Bankrupt Believers

[2 Kgs. 4:1] Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the L-RD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
Who, though they were wholly devoted to sacred employment, were not excluded from marriage, any more than the priests and Levites. Her husband, not enjoying the well-paid profits of business, had nothing but a professional income, which, in that ungodly age, would be shaky and very insufficient, so that he was not in a condition to provide for his family.
His poverty therefore was not procured by his idleness, but by his piety, because he would not comply with the king's way of worship, and therefore lost all worldly advantages.
Bondmen were to be using them as his slaves, or to sell them to others, according to the Law. By the performance of the Law, a creditor was entitled to claim the person and children of the bankrupt debtor, and compel them to serve him as bondmen till the year of jubilee should set them free.
G-d magnifies his goodness with his power. Elisha readily receives a poor widow’s complaint. She was a prophet’s widow; to whom therefore should she apply, but to him that was a father to the sons of the prophets, and concerned himself in the welfare of their families? It seems the prophets had wives as well as the priests, though prophecy went not by involve, as the priesthood did. Marriage is honorable in all, and not conflicting with the most sacred professions. Now, by the complaint of this poor woman, we are given to understand,
1. That her husband, being one of the sons of the prophets, was well know to Elisha. Ministers of well-known gifts and stations should make themselves familiar with those that are every way their inferiors, and know their character and state.
2. That he had the reputation of a G-dly man. Elisha knew him to be one that feared the L-rd else he would have been unworthy of the honor and unfit for the work of a prophet. He was one that kept his integrity in a time of general apostasy, one of the 7000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal.
3. That he was dead, though a good man, a good minister. The prophets—do they live for ever? Those that were clothed with the Spirit of prophecy were not thereby armed against the stroke of death.
4. That he died poor, and in debt more than he was worth. He did not contract his debts by luxury, and riotous living, for he was one that feared the L-rd, and therefore durst not allow himself in such courses: nay, religion obliges men not to live above what they have, nor to spend more than what G-d gives them, no, not in expenses otherwise lawful; for thereby, of necessity, they must disable themselves, at last, to give every one his own, and so prove guilty of a continued act of injustice all along. Yet it may be the lot of those that fear G-d to be in debt, and bankrupt, through afflictive providences, losses by sea, or bad debts, or their own imprudence, for the children of light are not always wise for this world. Perhaps this prophet was poor by persecution: when Jezebel ruled, prophets had much ado to live, and especially if they had families.
5. That the creditors were very severe with her two sons she had to be the support of her widowed state, and their labor is reckoned assets in her hand; that must go therefore, and they must be bondmen for seven years (Ex. 21:2) to work out this debt. Those that leave their families under a load of debt disproportionable to their estates know not what trouble they entail. In this distress the poor widow goes to Elisha, in dependence upon the promise that the seed of the righteous shall not be forsaken. The generation of the upright may expect help from G-d’s providence and tolerate from his prophets.
The sons of the prophets were poor, and it would signify little to make a collection for her among them: but the G-d of the holy prophets is able to supply all her need; and, if she has a little committed to her management, her need must be supplied by his blessing and increasing that little.
Elisha therefore enquired what she had to make money of, and found she had nothing to sell but one pot of oil. If she had had any plate or furniture, he would have bidden her part with it, to enable her to be just to her creditors. If she had not had this pot of oil, the divine power could have supplied her; but, having this, it will work upon this, and so teach us to make the best of what we have.
This comprising her whole stock of domestic utensils, he directs her to borrow empty vessels not a few; then, secluding herself with her children, the widow was to pour oil from her cruse into the borrowed vessels, and, selling the oil, discharge the debt, and then maintain herself and family with the remainder.
1. The oil was to be multiplied in the pouring, as the other widow’s meal in the spending. The way to increase what we have is to use it; to him that so hath shall be given. It is not hoarding the talents, but trading with them, that doubles them.
2. It must be poured out by herself, neither by Elisha nor by any of the sons of the prophets, to cherish that it is in connation with our own careful and hard-working activities that we may expect the blessing of G-d to enrich us both for this world and the other. What we have will increase best in our own hand.
3. One of her sons was employed to bring her empty vessels, and the other carefully to set aside those that were full, while they were all amazed to find their pot, like a fountain of living water, always flowing, and yet always full. They saw not the spring that supplied it, but believed it to be in Him in whom all our springs are. Job’s metaphor was now verified in the letter (Job 29:6); the rock poured me out rivers of oil. Perhaps this was in the tribe of Asher, part of whose blessing it was that he should dip his foot in oil, Deut. 33:24. 3.
4. The oil continued flowing as long as she had any empty vessels to receive it; when every vessel was full the oil stayed, for it was not fit that this precious liquid should run over, and be as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. He gives above what we ask: were there more vessels, there is enough in G-d to fill them—enough for all, enough for each.
The prophet directed her, what to do with the oil she had. She must not keep it for her own use, to make her face to shine.
1. She must sell the oil to those that were rich, and could afford to bestow it on themselves. We may suppose, being produced by miracle, it was the best of its kind, like the wine (Jn. 2:10), so that she might have both a good price and a good market for it. Probably the merchants bought it to export, for oil was one of the commodities that Israel traded in, Ez. 27:17.
2. She must pay her debt with the money she received for her oil. Though her creditors were too exact with her, yet they must not therefore lose their debt. Her first care, now that she has wherewithal to do so, must be to discharge that, even before she makes any provision for her children. It is one of the fundamental laws of our religion that we render to all their due, pay every just debt, give every one his own, though we leave ever so little for ourselves; and this, not of restriction but willingly and without grudging; not only for anger, to avoid being sued, but also for conscience’ sake. Those that possess an honest mind cannot with pleasure eat their daily bread, unless it is their own bread.
3. The rest must not be laid up, but she and her children must live upon it, not upon the oil, but upon the money received from it, with which they must put themselves into a capacity of getting an honest livelihood.
No doubt she did as the man of G-d directed; and hence:
1. Let those that are poor and in distress be encouraged to trust G-d for supply in the way of duty. Verily thou shalt be fed, though not feasted. It is true we cannot now expect miracles, yet we may expect mercies, if we wait on G-d and seek to him. Let widows particularly, and prophets’ widows in a special manner, depend upon him to preserve them and their fatherless children alive, for to them he will be a husband, a father.
2. Let those whom G-d has blessed with plenty use it for the glory of G-d and under the direction of his word: let them do justly with it, as this widow did, and serve G-d cheerfully in the use of it, and as Elisha, be ready to do good to those that need them, be eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.