The Tupelo journal., 1904-10-07
THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL
Lesson in the International Series
for October 8, 1oO4-''The Wild
owls Oil Increased
prepared by the Highway and By
way" Preacher.)

\ EliSfa, saying: my servant my nuspaio
is dead; and thou knowest that thy serv-
ant did fear the Lord; and the creditor Is
come to take unto him my two sons TO be
bondmen.
2. And Elisha said unto her: What snail
l do for thee? Tell me, what has thou In
the house? And she said: Thine handmade
hath not anything In the house, save a pot
OF oil.
3. Then he said: Go. borrow thee ves-
sells abroad Of all thy neighbors. ever
empty vessels: borrow not a few.
4. And 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 hat which Is full.
5. So she went from him, and shut the
door upon her and upon her sons, who
brought the vessels to her: and she poured
out.
s. 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 q vessel more. And the oil
stayed.
Z. Then 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.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Trust in the Lord
and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land.
and verify thou shalt be fed."-Ps. 1873.
TIME.-Uncertain; but within a short
time after last lesson.
PLACE.-Uncertain; but perhaps one OF
the places where was a school or the
prophets. either Gilgal, Bethel or Jericho.
Human Need and Divine Resources.
The Widow and Her Need, ". ID
What we know of the widow: % She
was a Cody 1. Tim. SIS gives
us a picture of the Cody widow. Tod
holds such in special regard. Il Tim.
$50 And one test of true religion is
ministering to such in their need. GAS.
1:27.) (2) Was known to Elisha. The
faithful, God-fearing lives OF both her
husband and herself proved excellent
capital on which to do business. Godli-
ness Ices pay. q Tim. 4:S). CD Was
in the clutches OF the oppressive credl-
tor. Affection and misfortune are not
always a sign of sin or folly. John
9:1-3) (4) Had two sons who in &C
cordance with the custom Of those days
were to be taken to satisfy the debt.
Iev. 25:39. Matt. 1929 (5) Her
need was urgent. The creditor is
come" The day of trouble is the day
to pray. psalm 50:15.)
The Prophet and His Help (Vs. 2-4).-
Two questions were asked by the pro-
| phet. What shall I do for thee?"
What hast thou in the house," % God
| always wants us to tell Him our desires.
To tell God what we want, clarifies our
vision. and strengthens our faith. (2)
God always uses what we have. be 1t
ever so little, as the medium OF blessing.
Strange Internationally Borrow
empty vessels. ca Shut herself and
her sons in the house. go Pour out her
little pot OF oil and perhaps waste 1t.
| Surely. here was a test Of faith. II the
widow f~ad been like most people seek
ing help, she would have had her own
ideas as to methods. Cd May not the
borrowing of empty vessels suggest the
need of greater capacity. We need to be
enlarged for more of Gods fullness. (2)
May not the shut door and the seclusion,
| teach US the need of getting alone with
God where His blessing may descend
upon us. CD And may not the pour
ing out of the oil and its miraculous in
crease typify the multiplying OF spiritual
| gifts and power as we pour out our hearts
and our lives in behalf of needy souls all
about us.
The Obedience and It's Reward Tvs.
5-7).-Unwavering faith and implicit
| obedience mark the conduct OF the
widow. The empty vessels were Dor
rowed in the face, probably. of curious
| looks, and prying questions and sneers
| of ridicule. The door was closed. shut
ting herself and her son away from all
| other earthly help and every moment
| the knock of the creditor was expected.
And what faith! Only the little pot OF
| oil in hand, and the empty vessels on
every hand. How seemingly Impossible
| to fill them. Blu the pot OF Oil and the
| empty dishes was not all the widow had.
| She had the word of the prophet. And
we have the word of God on which to
| depend. Let us lay hold of it as the widow
did of the prophets word, which was
| really the word of God spoken through
| His servant. That little pot of oil never
ceased it's %outpouring stream OF oil until
every vessel was filled to the brim. That
is the way God gives of His riches in
| Christ Jesus. Begin to pour out your
| self in Christly ministry to others and
while there is an empty vessel about you
| to fill, a need soul to help. the flow will
not cease.
But what is she to do with the oil?
| The prophet did not tell her. She must
60 back and tell him of what had come
to pass and ask him for further direc-
| ton. Without question she has obeyed
| his instructions. She has gone as far as
| she can. Now for the next step. Here Is
a lesson for every Christian. True faith
| does not ask to see all the way. True
| faith goes straight ahead as far as the
| instructions will carry and then is time
to 90 to God for the next step. The oil
| sold. the creditors paid, the future pro-
| yided for was the reward OF obedient
| faith and faithful obedience. How God
| always hears the cry Of His children, and
how certainly will He honor faith and
| obedience. The Psalmist's declaration
in Ps. 1925 finds illustration in this les
son.
The Quiet Hour.
Men seldom seek to dissect a religion
| until it is dead.
Seeds of sin must be judged by their