The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 39

be widows, A.Dd your children fatherless" (Exod. x:xii. 22-24). And in Deut. :ui.v. 17 we have a simile.r command, We learn here in all the relationships of life to mingle mercy with justioe. Too often in the keen competition of life, and in the race for :,ve_alth, the fi~~r feelings become blunted. If you are a Chriijtian, it is your duty to 1m1tate_the spmt and precepts of Jesus. Whether you arc a Christian or not, you o.re responsible t.o God for the wa.v you act t.owards your fellow-men. Always consider the circumstanoes of the case. Where it is possible, be specially careful of the widow o.nd the fatherless and the orphan. God bas a special ea.re for them, and he will o.veuge their caUBe on the persecutor and the oppressor. II. ACTIVE FAITH. The poor widow had nothing in her house save e. pot of oil. She was not as well off as the widow of Zarephath, to whom Elijah came; she had not even a handful of meal in the barrel. The olive oil was used as butter with the flour or meal. Dr. Kitto says it is indeed a remarkable fact that poor people in Israel, who are reduced to the last extremity, have generally a little oil left. Yet in this extremity, with this jar of oil as her sole possession, what does the prophet tell her to do? To go and borrow empty vessels of all her neighbours, and t.o borrow just as many as she could get. Was it not a strange command ? Empty vessels ! Why not borrow vessels with so'TTl,l'thing in them 1 No ; for that would have been to get deeper into debt. Empty vessels. The fact of bringing empty vessels into her house implied that sbe bad something to fill them with. This ;"ust shows the greatness of the woman's _faith. She trusted God's prophet. She knew that he would not deceive her or bid her do anything for which there was not a good reason. She trusted God's power. She tnew that God was able, in his own way and in his own time, to supply all her need. We need to learn a similar faith. We need it for our temporal affairs. We need to trusi God that he can and will and does supply the daily wants of his people. What though the purse is empty? God can send the means to fill it. "It may not be my time; It may not be thy time; Bnt yet in his own time the Lord will provide." We need t.o learn similar faith-a faith that shows itself not in idleness but in action-in regard to spirit'IJ,(LJ, things. We may see but empty vessels before us. God is able to fill them. He does it very often by making us labourers t.ogether with him, as he did in this case of the widow and her sons. A respected Sunday-school teacher tells that when ha first went to teach in a mission Sunday school in one of our large cities, he said to the superint.endent, "Where is my class? " He could see no class for him to teach. The superintendent's answer was," You'll have to go out and gather a class." He did so, and soon had a large and attentive class of lads gathered in by his own exertions from the streets. Don't you know of any empty vessels that would be better if they were filled with the 1ove of Christ and the grace of God? Are there no empty vessels in your own homes? Are there no empty vessels round about you where you live- hearts that are without God and without hope, lives that are utterly destitute of any aims or usdulness? If you know of such. will you not try to bring them under the influence of the gospel ? This u:o"'an showed a strong faith, for she had doubtless to faCll the ridicule and dijfictdties and questionings of her neighbours. They probably laughed at a woman borrowing vessels when she bad nothing to fill them with. We must learn not to mind what people will say of us when we are doing God's work. There are some people who object to everything. There are some people who are ahvays raising difficulties. Those who raise the difficulties and make the objections are generally those who do the least and give the least. Never mind them. Make sure that your work is God's work. Consider it prayerfully and carefully before you undertake it. And then, having made sure that it is God's work, so far as you can get light upon your path, tum not aside to the right hand or to the left. Trust in God to carry you and your work safely through, and to crown your labours with success. "The fear of man bringeth a snare; but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." III. ABUNDANT BLESSING. The woman was well rewarded for her unquestioning faith. So long as she continued pouring from her little jar of oil, so long the oi! con- turned to flow until all the veB.:iels were full. She could have filled more vessels if she OJI, lV. 1-44,] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 76