2 Kings 4:1-44
4:1 Elisha is approached by the wife of a prophet serving under Elisha's leadership. She explains that her husband has died and that she is also about to lose her sons. In order to pay debts that only her husband could have afforded, creditors are coming to claim her sons as slaves.
4:2 Elisha does not need to ruminate; he knows that God can provide a means for this woman to save her sons and pay her husband's debts. Therefore Elisha sets the woman up to depend on her faith to rescue her from the predicament. When the woman explains that she has nothing of value in her house, only a small jar of oil, Elisha sees an opportunity.
4:3 The prophet instructs the woman to borrow vessels (containers) from all of her neighbors, as many as she can find.
4:4 Upon returning home with the vessels, Elisha instructs the woman and her sons to pour oil into each of the vessels from her tiny jar of oil. This task will require the woman to live by faith rather than sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7. Her small jar of oil can not possibly fill all of the newly procured vessels. But God can.
4:5-6 The two sons find the vessels for their mother and she is then able to fill them. After filling one, she requests another to be handed to her. God provides enough oil to fill each vessel. There is symbol in this: each human is a potential vessel. The word and love of God is the oil of life that fills us. As we live righteously and compassionately, we become vessels of God's oil, filling others with our actions and friendship and presence. God provides enough to fill every vessel (human). If we trust Him to provide, He trusts us to administer.
God's deliberate is revealed in that He provides precisely what she needs.
4:7 The woman reports back to Elisha, telling him that she has completed her task. Elisha instructs the woman to use the oil to pay the debts. With the remainder of the money, she and her sons are provided a funds to live on. Indeed God provides precisely what she needs not only to satisfy her debts, but to live happily after paying them. God's solutions are permanent, thorough.
4:3 The prophet instructs the woman to borrow vessels (containers) from all of her neighbors, as many as she can find.
4:4 Upon returning home with the vessels, Elisha instructs the woman and her sons to pour oil into each of the vessels from her tiny jar of oil. This task will require the woman to live by faith rather than sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7. Her small jar of oil can not possibly fill all of the newly procured vessels. But God can.
4:5-6 The two sons find the vessels for their mother and she is then able to fill them. After filling one, she requests another to be handed to her. God provides enough oil to fill each vessel. There is symbol in this: each human is a potential vessel. The word and love of God is the oil of life that fills us. As we live righteously and compassionately, we become vessels of God's oil, filling others with our actions and friendship and presence. God provides enough to fill every vessel (human). If we trust Him to provide, He trusts us to administer.
God's deliberate is revealed in that He provides precisely what she needs.
4:7 The woman reports back to Elisha, telling him that she has completed her task. Elisha instructs the woman to use the oil to pay the debts. With the remainder of the money, she and her sons are provided a funds to live on. Indeed God provides precisely what she needs not only to satisfy her debts, but to live happily after paying them. God's solutions are permanent, thorough.
4:8-10 Elisha continues to travel and provide God's blessings to His children. While in Shunem, a notable woman noticed Elisha's constant traveling and encourages him to allow her to feed him. What truly makes this woman notable is her eagerness to serve God by being hospitable with His prophet. The woman asks her husband to help her make a room for Elisha, a place to stay between his ministrations.
4:11-13 While staying at the woman's house, Elisha asks his servant to speak to his host and ask her what she would like from the prophet. Everything the woman has done for Elisha has been entirely selfless. When the servant, Gehazi, asks her what can be done for her, she explains that she is content. She turns down Elisha's offer to speak of her to the king and commander of the army. Such powerful men could change her life. But this woman is not after notoriety and she enjoys living with her people as she is.
4:14 But Elisha earnestly wants to show his gratitude for the woman's compassion. He asks Gehazi what he could possibly do for her. Gehazi considers what he has observed about the woman and explains that she is childless and that her husband is old.
4:15-16 Elisha calls for the woman and as she stands in the doorway, he tells her that she will conceive and give birth to a son and will hold him this time next year. She is flabbergasted! Elisha has spoken her heart's desire and she cannot bear the thought that he is not serious.
4:17 Yet the woman does conceive and she gives birth to a son.
4:18-23 The boy grows older and one day comes down with a severe headache. After sitting with his mother half the day, the child dies. Immediately the woman knows what she must do: seek Elisha. She tells her husband to please send her one of their servants and a donkey so that she can find Elisha.
Though not exactly resistant, her husband reminds the woman that it is not a new moon or Sabbath. His reminder reveals the difference in his faith and his wife's. For this woman does not believe there are limits to God's ability. She does not believe that He is restricted by certain occurrences or conditions.
4:24-25 The woman instructs her servant to drive the donkey quickly and not to slow down. She travels to Mount Carmel and finds Elisha.
4:26 She is utterly distraught. Elisha notices her and sends Gehazi to run and meet her and ask her if she and her family are okay. But the woman tells Gehazi hastily that everything is fine; she wants to speak personally to Elisha.
7:27 She throws herself at Elisha's feet. As Gehazi tries to move her away to protect the prophet, Elisha instructs him to let the woman be. For she is in deep distress. Elisha has not been informed of the woman's pain by God and he is frantic to find out what troubles her.
7:28 Did I ask a son of my lord? Did i not say, 'Do not deceive me'? The woman reminds Elisha of her conversation with him. He promised her a son, even though she asked for nothing. She did not ask for anything; she humbly accepted anything God desired to give her. She does not understand now why he has been taken away.
7:29 Immediately, Elisha sends Gehazi to the woman's son with his staff. He instructs Gehazi to go straight and quickly for her home, stopping for no one and nothing.
7:30 But the woman swears that as the Lord lives, as Elisha lives, she will not leave the prophet. She is adamant that Elisha be present because she trusts only that a worker of God can heal her son.
7:31 Gehazi travels ahead of Elisha and the woman and reaches the boy first. But Gehazi is unable to raise the child.
7:32-33 Elisha walks into the house and approaches the child on his bed. While alone with the boy, he prays to God. Elisha gave this woman a gift and he intends her to keep him; he will need the help of God to do so.
7:34-35 Elisha spreads the upper half of his body over the child; willing to share his spirit with him. The child becomes warm with life. Elisha continues to pray and lean over the child and he continues to awaken, sneezing seven times and then opens his eyes.
7:36-37 When Elisha sends Gehazi for the woman, she comes and notices that her son is alive. She bows down at Elisha's feet, picks up her son and walks out with complete joy and measurable relief. God's plan is deliberate and intricate: He has sent miracle workers in the name of Jesus since the beginning for us to learn from (first hand and through scripture).
4:11-13 While staying at the woman's house, Elisha asks his servant to speak to his host and ask her what she would like from the prophet. Everything the woman has done for Elisha has been entirely selfless. When the servant, Gehazi, asks her what can be done for her, she explains that she is content. She turns down Elisha's offer to speak of her to the king and commander of the army. Such powerful men could change her life. But this woman is not after notoriety and she enjoys living with her people as she is.
4:14 But Elisha earnestly wants to show his gratitude for the woman's compassion. He asks Gehazi what he could possibly do for her. Gehazi considers what he has observed about the woman and explains that she is childless and that her husband is old.
4:15-16 Elisha calls for the woman and as she stands in the doorway, he tells her that she will conceive and give birth to a son and will hold him this time next year. She is flabbergasted! Elisha has spoken her heart's desire and she cannot bear the thought that he is not serious.
4:17 Yet the woman does conceive and she gives birth to a son.
4:18-23 The boy grows older and one day comes down with a severe headache. After sitting with his mother half the day, the child dies. Immediately the woman knows what she must do: seek Elisha. She tells her husband to please send her one of their servants and a donkey so that she can find Elisha.
Though not exactly resistant, her husband reminds the woman that it is not a new moon or Sabbath. His reminder reveals the difference in his faith and his wife's. For this woman does not believe there are limits to God's ability. She does not believe that He is restricted by certain occurrences or conditions.
4:24-25 The woman instructs her servant to drive the donkey quickly and not to slow down. She travels to Mount Carmel and finds Elisha.
4:26 She is utterly distraught. Elisha notices her and sends Gehazi to run and meet her and ask her if she and her family are okay. But the woman tells Gehazi hastily that everything is fine; she wants to speak personally to Elisha.
7:27 She throws herself at Elisha's feet. As Gehazi tries to move her away to protect the prophet, Elisha instructs him to let the woman be. For she is in deep distress. Elisha has not been informed of the woman's pain by God and he is frantic to find out what troubles her.
7:28 Did I ask a son of my lord? Did i not say, 'Do not deceive me'? The woman reminds Elisha of her conversation with him. He promised her a son, even though she asked for nothing. She did not ask for anything; she humbly accepted anything God desired to give her. She does not understand now why he has been taken away.
7:29 Immediately, Elisha sends Gehazi to the woman's son with his staff. He instructs Gehazi to go straight and quickly for her home, stopping for no one and nothing.
7:30 But the woman swears that as the Lord lives, as Elisha lives, she will not leave the prophet. She is adamant that Elisha be present because she trusts only that a worker of God can heal her son.
7:31 Gehazi travels ahead of Elisha and the woman and reaches the boy first. But Gehazi is unable to raise the child.
7:32-33 Elisha walks into the house and approaches the child on his bed. While alone with the boy, he prays to God. Elisha gave this woman a gift and he intends her to keep him; he will need the help of God to do so.
7:34-35 Elisha spreads the upper half of his body over the child; willing to share his spirit with him. The child becomes warm with life. Elisha continues to pray and lean over the child and he continues to awaken, sneezing seven times and then opens his eyes.
7:36-37 When Elisha sends Gehazi for the woman, she comes and notices that her son is alive. She bows down at Elisha's feet, picks up her son and walks out with complete joy and measurable relief. God's plan is deliberate and intricate: He has sent miracle workers in the name of Jesus since the beginning for us to learn from (first hand and through scripture).
4:38-41 Elisha travels to Gilgal where there is a famine. Elisha instructs his servant to start and boil a large pot of stew for the people around him. One of the servants accidentally puts a harmful vine into the stew and while eating, people begin to feel ill. Elijah requests flour, puts it into the pot and heals it of its harmful substance. This occurrence is a small example of God's presence and power in the tiny details of life. He is a healer through and through. We receive His help with every thing we lay at His feet.
4:42-44 The core of a prophet's purpose on earth is to bring God to humanity. When prophets are sent, the world is in a place of spiritual famine. Therefore, Elisha and Jesus Himself take every opportunity to feed God's children. The mission of their heart is to reach, feed, as many people as possible. To do so, the prophets and Messiah bring others in to join their work of distribution. With faith, God is able to turn little into abundance.
Matthew 14:14-21
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.
Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.Bread is symbolic of the word of God and therefore we see here (and in the new testament) the distribution of bread over a multitude. Elisha's godly work, like Jesus' own, is able to reach many and is always made capable by God to reach even more. There is bread leftover just in case any other child wishes also to receive.
