(2 Kings 4:1-37)
This is the story of two women whom God cares and provides for in miraculous ways. We will see that each woman was faced with a tragic and seemingly hopeless situation, but each looked to Yahweh for help through the prophet Elisha, and God blessed them for their faith.
First, we read about a woman whose name isn't given but we are told that her husband was one of the Lord's prophets. She's just been widowed and her husband's creditor is going to come and take away her sons as his slaves. It's important to remember that in ancient Hebrew culture, a widow with no sons would have been an outcast in utter poverty with no livelihood and nobody to care for her. I can only imagine her desperation: she just lost her husband, and she's about to lose both her sons, her home, her income, and her place in society, all in one day.
But this woman's husband had been one of the LORD's servants, and an apprentice of the prophet Elisha. So she had probably heard about or even witnessed some of the miracles God had already performed through Elisha. She would have known the stories of God's acts of power performed through his predecessor, Elijah. She and her family were probably faithful to the teachings of Moses in the Torah. She knew that Yahweh was a God of power and might. She knew that He was able to care for and provide for His people.
So she appeals to the prophet Elisha for help, reminding him that her husband revered the LORD. And Elisha seems eager to help her. I think this shows us that he knew this woman and her husband were people of noble character. He asks her, “What do you have in your house?” She replies, “Nothing at all, except a jar of olive oil.” Then he instructs her to ask all her neighbors for empty jars, and to collect as many as she can. Then she is to go into her house and pour the oil into all the jars. God miraculously keeps the oil flowing, until the very last jar is filled. Then Elisha tells her to go and sell the oil, and use the money to pay her husband's debts and she and her sons can live off of what is left over.
I love this story!! I love that when the woman was faced with losing everything she had, she turns to God for help. I love how Elisha asks her what she already has….it reminds me of the story of the feeding of the four thousand when Jesus asks the disciples how many loaves of bread they had. I love how God doesn't just miraculously make oil (or the bread) appear out of nowhere, but that He asks her to bring what she has, even though it's next to nothing, and He multiplies it. I love that Elisha asks her to go to her neighbors for help. I love that the oil lasts until exactly the moment when all the jars are filled; God's provision is exactly what was needed – no more, no less. And I love that God completely reverses the woman's situation….She starts out in debt and about to lose her sons to servitude and become destitute herself, and she ends up with everything she needs to both pay off her debt and take care of herself and her sons.
In our second story, a well-to-do Shunammite woman generously extends hospitality to the prophet Elisha whenever he comes into town, because she knows that he is a holy man of God. So we know that she not only fears and worships Yahweh, but she has a kind heart and wants to contribute to the work of God by caring for His servant. Naturally, the prophet wants to do something to show his appreciation for the woman's kindness. So he offers to put in a good word for her with the king or the commander of the army. But she informs him that that isn't necessary since she already has a place of good standing in the community. “Well, she doesn't have any kids,” Elisha's servant suggests. So Elisha tells her that she would have a son by that time next year. But the woman protests, saying, “Oh no, no, please don't tell me that! I don't want to get my hopes up!” (paraphrase mine). We are told that her husband was of old age, and she had probably long-since given up the hope of having children. It was easier to just accept her barrenness. But God does give her a son, exactly as Elisha said He would.
When the boy grows up, he gets sick and ends up dying in his mother's lap. She must've been heartbroken to have lost the son she was afraid to even hope for to begin with. Her miracle child is gone. But she doesn't sit in her grief, rather she immediately gets up and goes to find Elisha. She says to him, “I didn't ask you for a son! I told you I didn't want to get my hopes up.” And she refuses to leave until Elisha returns with her. Elisha goes, and he brings the boy back to life!! (What an emotional roller coaster!) If I'm not mistaken, it's the first resurrection story in Jewish history. And if you fast-forward to 2 Kings 8, the story gets even better when God uses the story of this miraculous resurrection to give the woman favor with the king and restore her entire estate which was lost when she fled the country in a time of famine.
I think all of us can find a way to relate to the women in these stories. They both loved and served God, but they both found themselves in devastating, desperate situations where they really needed Him to come through for them. Maybe you are like the widow and you feel like everything you know and love is being taken away from you. Maybe you are in a seemingly impossible situation, struggling to see how God is going to provide for your needs. Maybe you are like the Shunammite woman and you don't even want to hope for the thing you desire most, for fear that something will go wrong and it won't last, or it won't be all that you hoped it would be. Maybe it feels easier to just accept a state of barrenness. Maybe the thing you dreamed about now seems dead, and you need a resurrection. Maybe something or someone dear to you is now gone. We have all experienced loss and disappointment on one level or another. We have all experienced need for God's provision. We have all experienced situations that feel hopeless. And we all long to see God's miraculous and supernatural intervention in our lives.
So my encouragement to you is this: when things go wrong, turn immediately to the God who you know is able. Remember that no situation is hopeless with Him, and that the greatest miracles happen in the most impossible circumstances. When it feels like you have nothing, just bring Him whatever you have in your hands, and trust Him to multiply it. His supply will last as long as our need does, and when we receive from Him we won't be left lacking or empty. Loss and even death, aren't the end of the story. We have a God who turns our lack into abundance, our hopelessness into joy, and our grieving into fullness of life. We have a God who cares. We have a God who is powerful. We have a God who is mighty to save. We have a God who sees our hurt and knows our needs. We have a God who redeems our brokenness and satisfies our desires with good things.
These women both experienced heart-wrenching loss and faced impossible situations. But they both knew that the God they served was able, and they chose to put their faith in Him instead of giving up or losing hope. And they both received God's favor and blessing. I believe you will too.
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