There's a widow of a prophet, one that may have worked with or for Elisha but don't quote me on that. Either way the widow says that her husband revered the Lord. The widow comes to him and says that her husband is dead and that they have no money to pay their debts. Because of this the creditor is coming and he's going to take her two boys and sell them into slavery. She's obviously devastated and desperate.
The simple answer would have been to just give her some money. Maybe Elisha didn't have money to give her. His first question is "How can I help you?" My first thought would probably be to say I don't know you're the prophet you figure it out! Either that or throw a good old fashioned (pun intended) Biblical fundraiser but God had other ideas how to take care of His servants.
Elisha next asked her what she had in her house and she replied there was nothing except for "a small jar of olive oil". It's funny but the way I read it is almost as an after thought. 'I've got nothing! Well I do have a little bit of oil but come on Elisha! What's that going to do?' Maybe she wasn't quite as skeptical as me though because here's what happened next.
Elisha told her to go around and ask all the neighbors for empty jars, not just a few so I'm guessing she was supposed to ask for as many as she could find. Then he told her "go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each one is filled, put it to one side." Now I have no idea what she was thinking but she followed the instructions.
The Bible tells us that she and her sons collected the jars and the oil continued flowing until all the jars had been filled! Afterwards Elisha told her to sell the oil, pay off the debts and there would be enough left over for her and her sons to live off of.
There's several good points in this story, all revolving around faith, but the one that Grandpa pointed out that I can see in his life and his kid's lives? Teaching faith. See when Elisha gave the widow instructions for the miracle that was about to take place he told her to take her sons with her and shut the door. Why? I mean sure, maybe they were the ones who moved the jars but she could've left the jars where they were and moved over to fill each one on her own just as easily. No, the reason, although not spelled out in the Bible for us, I believe is to illustrate the importance of teaching children faith.
The Bible gives us lots of instructions about teaching children faith and this is one more. Those boys witnessing that miracle, that's something that would be very hard to ever forget. From God's provision to their mother's belief to the oil not stopping it would've left it's mark.
In the same way I know that my grandparents lived by faith and they taught their five girls to do the same. All five of them have also lived lives of faith and worked to teach their children to do that also. This is why it's so important to let your children see your struggles and your answered prayers. It's teaching them faith.
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