TYPES OF VESSELS – BORROWED VESSELS

2 Kings 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 24, John 3, Job 42, 2 Cor 12

 

BIBLE STUDIES: 2 Kings 4:1-7

 

In our bible studies we read the story of one of the wives of the sons of the prophet. This woman was facing serious challenges, she was in big debt and her husband was dead. To worsen her situation, the creditors threatened to take her two sons (the only source of her joy) as slave. She ran to Elisha for help and that one asked her if she had anything in her house, something the Lord can touch? You see whatever the Lord touches begins to multiply as we see in the case of Jesus feeding five thousand men not counting woman and children, Matthew 14:13-21. She confessed that she had a small jar of olive oil so Elisha asked her to go and borrow some empty vessels and pour her little oil in them. She did as she was told. Her oil filled the vessels and she sold them to pay her debt.

 

Let us look at these vessels that were borrowed a bit closer. These vessels were instruments the Lord used to bring joy into the life of this widow. Not only that they were instruments the Lord used to cause a turnaround in the situation of the widow. The Lord used these vessels to inject life into the dead situation of this widow. Without those vessels, her oil would have remained in the small jar and she would have ended up losing her two sons. One important thing I want to point out is that after these vessels were used to work a mighty breakthrough in the life of this widow, they were dumped and we never heard of them again. These vessels were only relevant when oil was in them; immediately the oil was sold and the debts were paid, they were discarded to the background. Many today are like these borrowed vessels. Through them the Lord touches the life of people. Through them the Lord wins souls. Through them the Lord meets the needs of other believers. Do not grow wings because the Lord is using you. Do not get carried away, the fact the Lord is using anyone is not a yardstick that their standing is perfect with God. In Numbers 22:30 we see the Lord warning Balaam through a donkey. If the Lord can use a donkey- an unclean animal to warn a prophet, He can use anyone .After the Lord spoke through the donkey, we never heard of the donkey again. Who are borrowed vessels? They are the people who do not practice what they preach. They encourage people to be humble but they are not humble. They talk of giving to God but they never give. They are the ones you will see talking of evangelism 24 hours but they never evangelize. Galatians 6:7 says be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. The end of a borrowed vessel is not always good because they are usually relegated to the background.

 

Prayer point: Father, please give me the grace to be the hearer and doer