Christian Education/Theological Emphasis Sunday

The Debt and The Vessels

~II Kings 4: 1-7~

Dr. Ernest Young, Associate Minister

In-person service at

Second Baptist Church,

Griffith Hall!

Sunday, September 24, 2023

The scripture text is printed in the Old Testament book of II Kings, Chapter 4,

verses 1-7.

¹Now 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 anything 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 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.

The subject from which to preach: “The Debt and The Vessels”

Introduction

It is Christian Education/Theological Education Emphasis Sunday today at Second Baptist Church, LA. On this annual day, special emphasis is placed on the vital and valuable role of Christian/Theological Educational concepts. The effectiveness of these concepts in countless areas of ministry and service is noteworthy.

When Measure LA, a funding initiative for post-secondary public education was approved by the voting population of California it was worth billions of dollars. It revealed the premium the voters placed on public post-secondary education. As I think about what God continues to approve and empower, including Christian/theological education through the mandate and missions of Second Baptist Church, LA, and the historical legacy and all the accomplishments, I contend it is priceless.

Christian Education/Theological Education emphasizes faith in God as one is empowered to grow and develop in the service of the Savior because God will bless faithful, Godly service. Therefore, let us endeavor to persist as students of scripture in studying about, studying from, and yes, studying with God through Jesus, our Savior, our Lord.

Consider the priceless value of Christian/Theological Education.

Monday, September 25, 2023

The text printed in II Kings 4:1-7 calls, challenges, and cries to us at this moment in our lives. It calls to us to always remember the Lord at all times. Whether we are up or down, or whether life appears to be foul or fair, good or not so good, we should always remember to give thanks and praise to the Lord from whom all blessings flow. It challenges us to trust in the Lord because the Lord knows all about the mystery of life since traveling this journey before we arrived on the scene. I mean, the Lord can see the end from the beginning as we continue, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12: 2a). Ultimately, this text cries out to us to join and journey with the Lord so that we can safely make it to the other side.

Moreover, we can learn insightful lessons from the lesson in the text regarding managing life’s peculiar perplexities. We can learn the virtues of victorious living. Therefore, I submit the following observations:



¹The Worried Widow Verses 1-2.

²The Valuable Vessels Verses 3-6.

³The Prophet’s Pronouncements Verse 7.

Consider how the story in II Kings 4: 1-7 calls, challenges, and cries to

us about managing life’s peculiar perplexities and the virtues of

victorious living through the Lord.

The Worried Widow, verses 1-2

The story begins in this particular pericope of the text in verse one.

I view it as a miracle story. We are informed that a “certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried unto Elisha." Elisha’s name in Hebrew means God his salvation. Because this God still and will provide deliverance, defense, and direction

for our lives. Elisha is also referred to as “the sons of the prophets”. Biblical scholars remind us it is most probably that he lived and worked with members of the prophetic order living in communities.

Notice if you will, this woman, although unnamed, yet she is renowned because her story of “worriedness” is not unique to her. Her story is a universal story. There are countless individuals who have also experienced worries in this life. When we think about it, perhaps all of us have experienced difficult days of disturbing doubt, and sleepless nights of misery and pain. In essence, this is a crisis moment the woman is experiencing. However, a crisis is not a time to cry only, instead, it is a time to pray before planning our agenda, and remember that Christ in God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can imagine or need. 

Then she shares with the prophet why I believe she is worried. First, she said, “my husband is dead; and you know how he feared the Lord.” What she is saying to him (and us) is that the “breadwinner”, the income earner, the financial provider is no longer here. Secondly, “the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen."

In other words, the creditor plans to place my sons in enslavement for another’s personal service. They will become property and work for a price determined by another. While taking children as slaves for debt was legal in Israel (Exodus 21:7, & Leviticus 25:39), it was not justice. God has always extended and intended freedom and liberation to and for everyone - to all humanity.

The creditor is come because of the debt that is owed and she does not see, at this point, how she can pay the debt. Let me remind us briefly, a debt is that which one owes, an obligation. So the creditor calls on her to make good on the obligation and pay the debt. The creditor is not concerned with whether she has the wherewithal to pay; since she was obligated, the creditor expected her to pay the debt.

Consider the cause of your worries and how God can and will provide defense, deliverance, and direction for your life.

Verse 2 Elisha asked her, What can I do for you? What do you have in the house? (Jesus also asked the first part of this question to blind Bartimaeus, Mark 10:51, Luke 18:41). She replied, “not anything, save a pot of oil.” This is the third cause of her worries. She did not have anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Let me say here that oil is a slippery, combustible liquid of vegetable, animal, or mineral origin, insoluble in water but soluble in ether. In reality, oil and water do not mix. It is like good and evil,

the two do not mix. Oil is often used in transportation, medicinal operations, and food preparations. I said medicinal purposes. Does anyone remember Antiseptic Healing Oil, or Castor Oil, or Cod Liver Oil? and its use for medicinal purposes? Well, in the textual narrative, she was probably using Olive oil for food preparations.

Her first response to the question was, I do not have anything.

-She did not have an Insurance Policy,

-She did not have Deeds to or receipts from Rental Income Property,

-She did not have a 401K,

-She did not have a Savings Account,

-She did not have a Social Security check,

-She did not have Stocks or Bonds,

-She did not have a Widow’s Pension.

She did not have anything in the house, save (except) a pot of oil. 

Have you ever been so focused on the problem until you almost overlooked the possibilities and the power of the provider, God. I mean, how God can and will make a way out of no way.

I find it is interesting that Pastor and United States Senator Raphel Warnock (D, GA) cites these words, A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story,(2022) in the title of his recent book. He writes about his life’s journey and the importance of faith in God through it all. It is clear that he has learned something about God making a way out of no way.

Additionally, the narrative that is printed in today’s text is informative. What she focused on was what she did not have, but the prophet’s question was, “what hast thou in the house?” Even if one over looks it, there is a vast difference between what one has and what one does not have! At this point, I think it is worth noting that what she had was important. Yes, she had a pot of oil and ultimately that oil was used to render her debt free! What we have matters. We should use what we have.

Consider what it means to use what you have and believe, even when you don’t see it, that God can make a way out of no way.

The Valuable Vessels Verses 3-6

In verse 3 of the text we read these words from the prophet Elisha, “Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow

not a few." As we talk about vessels in this context, we are talking about a hallow receptacle capable of holding a liquid. I mean something like a bowl or a pot. Thus the prophet was saying, go and borrow these types of vessels to be used in assisting you to dismiss this debt and be relieved from this situation. Because the prophet knew from experience the amazing and mighty power of God to work miracles in the most unusual circumstances.

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth asserts: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” (II Corinthians 4:7) Yes beloved, I believe what he is saying is that all empty vessels,

even broken and/or cracked vessels God can use. Yes, God can and will fill the vessels as Paul also wrote to the Galatian believers. God will fill them with the fruits of the spirit: “Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Verse 3 begins with the adverb, “then”. It shows a relationship between two words or two sentences. Well, let me ask the question: Have you ever had a “then” experience?

I mean the kind of experience when you were experiencing a good day or night and everything was going well, then you received a disturbing text, email, twitter or phone message, and everything changed. Last month, August 19, Saturday, you remember was a beautiful day. Then, that night sometime after midnight and before dawn the next day, Sunday, August 20, God allowed a Tropical Storm, including rain, to pass through L A and Southern CA and interrupted the normal flow of life. Within a twenty-four hour+ time frame, we experienced a years’ amount or rain that almost shut down the city drop by drop. Rain in August in L A according to news reports, last occurred some

60 to 80 years ago.

In the text, the only stipulation stated by the prophet is that the vessels she borrowed must be empty vessels. Yes, we are also vessels, earthen vessels. We, like those vessels, must be empty in order to be of valuable and vital service to God through others. God does not fill us while we are full of :

Self - Envy - Hate - Deceit - Discord - Anger - Jealousy - Backbiting - Malice

Then he adds, “borrow not a few.” Since the opposite of few is many, what she is tasked to do is to borrow as many vessels as possible.

Verses 4 - 6, she poured out the oil into the vessels. In this act, I am reminded of the prophet Malachi. You Bible readers remember what the Lord spoke unto him to speak unto the people: “and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10b)

Specifically, I am proclaiming this day, this Christian Education, Theological Education Emphasis Day that God has more blessings, more gifts, more talents, and more treasures to fill - more Barges, more Barrels, more Baskets, more Human Beings,

more Buckets, more Bottles, more Bowls, and more Boxes than we can contain in any “vessel”. And even more than we can ever dream, imagine, or conceive.

GOD IS ABLE, AVIAILABLE. AND AWESOME!

Verses 5-6 informs us that, “she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out.” The woman removed herself from the place where she first traveled to “cry out” unto the prophet. The prophet is not present at this time in the house with her, but the power of God through the spirit of God is there. The power of God is sufficient anywhere. After returning home she went into the house with her sons, shut the door because the oil was in the house. There is a blessing in the house. As her sons brought the empty vessels to her she poured oil in each vessel until all the vessels were filled.

Consider the "ableness", "availableness", and "awesomeness" of the

power of God the Father, through the son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

The Prophet’s Pronouncements, Verse 7

The prophet Elisha, the man of God was very attentive and supportive of this woman in the text. His pronouncements begin in verses 3 and 4. After she followed the instructions given to her in verses 3 - 6 early on, which were to go and borrow empty vessels from neighbors then return to her house, shut the door and fill each empty vessel and set it aside. Elisha’s pronouncement in verse 7 to her is a “go”, “and” pronouncement.

Number 1: go, sell the oil. I wonder did the Oil Barons of the world, those who manufacture, market, and sell oil read this story?

Number 2. and pay thy debt!

Number 3. and live thou and thy children of the rest!

Yes, “go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest."

The miracle occurred by following instructions: Obedience, Opportunity, and Overcoming.

The widow was obedient to the prophets’ pronouncement to gather empty vessels and shut the door of the house and fill the vessels. She also seized the opportunity to meet her neighbors in gathering empty vessels to be filled with oil.

Finally, she and her children experienced an overcoming life, including debt relief, free from creditor calls, and a comfortable lifestyle of “no worries”. In verse 1, the beginning of this narrative, she is worried about her circumstances. As we read verse 7, the end of the narrative, she is blessed with “no worries”. When one son said, “Mama I need…” She said, “no worries”. When the other son said, “Mama I’m hungry…” She said,

“no worries”. When together they said, “Mama we’re sick…” She said, “no worries" because she now has health insurance, and abundant resources for all the household needs.

For as long as the cord of life endured, this woman and her children were blessed and secured by the Lord through the prophet. She could now live on the blessings. Her needs were met. Her utilities, housing, health care, food, transportation expenses were covered in the prophets pronouncement, “and live thou and thy children of the rest.”

-There is enough “of the rest” to cover the cost of any living situation she would encounter.

-There is enough “of the rest” to embrace any emergency she experienced.

-There is enough “of the rest” to improvise any incidental she deemed important.

-There is enough “of the rest” to master any miscellaneous she met.

-There is enough “of the rest” to allow her and her children to always move from strength to strength.

-There is enough “of the rest” to continue to look to the Lord the one from whom all blessings flow.

-There is enough “of the rest” because it is the essence of Jesus, our Lord who said

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy. and my burden is light. Matthew 11: 28-30

Consider God’s abundant blessings in your life.

Conclusion

There is a profound parallel and a causal correlation between the debt and the vessels in the text. The question is raised regarding the amount of empty vessels (how many?) borrowed that contained the oil. And also concerning the amount of financial resources (how much?) that was gained from the sale of the oil in the empty vessels used to pay the debt. When I think about it, I am not sure. It remains for me a conundrum. I’m stunned. I mean I can’t unravel it. What did the debt alone or the vessels alone or the debt and the vessels combined cost?

I really and truly don’t know because the oil continued to flow, and flow, and flow, and flow over and over, and over, and over, until every empty vessel was filled.

Moreover, there is yet another correlation between the debt and the vessels.

Yes, beloved, because we all have inherited and incurred a debt, a sin debt as earthen vessels along this faith journey. Therefore, I thank God for Jesus who came down through forty-two generations to pay, dismiss, and forgive a debt that He did not owe because we (earthen vessels) owed a debt that we could not pay. Jesus’ death on Calvary set us free from sin’s enslavement and adopted us, if we are willing, to become servants of Almighty God.

It was Elvina Hall, another widower, who attended Monument Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland in 1865, who like the woman in the text also experienced God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ while sitting in the choir loft during Sunday worship. She began to write the words of a hymn which became familiar in the church.

Jesus Paid It All

 I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small!

Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all and all.”

Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone

Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone.

For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim,

I’ll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,

“Jesus died, my soul to save”, my lips shall still repeat.

Chorus: Jesus paid It all, All to Him I owe;

  Sin had left a crimson stain.

 He washed it white as snow.

Consider what it means that ,“Jesus Paid It All” for our debt

(sin) and granted us unity with Almighty God.       

Second Baptist Church Los Angeles

2412 Griffith Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90011 

Phone: (213) 748-0318