IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Elisha Shepherds Two Women of Faith

Date: Mar. 5, 2019

Passage

2 Kings 4:1-17 (ESV)

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.”

11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” 14 And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” 17 But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 4:17

But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

1. Elisha blesses a widow's faith (1-7)

A prophet died, leaving behind a large debt and her two sons were about to be taken away as slaves to repay the debt. In her desperation, the prophet's widow sought Elisha's help. Out of his shepherd heart, he decided to help her. He asked her what she had. She only had a small jar of olive oil. It seemed too little, but God starts with what we have. Elisha told her to ask her neighbors for their empty jars - and not just a few! According to her faith, she and her sons gathered many jars and filled them with olive oil from the small flask she owned. She sold the jars of oil and paid off the debt. God's power and blessing was limited only by her faith and obedience.

2. Elisha blesses a barren woman's faithfulness (8-17)

A rich woman frequently hosted Elisha and even made a small room for him. He wanted to do something for her to show his gratitude. She was barren, and her husband was old. Elisha promised her that in one year she would have a son, and according to his word, she was blessed with a son. Her faithfulness was rewarded.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, raise up faithful women who come to you with their problems and are blessed by you.

One Word: God helps faithful women

Daily Bread

The Word of God Continued to Spread

Acts 12:18-24

Key Verse: 12:24

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