JAR OF OIL

The wonderful story of the widow and her sons who were in a desperate situation with the creditor at the door is one I have always liked. Her recent husband was a servant (son) to Elisha, a prophet, and she was left with the common dilemma of, “Now what?”

“Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” (2 Kings 4)

The jar of oil in the hands of faith filled the emptiness in the widow and her sons, her neighbor’s emptiness, and the emergency of the house. By shutting the door so only faith was on the line, she and her sons filled all the vessels with the flowing oil. The oil stopped when every vessel was filled. The debt was paid, an income was produced and I am certain the vessels were returned to neighbors full of oil as well. That’s the way of flowing oil. That’s the way of blessing. That’s the way of the Kingdom. That’s the way of faith.

“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus