From Empty to Filled (2)

From Empty to Filled. The tomb was empty and the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to fill us. Last week we looked at how Jesus filled the nets of the disciples at the beginning of their calling and again after he rose. If you are feeling empty, God has you right where he needs you in order that he might fill you.

Today, we are going to read a story in the old testament about the prophet Elisha. Elisha was a farmer on his family’s land when Elijah came and place his cloak on him as a symbol of his calling to serve under Elijah in 2 Kings 19. From there Elisha learned from and followed Elijah as Elijah followed God.

In 2 Kings 2, Elijah is about to be taken from this life and Elisha won’t let him out of his sight. Three times Elijah tries to ditch Elisha and Elisha just kept following him. In verse 9 we get this interaction between Elisha and Elijah.

2 Kings 2:9 NIV

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

Our passage today is going to be in chapter 4, but this interaction is important for what will happen in Elisha’s life from here on out. As a prophet, I believe Elijah already knew what Elisha wanted, but even if you know what someone wants or needs, you ask the question anyway to make sure they know what it is that they want or need.

I don’t think we always have a good grasp on what we want, but I think we should. In order to know though it requires us to be introspective and determine for ourselves what it is that we are after. If we don’t, we’ll just go with whatever is in front of us.

Elisha was not going to settle. He knew what he wanted and was ready to answer the question. Turn with me to 2 Kings 4. If a man of God capable of great miracles came to you and asked what can I do for you before I am taken, would you be able to give an answer?

2 Kings 4:1 NIV

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.”

A woman who knows Elisha and what he has done. He husband likely knew Elisha personally and she would have heard about the anointing that was on Elisha.

A quick background here of the culture. If a woman lost her husband, she has also lost any way to earn money or a living. If he had no other family, she and her children would have a rough go at it. In many cases the widow and her children would die from hunger or illness not long after.

This woman’s situation was dire. In speaking with Elisha, she spoke the truth of her situation. She was about to lose her boys because the debts of her husband were coming due.

2 Kings 4:2 NIV

2 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.”

Elijah responds with 2 questions How can I help? What do you have?

There is so much wisdom in these two questions.

How can I help?

Obviously this woman has come to Elisha for help with her situation. He could tell this by the desperate situation she found herself in, but what did she want? Did she want him to marry her? To cast a curse on the creditors? What did she want?

This question also implies the women’s lack of being able to completely help herself. I know it is hard to ask for help because in asking for help we show our inadequacies. We show our weakness and vulnerability.

What do you have?

Then he asks a bit of an opposite question. What is it that you have to offer. Surely there’s got to be a way for you to help yourself in this situation. What do you have?

In contrast to the first question, this question is looking for the ability of this woman to contribute to the solution as well as taking an inventory of where she really is.

This question is tough because it will both expose the depth of the inadequacy as well as her willingness to help herself.

Her answer is not surprising considering her opening statement to the prophet. The situation is bad. She has just a little bit of oil and nothing else.

I can’t imagine being in her situation. She is about to lose her sons. Who knows the last time they ate. She is desperate and she turns to a man of God for help.

Here is his solution for her:

2 Kings 4:3–4 NIV

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.”

At this point, I am not sure how I would have responded, but this woman knew of Elisha and that the Lord moved and spoke through him. This solution as illogical as it sounds to us was perfectly reasonable for this woman and her sons.

A couple of things to note about this...

The woman was to ask her neighbors for help.

If there is one thing to gather from this is that we should not be too proud to ask our neighbors for help…to ask our brother’s and sister’s in Christ for help.

The help the neighbors offered didn’t cost them individually that much…just empty jars…but what they offered made a way for God to supply the increase.

She was not to ask for just a few.

Our God is generous, but our pride can cause us to not ask for generosity.

I know I’ve been guilty of this. We think it is a burden to others for them to help us, but really it’s a blessing for them to be able to help.

God was going to show up in private and fill their jars with oil.

This blessing was to be witnessed by her and her sons. It wasn’t for anyone else.

2 Kings 4:5–6 NIV

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.

She did exactly as Elisha instructed and oil kept coming until they ran out of jars.

I can only imagine the feelings as this was happening. The awe at the small jar of oil becoming a bottomless jar filling others much larger. The excitement as she and her sons fill jar after jar. The burden of the debts lifting as she realizes that God was providing. Then the last jar is filled and she asks for another and there wasn’t another.

What was that moment like? The adrenaline is flowing as the oil flows. Excitement builds as each jar is filled and then the oil stops with the last jar. Was there perhaps a regret that they didn’t ask the family on the other side of the street for a jar? That they only accepted 2 jars from the one house even though they offered 4 because of not want to ask for too much…I wonder if she ever wondered what if I had...

I know we can play games like that in our mind when we look back on a situation. One way to not have to do that is ask for a complete filling and let God determine how much He fills it up.

Regardless of how she felt or how many jars she wishes she had, here is the result:

2 Kings 4:7 NIV

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 was able to pay her debts and there was enough left for her and her sons to live on. That is how God provides. She had everything she needed.

Her cupboards were empty.

Her wallet was empty.

She only had a little oil.

She brought that oil and a request to God.

She followed the instructions to gather empty jars.

God multiplied what she had to fill those jars.

She had what she needed.

What do you want God to do for you? What needs filling? What do you have to bring? We all have something. It might seem insignificant, but God can use it to fill that which is empty and bless your socks off.