2 Kings 4:6

_AND 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._ The oil stayed - i:e., ceased to multiply; the benevolent object for which the miracle had been performed having been accomplished....

1-7 Elisha's miracles were acts of real charity: Christ's were so; not only great wonders, but great favours to those for whom they were wrought. God magnifies his goodness with his power. Elisha readily received a poor widow's complaint. Those that leave their families under a load of debt, know not what trouble they cause. It is the duty of all who profess to follow the Lord, while they trust to God for daily bread, not to tempt him by carelessness or extravagance, nor to contract debts; for nothing tends more to bring reproach upon the gospel, or distresses their families more when they are gone. Elisha put the widow in a way to pay her debt, and to maintain herself and her family. This was done by miracle, but so as to show what is the best method to assist those who are in distress, which is, to help them to improve by their own industry what little they have. The oil, sent by mira...

Verse 2 Kings 4:6. _AND THE OIL STAYED._] While there was a vessel to fill, there was oil sufficient; and it only ceased to flow when there was no vessel to receive it. This is a good emblem of the grace of God. While there is an empty, longing heart, there is a continual overflowing fountain of salvation. If we find in any place or at any time that the oil ceases to flow, it is because there are no empty vessels there, no souls hungering and thirsting for righteousness. We find fault with the dispensations of God's mercy, and ask, Why were the former days better than these? Were we as much in earnest for our salvation as our _forefathers_ were for theirs, we should have equal supplies, and as much reason to sing aloud of Divine mercy....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 4:1 TYPICAL MIRACLES WROUGHT BY ELISHA. General _introduction_._ _The miracles of this chapter are all of them miracles of mercy. The first and last consist in the multiplying of food, and thus belong to the same class as our Lord's feeding the four and the five thousands, and Elijah's increasing the meal and oil of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:10). It serves no useful purpose to ask how miracles of this class were wrought. The inspired writers have not told us; and our own thoughts upon the subject can at the best be mere unfounded conjectures. The rationalistic attempts which have been made to solve the mystery exhibit a weakness and feeblen

AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN THE VESSELS WERE FULL,.... For the oil being miraculously increased as it was poured forth, there was enough to fill all the vessels; Ben Gersom and Abarbinel say, that when the pot was emptied, all the air that entered it was turned into oil: THAT SHE SAID TO HER SON, BRING ME YET A VESSEL; as she had two sons, one it is probable was employed in setting aside the full vessels, as she poured into them, and the other in bringing to her the empty vessels, and to whom she thus speaks: AND HE SAID UNTO HER, THERE IS NOT A VESSEL MORE; not an empty one, they were all filled: AND THE OIL STAYED; it ran no longer, it was no more multiplied; there was no necessity of continuing the miracle: this oil may be an emblem of the grace that flows from the fulness of it in Christ, to which it is compared, which will be always flowing, as long as there is a vessel of salvation...

3. THE MIRACLES CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The widow's oil multiplied (2 Kings 4:1)_ 2. The Shunammite and her reward (2 Kings 4:8) 3. The son of the Shunammite raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:18) 4. The deadly pottage healed (2 Kings 4:38) 5. The multitude fed (2 Kings 4:42) In the previous chapter Elisha appeared as the saviour of Israel, and now he acts in behalf of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets. His name is not given. Elisha had known him as one who feared the Lord. And now the widow deeply in

2 KINGS 4:1 TO 2 KINGS 6:23. STORIES ABOUT ELISHA AS A WONDER-WORKER. The miracles of Elisha fill a considerable part of the early Chapter s of 2 K. They are mostly beneficent in character, and this prophet was evidently more in touch with the people than his stern predecessor. There is no reason to confine these tales to the reign of Jehoram, because the death of that king is recorded later in the book. The king of Israel is not mentioned by name, and was evidently on good terms with the prophet, which could hardly be expected of Jehoram. Probably some of the occurrences, especially in the Syrian wars, belong to the age of Jehu's dynasty. The biography of Elisha in 2 K. consists of 2 Kings 2:1;...

_she said unto her son_ Here the LXX., apparently only because -sons" had been mentioned before, has here also -sons" and later on in the verse -and they said". The Hebrew is far more natural. Both sons had helped, but it would be to one that her request -Bring me another" would be addressed. _And the oil stayed_ i.e. ceased to flow any longer. The English verb is a little antiquated in this sense, being now more commonly used for -to cause to stand". But cf. Joshua 10:13 -The sun stood still and the moon _stayed_", i.e. ceased to move....

DISCOURSE: 362 THE WIDOW’S OIL INCREASED 2 Kings 4:6. _And 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._ FROM every event recorded in the Old Testament, there is much useful instruction to be derived. For instance, it is impossible to read with attention the account of the miracle before us, and not to see, that, in our deepest extremity, God is able and willing to relieve those who trust in him. But there are often minute incidents, which a superficial reader is apt to overlook, but which, to a considerate mind, suggest very important reflections. Of this kind is the incident mentioned in my text: the increase of oil continued as long as there was a vessel left to contain it; but when there remained no more a vessel to receive the oil, the supply ceased. S

I. MIRACLES ON BEHALF OF TWO FAITHFUL WOMEN 4:1-37 Elisha performed three miracles for two faithful female disciples. For a destitute widow he performed a miracle of multiplication of oil so that she might have the wherewithal to pay her bills (2 Kings 4:1-7). For the wealthy woman of Shunem he made a wondrous prediction (2 Kings 4:8-17). Later for the same woman he performed what surely must have been his most stupendous miracle: the resurrection of a child (2 Kings 4:18-37). A. THE MIRACULOUS INCREASE OF OIL 4:1-7 TRANSLATION (1) Now a woman, one of the wives of the sons of the prophets, cried out unto Elisha, saying, Your servant, my husband died, and you yourself know that your se