A Little Oil and Empty Jars

This devotion is based on 2 Kings 4:1-7. The passage tells the story of a prophet's widow who seeks Elisha's help as her creditor threatens to take her two sons as slaves. Elisha instructs her to gather empty jars from her neighbors and fill them with the little oil she has. Miraculously, the oil continues to flow until all the jars are filled, allowing her to sell the oil, pay her debts, and live off the remaining proceeds. The meditation highlights themes of faith, provision, and divine intervention.

Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com.

Transcript

Episode 25
A Little Oil and Empty Jars
Text: 2 Kings 4:1-7

From Maui Hawaii, I greet you with a warm Aloha! I hope you are doing great today. I am inviting you to join me in this short devotional meditation which talks about faith, provision, and divine intervention. May you be encouraged, motivated, and challenged as you continue in your journey of faith.

Our devotion is based on 2 Kings 4:1-7. I will read the following verses to you (2 Kings 4:1-7):

1 The wife of a member of the prophets' community cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know he faithfully served the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as slaves."

2 Elisha replied, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small amount of oil.”

3 Elisha said, “Go and collect empty jars from all your neighbors. Don’t just gather a few.

4 Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each one is filled, set it aside.”

5 She left him and did as instructed. She shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought her jars, and she continued pouring.

6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is no jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

7 She went and told the man of God what had happened, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what remains.”

Our meditation today is entitled, "A Little Oil and Empty Jars."

STAGE ONE: INTRODUCTION
The passage tells the story of a prophet's widow who seeks Elisha's help as her creditor threatens to take her two sons as slaves. Elisha instructs her to gather empty jars from her neighbors and fill them with the little oil she has. Miraculously, the oil continues to flow until all the jars are filled, allowing her to sell the oil, pay her debts, and live off the remaining proceeds. The meditation highlights: themes of faith, provision, and divine intervention.

Here is a widow of a prophet pleading for help from Elisha, saying, "My husband is dead, and you know he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as slaves." It is as if she is telling Elisha, "I've sold everything I have to pay the creditor, but it's still not enough. Please, Elisha, my husband served your God. Help me! My only possessions now are my two boys, and I don't want them taken away. They are my cherished sons."

Elisha, moved with sympathy, looked into her eyes and asked her gently, "How can I help you? What do you have in your house?" Listen carefully. Here is a prophet, a man of God, who parted the waters of the Jordan (2 Kgs. 2:7-8, 14), a prophet who purified the water from a spring in Jericho (2 Kgs. 2:19-22), a prophet who filled empty ditches with water (2 Kgs. 3:16-17). This is the prophet who raised a dead boy at Shunem (2 Kings 4:32-37), a prophet who healed Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-27), a prophet who blinded the entire Syrian army (2 Kings 6:18-23). Listen, my friends, you orphans and widows, Elisha the prophet of God is asking you today, "How can I help you?"

STAGE TWO: ELISHA
In I Kings chapter 19 and verses 19 through 20, we can learn that Elisha is a farmer. But not just an ordinary farmer because he plowed with twelve yokes of oxen. It seems that he has a large tract of land to work with. Farmers in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, work under tough conditions but show remarkable resilience and dedication. They work from dawn to dust expecting a harvest in near future.  But that is not always the case, their geography is typhoon infested and all year round the farmers must be prepared for these events. As a Filipino myself I have not known any Filipino farmer who complains about the nature of his work and the unpleasant weather condition of his country.  On the contrary, I noticed that they are not tired laboring under the heat of the sun and the coldness of the rain.  They are not discouraged despite all the circumstances they face.  They are there always in the field tending their crops.  Their industry, diligence and endurance identify our farmers’ uniqueness in character which is sometimes hard to find in others.

I believe Elisha has these qualities because he is a farmer too.  He was busy plowing in the field when he was called by God.  He is a man fit for the job because he knows how to value industry, one who can endure hardships and who cannot be easily discouraged by failures and say quit. Instead, he steadfastly and patiently worked hard, expecting a good harvest in the future. 

And then one thing happened when he was being called into the service. He made a complete turn around and he never went back again to his former work.  What he did was to slaughter all his oxen and use his entire plowing equipment to cook them and give it to the people to eat.  And then the Bible says, “He set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant” (1 Kgs. 19:21).  This act symbolized his complete commitment to his new mission, akin to the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus… no turning back." This is a song we used to sing during our junior camp meetings. 

When Elijah was taken to heaven Elisha became his successor by receiving a double portion of his master’s spirit.  There was no other prophet that could ever be compared with him during his time and even after him. He never asked for fame, glory, and honor nor to be exempted from trouble but to be qualified for God’s service. He asked Elijah’s spirit of double portion.

Elijah told him that although his desire is a hard thing it will be given to him provided, he keeps close watch to him as he ascends to heaven. Elisha stood his ground, and he witnessed everything that happened; thus, he received the blessing.  

Similarly, the apostles too kept close watch for their Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascending to heaven and that promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.  That same Spirit that empowered Elisha is the same Spirit that filled the apostles to boldly declare the gospel of salvation followed by miracles, signs and wonders.  My friends, I encourage you to covet the best gifts from God that He will use you as a channel of blessing to other people.  However, when God provides those graces to us, we should be responsible enough to use them with great care and concern in finishing the course of our own calling and never to waste anything.  Otherwise, it will be taken back from us and be given to those who can be trusted.  The Bible says, “Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matt. 13:12). 

Elisha understood the value and the risk involved in what he had asked for. He never wasted anything but labored diligently and endured a lot like his former profession as a farmer.  Because he asked for it, he is expected to be a good steward of that gift too.

Now Elisha asked the widow what she needed.  He assured the poor widow with all authority because he knows where his power comes from.  He has proven God time and again. And now God will work again miraculously on his behalf.

STAGE THREE: THE WIDOW
Now, here is the widow. She is so poor that her only prized possessions are her two sons. Her situation is aggravated by the debts incurred by her late husband who was a prophet under Elisha. It is important to note that when Elijah was still around, this man was one of the seven thousand who hid from the presence of King Ahab and Jezebel who did not bow to Baal (1 Kgs. 19:18; cf. Rom. 11:4) Consequently, he could not meet the needs of his family and was forced to borrow for their survival. He should not be viewed as an irresponsible husband and father but rather as a victim of the circumstances prevailing at that time. His actions can be commended for their nobility.

There are certain things to learn from the late prophet. He was a godly man who did not bow to Baal, choosing to live in poverty rather than compromise his faith. (David was right when he said, “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked” Ps. 37:16.) He never feared being impoverished by persecution. These qualities prompted his widow to seek help from Elisha.

Her greatest fear was that her two sons would be taken to settle their father's unpaid debts. According to the law, if parents cannot repay their obligations, their children would serve as bondsmen for seven years (Exodus 21:2).

Let us pause for a moment to be reminded that children are God’s gifts to us (Ps. 127:3). Therefore, we must love and cherish them dearly, providing the best we can for their future. They are the bearers of God's truth for the next generation. Spend time with them now, for lost opportunities will lead to regrets over wasted moments.

Consider Susanna Wesley, wife of a pastor and mother of 19 children. Despite their number, her love and concern for rearing her children resulted in John Wesley being brought up in the Lord. [1]  Similarly, the wife of a coal miner often went hungry to support her son's seminary education, leading to Martin Luther becoming the Father of the Reformation.[2]

This reflects the widow's concern for her two sons. When she was threatened and overcome by fear, she sought God through Elisha as her first and last resort. It is my hope that we can all learn from this mother's faith.

STAGE FOUR: RESPONSE
Then Elisha asked her, “…what do you have in your house?” And the widow answered her, “… a little oil.”  Then he directed what to do, “…go borrow empty jars…borrow not just a few… pour oil into all the jars…”  Then the widow did not waste any time by sending her sons to go and knock on every house for an empty jar.  Perhaps they apologize by saying “Oh, we’re sorry for disturbing you but we need to borrow as many of your empty jars.  We promise you to return them back immediately, please?”  Their neighbors might have been wondering what had happened to them.  But they pursued diligently and followed the directive of Elisha until they were able to borrow as many jars as they could.  Perhaps the widow asked his sons “Is this all you’ve got?  And probably they answered her, “Yes, mother, we’ve got everything we needed. Every one of our neighbors have been asked for.”  “Okay, then close the door and let’s do what Elisha told us to do.”  And she began to pour that little oil into a jar and then into another one, and the sequence continued miraculously until finally the last jar was full of oil and then it stopped only when there was no more jar to fill in.  

In the Old Testament period oil (particularly olive oil) was a household commodity.  It is used for baking and cooking even as fuel for lamps.  Without it would somehow make life very difficult because of its economic value.  Indeed, it is a source of life and energy.  This is why there are many earthen vessels or jars during that period because of this purpose.  

And now, they have more than enough to pay their debt.  So, Elisha instructed her to sell the oil and use whatever is left to sustain their needs in the family.  You could just imagine a remarkable change in the widow’s face because she is now at complete peace.  Her vitality and boldness that have been suppressed are now back and she can dance again in the spirit before the Lord.   

Praise God!  Jesus Christ has already paid our debts two thousand years ago on the cross and Satan has no longer control of our lives.  Satan has nothing to claim from us anymore because we already belong to Jesus.  When we received Christ in our lives we have decided once and for all to leave behind all those things of the past and we buried them for eternal oblivion.  We now walk in the newness of life with the Spirit.  I challenge you then to go find all empty jars by knocking at the doors of your neighbors and bring them to Christ.  Probably your neighbor is not far from you. It might be your spouse, your child, your parents, your brother, your sister, your family. Your neighbor probably is your friend, your schoolmate, your co-worker. Yes, let them be filled with the overflowing love of God. I tell you, there will no longer be insignificant jar being left behind in a corner or being thrown outside where mosquitoes and other insects use to breed. 

CONCLUSION
What is your response to God's call right now? Are you facing troubles like the widow? Hold firmly to your faith and never give up. Your struggles will soon end, and with God's help, you will triumph over them. Wait patiently for Him and trust in His promise. "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them" (Psalm 145:18-19).

At this moment, the Spirit of God testifies to the truth of Jesus' love for you, my friend. Jesus Christ has already paid the ultimate price for you. Accept this truth from the Father; Christ alone can guarantee your peace and eternal life. Believe me, He will grant you peace. It is our faith that may falter, but His promises to us never fail!

Shall we pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for this chance to share the Gospel. Bless those who heard your word today. May they learn more about Jesus Christ, our faith's author and perfecter. Touch their lives, save them, and lead them to repentance. Bless my listeners as they grow in faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.

It is my prayer that you have been blessed today. Please continue to stay tuned and share it with your family and friends. May you be strengthened and encouraged in your journey of faith. Thank you for the privilege of your time. This is your host, Brother Dani Marantan Banggo saying, keep punching the good fight of faith. Until next time. Mahalo!

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[1] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations. (Assurance Publishers: Rockville, MD, 1979), 849-850. (3653 Susanna Wesley’s Rule).
[2] Ibid., 851. Quoting W. G. Montgomery, “Mother of Luther” (3660).