EXPOSITION:
According to the Hebrew law, a creditor could take the debtor and his children as servants, but he was not to treat them like slaves (Leviticus 25:29-31). It would be heartbreaking for this woman to lose her husband to death and her two sons to servitude. This widow was very obedient to the voice of the prophet Elisha which instructed her to go and borrow vessels from her neighbours. God often begins with what we already have. Moses had a rod in his hand, and God used that to accomplish great things (Exodus 4:2). Peter and his partners had fishing nets in their hands (Luke 5), and the lad had a few loaves and fishes (John 6). From the passage, all that the poor widow had was a little oil in a vessel; but know this, ‘little is much when God is in it’.
Most of her neighbours would have unused empty vessels with them, so she wasn’t robbing anybody by borrowing them, and once she had sold the oil, she could return the vessels. The Lord would not always perform miracles of this kind to help us pay our debts, but He does meet our needs if we trust and obey. If we give everything to Him, He can make a little go a long way. Remember when she sold the oil she had enough money to pay off the debt and to sustain herself and her two sons. This miracle should remind us of the greatest miracle of all, the gracious forgiveness of our debts to the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ (Luke 7:36).
CRITICAL QUESTION:
What do you also have in your hand today that could change your fortunes for good? Remember you have a heart that could trust and obey the voice of Jesus in this era of doubts and fears. Whatever little you have in your hands, with God it is much so keep on keeping on with your obedience and see your ‘debts’ in all shapes and forms being cancelled.