Faith and Blessing

In the book of 2 Kings 4: 1-7 we find a story that I find as an excellent example of Blessing and Faith. In this almost easily looked over, quick, non highlighted story is, I feel, one of the deepest stories of how God blesses Faith.

The prophet of God Elijah had just been picked up and taken to Heaven in the fiery Chariot of God. Elijah's' student/servant Elisha has, literally, picked up the mantel of Elijah and continued as the Prophet of God for the divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah. There was a 'company of prophets', essentially a religious group, living together, a wife of one of the members of the group went to Elisha with a problem. Her husband had died, and their creditor was coming to take her two sons as slaves, to pay off their debt. She had nothing of worth to pay the man, and was asking Elisha for help. Elisha asked her what she had in the house, and all she had was a little oil. Elisha told her to go to her neighbors and ask for all the bottles she could gather, and not a little. He told her to take the bottles in the house, shut the door behind them, and pour oil into all the bottles, until all of them were filled. When she had done this, she went back to Elisha, told him what they had done, he told her to sell the oil to pay off the creditor, and they could live off the sale of the rest of the oil.

Faith: this woman had heard of, and probably seen some of the miracles that Elijah had performed throughout the land. Elisha had already performed several miracles; she knew that he was a 'man of God'. Elisha told her to gather all the small bottles, like those that were used to keep oil for lamps and other household uses, that she could get and borrow; and not a little.

Spiritual Check Up :How many would I gather? Would I go to my neighbors, friends, best enemies, anybody you could think of and borrow jars? What if they asked me what I needed them for? I know they would! How many is enough? How big a blessing do I believe God is going to give me? Is He really going to do something?

Blessing: this woman did as Elisha told her to do; she gathered the bottles, went inside her house with her sons and shut the door and began to pour the oil. She kept pouring the oil until all of the bottles were filled; when her son said there are no more bottles, the oil stopped flowing.

Spiritual Check Up: What if she had stopped pouring before she ran out of bottles because she was too tired, or felt she had done enough, or she didn't feel good? Would the oil stop flowing? What if she left the door open (did it in public), would the oil have begun to flow? What about me, would I keep pouring until there were no more bottles to fill? Would I do it behind closed doors or would I want to do it out in the public?

I feel that God blessed this woman abundantly, and to the extent of her faith. Because she followed the instructions Elisha gave her, she not only ended up with enough oil to pay off her husbands creditor, but she also ended up with enough oil for her, and her sons to live on.

So much to consider, from such a short story. Let us meditate and pray for enlightenment chaverim, shalom.