Once upon a time there was a woman whose husband had died. The man was a good man who had served God, but now he was no longer there. The woman was sad and very worried. She had no money at all and didn’t know how she and her children were going to survive.
One day an evil man came to her and said: “You must give me the money your husband owes me! Otherwise I’ll take your children and they’ll have to work for me!”
The woman was very scared. She didn’t know what to do. So she went to a special man. His name was Elisa. Elisha was a prophet. This means that he knew a lot about God and helped other people.
The woman said to Elisha: “Please, help me! I don’t have any money. What am I supposed to do?”
Elisha listened and asked: “What have you got at home?”
The woman said, “I only have a little bit of oil.”
Elisha said, “Good, go home and collect all the empty jars you can find from your neighbors and friends. Take as many as you can. Then go into your house, close the door and pour your little oil into the jars.”
The woman did as Elisha had said. Her sons helped her find as many jars as they could. Then they closed the door.
She took the little bit of oil and started pouring. And – oh wonder – the oil didn’t stop flowing! One jar after another filled up until all the jars were full.
She went back to Elisa and told him what had happened. He said to her: “Now sell the oil, pay your debts and live off what’s left.”
The woman was overjoyed. God had provided for them!
Message of history
God cares for us. Even if we have little, God can make a lot out of it if we trust him.
Bible passage
The story of Elisha and the miracle of the oil is found in 2 Kings 4:1-7 (Schlachter 2000):
“And a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, ‘Your servant my husband has died, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. Now the believer has come to take my two children to himself as servants. Elisha said to her, “What do you want me to do for you? Tell me what you have in the house. She said, “Your maid has nothing in the house but a jar of oil. Then he said, “Go outside and ask for vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels, but not a few. And go in, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all those vessels, and carry away what is full. So she went away from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they handed her the vessels and she poured. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, ‘Give me another vessel. But he said to her, ‘There is no more vessel. There was the oil. And she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; but you and your sons shall live on what is left.”
