Today I want to consider the story of the widow who came to the Prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 4:1-7. This widows husband had died, she had no means of support. Her husband had worked for God his whole life and so she came to Elisha and said “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” (verse 1)
I want to quote the next few verses to get the sense of the story. “Elisha replied to her, “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 jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” (verses 2-7)
This widow was in a desperate situation, she had a legacy of faith and faithfulness to God in her family. She had a basis and grounds for her appeal. And of course the basis for our appeal as believers is our covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ, nothing else qualifies us for God’s blessing than the shed blood of Christ.
Elisha asked her “What do you have in your house?” This is similar to the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes, his disciples brought him a five loaves of bread and two fish. (Matthew 14:17) All this widow had was a jar of oil. God works miracles when we offer the little faith or substance we have to Him.
And of course this widow and the jar of oil is a picture of how the Church was formed. Jesus spent time pouring into His twelve disciples, He poured oil into them and then they began to share with others, they shared with others and the Church began to grow and prosper. God has been filling jars with oil ever since. Anyone who comes to God hungry, thirsty and willing to receive will be filled to the brim with the wonderful Holy Spirit.
And this story is also a picture of the Church today. We have a little oil and we need a miracle of multiplication to take place to reach and touch the billions who don’t know Jesus! We need the power of God in the Church like never before, we need revival.
God began to multiply that oil to fill every jar, God is not a God of addition or subtraction, He is a God of multiplication. He fills to the extent of our capacity and our faith many times determines our capacity to receive from God. Some of us through past disappointments and hurt, we close ourselves off to receiving from God. Today I want to encourage you to open up again, trust God again and receive from God like never before. Be encouraged, the jar of oil will never run out.
Of course when God was finished doing this miracle, the widows sons were free from the prospect of slavery, her debts were paid and there was plenty for her and her sons to live on in the future. God is the river that never runs dry, He is the oil that never runs out. Today you may be faced with similar difficult and extreme circumstances. I want to encourage you to place your little bit of faith and sustenance into the hands of Jesus, you will find the jar of oil will never run out.
