When did Jesus do this? On the cross. And he didn’t use oil, but his own blood. Yes, by his death Jesus paid off the debt that stood against us, the wages of all our sin. The Father is just. His rights as the creditor had to be upheld. God loaned us life, but we rebelled in depravity and idolatry. His justice had to be satisfied; the terms of the law must be met. And just as a flask of oil appeared impossible for the task, how could the life of one man pay for our sins? Yet, Jesus was righteous—he was the God-man.

With God’s wrath hovering over Israel during the ministry of the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 4, we meet a widow:

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” (2 Kings 4:1)

We are not told her tribe, her hometown or that of her husband, yet we are informed that she was married to one of the sons or disciples of the prophets—they were loyal to Elisha and faithful to the Lord. In a land of apostasy and idolatry, the sons of the prophets were true believers and worshippers of the Lord.

The widow cries to Elisha in her distress.

We know the widow had faith because she cried to Elisha. This crying out meant that she was in trouble. Hard times had fallen upon her, and in her pain and uncertainty she was in desperate need of help. Now in the Old Testament this crying out was ultimately directed to the Lord; it was an urgent prayer for heavenly aid. Yet, these cries went through an agent, an intermediary.

The usual mediator in those times was the king. If you stumbled into desperate need, you petitioned the king; the king was the Lord’s servant to give you relief. The widow, however, bypasses the king and goes directly to the prophet. When the king is wicked, you seek out a true agent of the Lord, and there was none better than Elisha. This is another mark of the widow’s devoted faith.

Elisha is obligated to care and provide for his servants.

Next, we get to listen to this woman’s voice. And the pain of the widow in no way diminishes her eloquence. Her first two words say it all: “your servant, my husband.” The widow and Elisha have a pre-existing relationship. Her husband was his servant. This means both he and she are loyal to Elisha; they are part of the same group with Elisha as the head or leader.

It also ignites Elisha’s duty. If the widow and her husband served Elisha with fealty, then as a master, Elisha is obligated to care and provide for his servants. She reminds Elisha of his duty and then pulls at his heart strings. He is dead; your servant, my husband is dead.

In ancient times, widowhood wasn’t just sad; it was also dangerous. It exposed women to vulnerability, need, and loneliness. Next, she underscores the piety of her husband. You know, Elisha, how he feared the Lord. Her husband had no eyes for idols, but his heart was wholly devoted in reverence to the Lord alone. Finally, the widow states her problem: “The creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves” (2 Kings 4:1).

The creditor had the legal right to seize the widow’s children for repayment.

Before he died, the husband had taken out a loan, probably fairly sizable. And for collateral or as a pledge, he put up his two children. This means that if he defaulted on the loan the creditor had the legal right, by contract, to seize his kids, and they would become the creditor’s debt-slaves until they pay off the loan. The word here for slave or servant means debt-slave. And this financial arrangement was fully legal under Mosaic Law, and it was common. Thus, there is nothing unjust or oppressive about this setup. When the husband died, the loan defaulted.

And the creditor has the legal right to seize the children for repayment. This is just one of those hard times. The family was struggling to get by, so the husband took out a loan. He unexpectedly died, and the loan fell to his wife and she defaulted. And now the creditor has no choice but to foreclose on her two children.

In the widow’s situation we observe the painful mystery of the suffering of the obedient.

Her kids were the widow’s life insurance policy; if she loses them, she has nothing left. She is the faithful saint who is suffering. This is the devoted missionary who gets cancer; the excellent parent who loses their child in a tragic accident. Her family did everything right. They feared the Lord; they kept his commandments.

They were loyal to Elisha, the Lord’s true prophet. They never bowed the knee to Baal or visited one of those golden calves. Their piety was pristine, but all they have known is difficulty. The widow lost her money, had her hubby taken, and now will she lose her kids too? She prayed for bread, but all she got was a rock. This is the painful mystery of the suffering of the obedient.

Elisha responds with words of refreshment, not blame.

And then Elisha responds, and with such words of refreshment! He doesn’t roll his eyes. He doesn’t brush her off as unimportant. And most significantly, he doesn’t blame her. He doesn’t say,

You are the one who took out the loan. Sorry, but you are reaping what you sowed.

He doesn’t even turn it into a lesson on sin:

Something must be lacking in your faith. This will teach you the importance of budgeting, of financial stewardship. Tell me what you have learned from your mistakes.

No, Elisha does none of this. Rather, without a hint of guilt, he offers to help. He gives her privileged access:

And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? (2 Kings 4:2)

Elisha’s first instinct is not to criticize, judge, or be suspicious. He erupts with charity, generosity, and willingness.

The widow’s faith grants her the privilege of prophetic intercession.

For a prophet who was supposed to bring the sword, this is certainly merciful. The widow has the benefit of prophetic mediation and aid, which was denied Jehoram in the previous chapter.  Elisha told Jehoram, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother” (2 Kings 3:13).

The widow’s faith and devotion to the Lord didn’t shield her from suffering and hardship, but it did grant her the privilege of prophetic intercession.  This is huge! Yet, Elisha’s second question is a bit curious:

“Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” (2 Kings 4:2)

The only thing left in the widow’s cupboard is a jar of oil. She is worse than dirt poor; she is death poor. The flask represents her utter poverty and desperation. Nevertheless, Elisha takes the object of her destitution and turns it into the source of her relief.

Note what Elisha tells the widow:

Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. (2 Kings 4:3)

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