2
Kings chapter 4 recounts how God worked a number of miracles through
the prophet Elisha. It is hard to miss the fact that the prophet is
a servant-leader in the same way Christ would be 800 years later.
What is the purpose of miracles? God uses miracles to unleash the
faith of those searching, to bless those that are humble enough to
ask, and to magnify Himself as God Almighty. The chapter begins with
the wife of one of the “company
of the prophets”
crying out to Elisha. I love how he answered her, “How
can I help you?“.
She explained her desperate situation without embarrassment, “Your
servant my husband is dead… now his creditor is coming to take my
two boys as his slaves“.
Of course, according to the Law, this was within his right. Elisha
asked her a significant question, “what
do you have in your house?“.
She replied, “Your
servant has nothing there at all… except a little oil“.
Many of us had to come to that same point of emptiness before we
could receive God’s abundance. God can do great things with
our meager possessions.
Elisha
gave the widow instructions, “Go
around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just
a few“.
He added, “Shut
the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and
as each is filled, put it to one side“.
She did as Elisha directed and to their surprise, their small vessel
of oil kept flowing to fill jar after jar. “They
brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.”
Only after all the jars were full, “Then
the oil stopped flowing“.
She apparently did not understand that this free gift was hers.
Elisha had to tell her to “Go,
sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what
is left“.
It is important to note that she believed the promise and gathered a
lot of empty jars! God’s resources are immeasurable and He gives
gifts in abundance. James 4:2 reminds us, “You
do not have because you do not ask“.
The
chapter also includes an important lesson on life and death. There
was a “Well
to do woman”
and her husband in a town of Shunem. They felt the need to provide
a place for Elisha when he came to town. Again the prophet asked how
he could serve them. We learn, “she
has no son and her husband is old“.
Elisha prophesied, “About
this time next year… you will hold a son in your arms“.
Her prayer was answered, but we read, “The
child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the
reapers“.
He became ill and his father sent the boy to his mother. “The
boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died“.
She immediately went to Elisha. Seeing her in the distance, Elisha
instructed his servant, “Run
to meet her and ask her, ‘are you all right?’“.
Her answer is impossible to comprehend, “Everything
is all right“.
Perhaps she believed Elisha had the power to raise her son from the
dead, or perhaps she was filled with peace simply by being in his
presence. “When
Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.
He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord.”
Finally, Elisha “stretched
out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his
eyes“.
I believe that by God’s Holy Spirit, all things can be healed. Do
you need God’s peace to endure a hardship? Do you have some dead
relationships in need of resurrection? Do not let pride keep you
from calling on the Name above all Names. All you need is enough
faith to ask. God is faithful.