Elisha Miracles - Widow's Oil II Kings 4

II Kings 4:1 "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha saying Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen."

If we lived in those times, most Americans would be in a mess and childless. I'm glad we don't have those traditions.

Elisha asked her what she did have. She said nothing but a pot of oil. Elisha took what she had and worked with it to help her survive. He said to her go and borrow all the empty vessels you can find from your neighbors and go into your house and close the door, then fill the vessels with oil.

v6 "And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said unto her son Bring me yet a vessel And he said unto her There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed."

Elisha told her to go sell the oil, pay her debts and live off the rest. v7

Next we have a miracle for whom the Bible calls a 'great woman'. She honored the man of God and made a little chamber for him in her house. Elisha was pleased that she did so and wanted to do something for her. I think Elisha did not speak her language for he had his servant to ask her questions and talk to her but I'm not sure about that.

Elisha asked if he could speak to the authorities for her but she was content to live among her own people. v13 So what can we do for her? Elisha wanted to know. The servant replied.

v14 "And he said What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered. Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old."

Well, Elisha promised her that she would have a son and it was so.

Later, the boy was in the field and came down sick with an extreme headache and died. He was laid on Elisha's bed and she went to see the prophet. Elisha was moved and sent his servant on ahead with his staff and told him to touch the boy's face with it. v29 Then Elisha followed with the woman to her home.

v32 "And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed."

Elisha stretched himself upon the child and the child's flesh got warm again. Then he repeated it putting his mouth on the child's, his hands on the child's, etc. The number seven is obvious in these chapters. It sounds very much like the first case of resuscitation :) .

v35 "Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro and went up and stretched himself upon him and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes."

Verses 38 through 41 tells the story of Elisha making bad pottage into good pottage.

Verses 42 through 44 is about a hundred being fed with a small amount of food with some left over. Twenty loaves and ears of corn in the husk bed the hundred. Luke 9:13 and John 6:12. It is remarkable how we see this miracle repeated in the New Testament. I do not see how anyone can separate the Old and the New, they are such great companions.

All these things were done to show that there was an awesome God in Israel. Elisha was but the instrument.

Psalm 131:3 "Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever."

Keywords: Bible Study, Old Testament, Elisha, Old Old Story, miracles, oil in the pot, raising of dead. The story of some of Elisha's miracles.