These words were uttered by the prophet Elisha in the ear of a distressed widow who had come to him with her tale of sorrow (see 2 Kings 4:1-71Now 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 any thing 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 thou 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. (2 Kings 4:1‑7)). Elisha knew well on whose behalf he was speaking—on whose treasury he was drawing. He did not say, “Take care you do not borrow too many.” He knew this was impossible. Faith never yet overdrew its account in God’s bank; it has “unsearchable riches” to its credit there. Faith never yet brought an empty vessel to God that He did not fill. In the case of this widow, the oil ceased to flow only when there was no longer an empty vessel to receive it. The source was exhaustless; it was faith’s promise to keep the channel open. May the remembrance of these things have the happy effect of encouraging our hearts in the life of faith. Our Father’s heart of tender love wants us to draw largely upon His infinite resources.
Borrow Empty Vessels
Is your heart disturbed by the sense of indwelling sin? “Go, borrow vessels...even empty vessels” in which to receive the rich supplies of grace that flow from a crucified and risen Christ—our Surety—our Great High Priest—our Advocate. Jesus has borne all your sins upon the cross, and put them away forever. The eye of God can never see your sins again. He has actually reaped a harvest of glory by putting them away. Divine grace has reaped a richer harvest in the midst of a world of sinners than ever it could have reaped amidst the host of unfallen angels. “Go,” therefore, “borrow...vessels...empty vessels...not a few.”
Again, is your heart bowed down beneath the weight of sorrow? Has the cold grasp of death seized upon the darling object of your affections? Has a serious blank been made in your heart—a blank which no earthly object can fill up? Then remember the heart of Jesus is overflowing with tender sympathy. He has felt your sorrow. If He were here He would not chide your grief. He would sit down beside you and mingle His tears with yours. But you say, “He is not here.” True, but He is at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, and you can count with certainty on the sympathy of His heart. “Go,” then, bereaved and sorrowing one, “borrow thee vessels ... .even empty vessels,” in which to receive the abundant consolations which flow from the heart of Christ, whose encouraging word to you is, “Borrow not a few.”
There Is Sufficient Oil
It may be, however, that our heart is neither troubled about the question of sin, nor yet bowed down under the weight of sorrow. Our heart is established in grace, and the beloved circle in which are our affections remains unbroken. But then family or commercial cares press upon our spirit. Our children are not going on as we would like or our business prospects are gloomy. If such is our position, we too can learn a sweet and seasonable lesson from Elisha’s words. We can go forth and borrow empty vessels, for there is “oil” enough for us, even the “oil of gladness” for our burdened spirit. To us the word is, “Cast thy burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” (Psa. 55:2222Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)). “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:66Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)). Cast it directly, and entirely, upon the One who is as able as He is willing, and as willing as He is able, to sustain it. In a word, “Go, borrow thee vessels...empty vessels” into which the copious streams of divine peace may flow for your perplexed and anxious spirit.
God Can Fill Our Vessels
But perhaps our exercise does not spring from a troubled conscience, a bereaved heart, or a spirit perplexed about domestic or commercial affairs. The fact is, the entire scene around has repulsed and disappointed us. And yet not so much the world; rather, in the very midst of Christian friends, all our hopes have been blighted. We had looked at those Christians from a distance, and they seemed to present the appearance of all that was lovely and attractive. Yet alas! on coming among them, we did not realize our fondly cherished hope, and our heart, once big with expectation, is now furrowed by sore disappointment. This is not an uncommon case. There is many a furrowed heart within the church of God. But, blessed be God, our heart’s deep furrows are but so many “vessels...empty vessels,” in which to receive the streams of comfort and solace emanating from “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever”; and the heart that has many furrows is ready furnished with vessels “not a few.” God will surely fill those vessels; and then one comes back to be a channel of blessing in the scene which had disappointed him.
Borrow Vessels
In a word then, whatever be the state or condition of the soul—whether it be a question of sin or sorrow, difficulty or disappointment—the message from God is one and the same. “Go, borrow thee vessels;” and mark, it is “empty vessels,” “not a few.” What magnificent grace shines in the words “empty” and “not a few”! Our vessels must be empty. God will not pour into a vessel half-filled with creature supplies. In every case the vessel must be empty, for only then is it fully manifest that the “oil” has come directly from God Himself. The word “empty” shuts out the creature. The words “not a few” leave room for God to come in.
These are simple truths, but simple as they are, they stand connected with the grand essential element of the divine life in the soul. May they be more deeply engraved on our hearts by the eternal pen of the Holy Ghost!
Christian Truth, (adapted)