When Our Faith Is Tested
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Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
When Our Faith Is Tested
When Elisha was ministering, a widow came to him who had a great need.
Her husband had died leaving the family in great debt and unable to pay the debt.
Creditors were coming to take her boys for slaves to help solve the debt problem.
She appealed to Elisha for help.
Our text is the instruction he gave to the women to solve her problems and keep the creditors off her door step.
FIRST—THE PRINCIPLE FOR BORROWING
Principle
A general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.
“Go, barrow thee vessels.” We note two things about this principle.
• The perplexity of the principle.
“Go borrow.”
Elisha did not tell her why until he first told her the precept.
The principle therefore would be very perplexing.
The widows’ problems were a result of borrowing.
And why did she need to borrow empty vessels.
This did not sound like solving her problems.
God often acts in a way that is puzzling to us but His wisdom must be accepted by faith as well as His Words.
Puzzling precepts are often given to solve our problems.
Obey them, even if perplexing (completely baffling), if you want your problems solves.
• The principle in the precept.
God never blesses in a way that will make us lazy or irresponsible.
Therefore the widow will be required to put forth some effort if she wants the blessing.
Her problem will not be solved if she refuses to get up as do as commanded.
SECOND—THE PLACE OF BORROWING
“Of all thy neighbors.”
Neighbors can be very nosy.
They would ask the widow many questions.
She would not be able to answer all their questions and the answers she gave would so astound them that they would think the widow was off her rocker.
Faith does not always make us look wise and practical. But live by faith anyway.
THIRD—THE PLENTY IN BORROWING
“Not a few.”
It would be a test to borrow, another test to borrow from her neighbors, but sill another test to borrow a great number of vessels.
Little faith would borrow just a few vessels from a few neighbors then hurry home before they asked too many questions.
But great faith will do all that God commands and not hold back because of not understanding the reason.
FOURTH—THE PREREQUISITE IN THE BORROWING
“Empty vessels.”
The widow needed filled vessels.
Filled with food and money etc.
But Elisha said “empty vessels.” The widow’s situation was one of lack, of emptiness.
It would seem then that in her situation she needed filled vessels.
But empty vessels were the only kind that would help her.
To disobey this part of the directive would have hindered her from receiving the full blessing God would give her. The same is true in our life. We must be empty of disobedience, of sin, of evil if God is going to bless us. The more room we have for God the more room we have for blessings.