Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-10-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER 9.

xxxvif., 3-memory verses, o-s-Oo"'
mentary on the Days Lesson.
!. A widow in trouble w. y. l. "a
certain woman" Josephus says this
woman was the widow of Obadiah, Ahab's
steward, and that the borrowed money
mentioned in the text had been expended
! on the support of the hundred prophets
whom he hid and supported Il Kings
1850. "Of the wives" etc. 1t appears
from this that the members OF the colleeges
of prophets did not withdraw themselves
from common domestic life altogether.
Unto Elisha" Elisha made it his home in
Samaria e Kings 2:25; 632). This appeal
shows that he was looked upon as the lead
er among the prophets He seems to have
made Journeys around the country for the
purpose of instructing the people. We
hear of him in various places. "The cred.
itor." The man here spoken of had evil
IDENTIFY been engaged in some transaction
for which money had been borrowed and
had died before it could be paid of. TO
be bondmen." The law Of Moses provided
LEV. 25:39-4l) that in cases of poverty and
inability to pay his debts man and his
children might be sold and remain in bond.
age until the next year of jubilee. Mat
thew 1925 shows that this law was still IN
force in our Lords time. This fact. thus
incidentally introduced in history of Elisha
shows that in his day the law of Moses
was the basis of judicial and civil proceed
ings in the kingdom of Israel. The terri.
be tyranny of debt may fasten upon those
who do their best to avoid it. 1t is more
keenly felt in proportion to the desire to
do everything in the fear of the Lord. 1T
often brings suffering upon the family.
Grace cannot keep us from financial re-
verses.
TT I'll. ,,,o~,o,,s ,>oyarty w 0l 9
"Wbst i sba wP% da" f How shall relieve
you? The sons of the prophets were poor
and it would signify little to make collec-
| ton for her among them. Elisha was also
a poor man. "What hast thou?" The
Lord always delights to take the little we
: have and increase it. He pursued this
course in feeding the multitudes with a
little bread and fish. If she has little
| committed to her management, her need
K.ust be supplied by His blessing and =, in
creasing that little. POT of oil" The
of oil. '"rhe word rendered pot is from a
root meaning TO anoint' and the clause
has been rendered Save the oil with which
I shall anoint myself The word may be
noticed because it indicates the poverty OF
the widow 1t was not the finest oil, such
as would be used for cooking food, that
she had, but the more common kind which
every Oriental makes use of after bath.
Some think that this pot OF oil was what
this woman had kept for her burial: Bee
Matt. 26:l2 Out of this last pot OF oil
the sign of her utmost poverty-Ellsha
furnished the source of her future comfort
and happiness.
III. The prophets advice Tvs. 3, A.. 3;
''Borrow-empty vessels" But why did
not the Lord supply the vessels as He did
the oil? Simply because she had the abll'
ity to obtain the vessels. Those who think
it cripples their faith to help themselves
should remember that the exact opposite
is the case. What right have l to expect
God to undertake my case when L have
not done what can to help myself! Not
a few" This method of aid was test OF
her faith and an aid to her faith. The as
sistance was given in way to 6eneilt her
and her sons in character and spiritual
life.
T. "Shut the door," So as not to draw
a crowd of curious spectators round, or
make q vain and needless display of tho
| miracle. Some miracles God works in Sc
cret for chosen few. The work was to be
done in quiet, without display, and where
| the moral influences might have their per.
| feet work. 1t was like praying in secret
Matt. 6:6). 1t is not in the crowd thar
God works His wonders in nature and
grace; it is in the lonely place, to the soli'
tha Els back oS tRe human Gh mauttaas
out" God would supply the oil; from
human standpoint there was nothing much
to pour out o
". The supply Of oil Tvs. 81. 5. $50
she went" The widow might well have
been astonished at such peculiar COM
| mand "but as the wife of prophet who
had been a servant of the Lord she had
learned whence help could be sought when
every other source had failed" In spite OF
suggested to her she fastened to obey the
! prophet. :,
G. "Were full" Out of one small jar
was poured out so much oil as by a mirac-
uous multiplication filled all these empty
casks. Scare had that pot any bottom, at
least the bottom that it had was to be
measured by the brms of all those vessels;
could they have held more the oil would
not have ceased flowing. Even so the
bounty of our God gives grace and glory
according to the capacity of the receiver.
give more; if there be any defect, it is in
our vessels, not in Thy benefcence. "Not
a vessel more This is good emblem of
the grace of God. While there is an empty,
LONGING heart. there is a continual over
flowing fountain Of salvation. IF the oil
ceases to flow it is because there are no
empty vessels there-no souls hungering
and thirsting for righteousness. The re-
suits were according to her faith. Every
vessel she borrowed wSs filled with the
miraculous oil. Then the flow stopped,
She put her own limit to the amount she
received "The oil stayed" That is, it
ceased to flow longer.
7. "Came and told" Feeling that tho
disposal of the oil should be made accord.
ing to the direction of Him who had told
her what to do. 1t would seem to her that
the unexpected supply could not be re-
garded as her own property. "Sell-pay
thy debt" How calmly the prophet re.
ceived her. He knew what would happen.
And does not this show wonderful
amount of faith and confidence in God on
the part of Elisha? If means are given
thee to satisfy thy creditor let it be thy
first duty to pay him ~efore thou carest
for thyself. He who can pay his debts and
will not takes what does not belong to
him, and breaks the eighth commandment.
When the Lord gives there is always some.
thing left over and above. He never
merely takes away distress; He gives a
blessing besides. ''Live-of the rest" The
oil was all to be sold, and the money that
was over, when the debt was paid, would
be means of support till the sons might
find way to earn living. The miracle
goes no further than is absolutely neces.
sary. 1t does not permanently enrich the
poor, but provides only for temporary ne
cessity How strikingly does this incident
chow that Ua must no fpllow-wnrlyars with