#79. Elisha the Deacon

Published by Ben Stahl on July 19, 2020July 19, 2020

Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors – empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.”

II Kings 4:3-6 NKJV

The office of deacon is a very difficult office and often under-appreciated in the church. The biblical care of those in need requires discernment and wisdom from the Lord. The challenges that the poor and needy face are difficult to ascertain completely in a short amount of time, and the work is often long-term in nature with few overnight results. But the Lord does not leave deacons without infallible wisdom from God. I Timothy 5 is one of the guiding portions of Scripture for financial diaconal care. It uses the example of widows who are to be the highest priority of the deacons alongside orphans and foreigners. Certainly able-bodied men ought not to be given more than widows.

What is noteworthy about I Timothy 5 is its focus on how not to care for widows. Don’t financially support widows with family who can care for her. Don’t financially support a widow unless she is at least sixty years old and has a good reputation. Don’t financially support widows who can support themselves. Only relieve those widows whose need is great.

The widow in Israel had sold all she owned and she and her two sons were down to one jar of oil. She was desperately poor and had no where else to turn. While the Lord was going to provide for her abundantly by His miraculous work, she had to labor toward the outcome and obey the words of Elisha. He gave her unusual instructions: Go borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors, as many as you can!

If this account is chronologically after the war with Moab, the instruction might have reminded the widow as it reminds us of God’s command to the allies in the wilderness of Edom to “make this valley full of ditches…” (3:16). Do not expect the Lord to do a small work, but make ready for a great work that the Lord will do. After this gathering and preparing the vessels the widow would close the door and pour her oil into each borrowed vessel.

The widow did not ask what the Lord would do from this activity; she trusted the Lord and His prophet. As she poured the oil from her jar into each vessel, the oil was multiplied miraculously by God and never ran out, not even when there were no more vessels to fill.

The Lord has given us yet another exemplary measure of faith displayed in the widows of Scripture. Out of the abundance of their need came an abundance of faith in the Lord who satisfies all our needs. May we learn from this widow in Israel, the widow of Zarephath, and the widow with the two mites to do two things: Trust in the Lord at all times and obey His holy word.

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