Before proceeding to write more about the kings of Judah, Elisha has to be a very important topic. We know Elijah was also involved in the lives of both Ahab and Jehoshaphat. Elijah would have probably written his condemning letter to Jehoram of Judah before the ascension took place. 2 Kings 4 contains two stories. One is that of the widow’s oil and that of the Shunnamite woman. 2 Kings 4:1-7 would be the focus. We would want to focus on yet another of the many signs God provides. Today, we don’t always get signs and wonders. Yet, there are times God would somehow provide some form of help (without the signs and wonders of the prophets) for the Church today.
Here we have the wife of one of the sons of the prophets. We don’t know how the husband died. We have Elisha’s ministry is expanding as a prophet. For some reason, the husband has some unpaid debt. It must be a result of the persecution done by Ahab and Jezebel. It must be because they were persecuted for their devotion to Yahweh. At times, God allows His own to suffer poverty like in the case of this woman.
John Gill also suggests that these were probably the children of Obadiah, a servant of Ahab who secretly hid the prophets of Yahweh in a cave. A tremendous debt must’ve been acquired in the process! Josephus the Jewish historian also suggests that the creditor was most likely Jehoram of Israel. Later, there was the Athenian law that if a father had not paid the debts, the son was obliged to pay them. In modern-day settings, we have the debt of the deceased transferred to the heirs.
In those days, the creditors could take the widow’s sons as payment. I was reminded of the parable of the unforgiving servant. Matthew 18:21-35 tells us the servant (actually a slave, doulos) owed the king ten thousand talents. A talent is said to be 16 years (or more) worth of salary. The king ordered the family to be sold to get some of that money. Back on the topic, there was really this cruel treatment especially that this widow was insolvent. I bet that this creditor was a pagan.
Elisha was demonstrating yet again the power of God. First, we had Elijah in 1 Kings 17:8-24 with a widow from Zarepath which belongs to the Sidonians. Now, we have Elisha do another miracle of the oil. This time, Elisha released another unusual command. It was time to borrow empty vessels to fill with what I believe is olive oil. There was but a jar of oil in the house. It was a steady process but this widow obeyed. Many times, obeying God’s Word makes no sense. It may even put people in situations where they’re suffering and the world mocks at them. What we realize is that God would provide systematic deliverance.
Finally, the provision came to an end. It was time to sell this olive oil. This wasn’t doing nothing while waiting for God’s provision. It’s doing what God says as God gives His provision. Olive oil is a rather expensive commodity. I bet this was more than extra virgin olive oil. This was God’s provision. Although we don’t see such miracles today, I could feel it whenever someone is moved today to provide help when one least expects it. Times of disaster may not bring such signs and wonders. When people take the initiative to help those in need, it’s God’s initiative that’s at work. There’s a burden that fills the heart. It’s like how missionaries still get their needs met because God provides.
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