem becomes much smaller and His limitless power of the Spirit and truth will guide us & empower us to live a bold life of resurrection faith. When we have this personal experience, we will never be the same again.

I personally learned through the passage that I can also live without limit in my GOD. Don’t ask for just a few! While we are here on earth until we breathe our last, we will never run out of opportunities to pour out into the lives of others. Elisha used to pour out water on Elijah’s hands. I believe that he found the meaning and purpose of his life through pouring out his life to others in God who is without limit. In fact, pouring out to others is the reason we are here on earth in the 1st place. My father used to ask me to have titles and positions in this limited world. But I found thro Bible that my life purpose in God is to become a drink offering like Jesus. OUR JOB IS TO POUR OUT FOR OTHERS THE LOVE THAT HAS TRANSFORMED OUR OWN LIVES TOO. It is win win! Our Almighty God who is capable of everything will do it & never disappoint us like the widow and her husband who trusted & obeyed Him to the end. Our church will be a paradise with people who are willing to pour out life, for God will fill everything for us. May God help us to live a life of great richness in God. One Word: Don’t ask for just a few