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Name:
Date: April 1, 2020
Section: BIBL 104
Studying the Old Testament Narratives
Passage: 2 Kings 4:1-7
Instructions:
For this assignment, you will be studying the Old Testament story of Elisha and the Widow’s Oil
found in 2 Kings 4:1-7. You will use the template below in order to complete a study of this
passage. In your study, you will use the skills of Observation, Interpretation, Correlation, and
Application that you have become familiar with through your reading in Everyday Bible Study.
I. Observation
A. I have read 2 Kings 4:1-7 in both a formal translation (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, or CSB)
and a functional translation (NIV, NLT, or NCV). Highlight the correct answer. You will
find a copy of the NASB, ESV, CSB, and NLT in your myWSB Library.
o Yes
o No
B. Identify the basic elements of the story you are studying
1. Main characters: (List them)
Elisha, Widow, Creditor, Son #1, Son #2
2. Plot: (50-100 words)
Elisha is approached by the widow of his servant who passed away. She explained that she has
unpaid debts owed to a creditor who intends to take her two sons as slaves. She has no money
but has a jar of oil in the house. Elisha provides her with specific instructions to follow and in
turn, not only is she able to pay off the debt to the creditor but has an overflow for her and her
sons to sell and continue to live their lives free of debt.
3. Narrative structure: (50-100 words)
Introduction: A widowed maidservant’s husband died and was left with a debt she couldn’t pay.
Inciting Incident: She sought help from Elisha because her husband worked for him. He asks her
what she had in her house and all she had was a jar of oil.
Climax: He instructed her to borrow vessels from all of her neighbors in the area and not just a
few.
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Falling Action: Her and her sons filled the vessels until there were no more to fill.
Resolution: The debt was paid and there was more left to sell and live on the rest of their lives.
C. List basic observations about this passage using the “Key Question” for observation.
1. Who:
•
Elisha
•
Widow
•
Creditor
•
Son #1
•
Son #2
2. What:
A maidservant’s husband feared the Lord and by doing so, he chose to serve the prophet, Elisha.
When he passed away, there was a remaining balance on a debt owed to a creditor. The widow
now has the responsibility of clearing the debt or else the creditor will take her sons as slaves.
The maidservant presents this issue to Elisha in search of assistance because she had no money.
After asking her what she had in her house, and discovering that she had some oil in a jar, he told
her to borrow vessels from all of her neighbors in the surrounding area. He then instructed her to
pour oil into each vessel until they were full. Because she was obedient, she was able to pay the
creditor and have excess to sell and live on.
3. Where:
•
Israel
•
The widow’s home
4. When:
•
After the maidservant’s husband passed away.
•
Around 550 B.C.
5. Why:
Why was the widow in debt after the servant died?
Why did the widow go to Elisha for help?
Why did Elisha ask the widow to borrow vessels from her neighbors?
6. How:
How did the maidservant end up with an overflow of oil from the original small jar?
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How did the widow get the vessels?
How was Elisha able to fill so many vessels with the limited amount of oil the widow had in her
house?
II. Interpretation
A. Determine the author’s main point. In 1-2 paragraphs (100-400 words) explain what you think
the author is trying to communicate in this passage. Remember, the Old Testament narratives
frequently communicate truth by showing it to us in story form instead of telling it to us by way
of teaching or sermon.
In this story, the point the author was trying to make is that, when you have faith and cast your
cares on God, He will provide all of your needs. Like most Christian’s, the widow and her
husband were both good and faithful people, however, there will be trials and tribulations we will
experience in our lives. In the widow's case, it came in the form of an unpaid debt. Bad things
may happen to us in our lives, but if we are obedient and look to God as our source and not just a
resource, things will always work out to our benefit. If we maintain our faith in God, we will
even be blessed with more than we need.
B. Based on your answer above, write out one principle from this passage. You should be able to
express this principle in 1-3 sentences.
If we have faith in God and allow him to have control of our lives in all situations, (not just the
bad ones), He will supernaturally manifest His works in our lives.
We have to be willing to do our part and must develop a sense of accountability before asking for
help.
By trusting God and having faith in His word, we will be able to accomplish more than we ever
thought conceivable in our natural minds.
III. Correlation
A. How does this Old Testament narrative fit within the metanarrative of the Bible? State what
type of story you believe this to be (creation, fall, redemption, or new creation) and explain why
you believe this to be so. Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
The story of The Widow’s Oil fits in the “Redemption” theme of the metanarrative of the Bible.
The maidservant lost her husband due to his passing, inherited his debt and to top it all off, she
was poor. At the end of this story, God shows His works through the prophet, Elisha and not only
provides payment for the creditor but also an overflow for her and her sons to live on. This
shows that God cares for us all as individuals. If we show God that we can continue believing in
Him, even in the most adverse He will keep His word to us and provide our needs. God’s plan all
along was to rescue, redeem and restore, what was lost in the fall of humanity, when Adam and
Eve chose to disobey Him.
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B. How does your principle fit with the rest of the Scripture? This principle is the one you have
written out in 1-3 sentences in the Interpretation section. If your principle is a true Biblical
principle it will be reflected throughout the Scriptures. Where is the principle discovered in this
Old Testament narrative found elsewhere in the Scriptures? Your explanation should be 1
paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
There are many examples of the principle of faith highlighted in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings
17:8-24, the prophet, Elijah (Elisha’s mentor) helped a widow in the town of Zarephath. Even
though she had very little food to give when he asked, she was still obedient and had faith that
God would provide for her, so she gave him what he requested. The reward for her obedience
and faith in God was an abundance of flour and oil which lasted her and her family until the
rainy season came for crops. In the book of Job, you read of his many riches and the lavish
lifestyle he was blessed to live. The bible also says that in Job 1:1 "He was a truly good person,
who respected God and refused to do evil." God allowed Satan to test him and Job lost
everything in the process. When his wife and friends tried to encourage him to stop trusting God,
he remained faithful and obedient to God. In the end, he was blessed with more than he had
before. The word faith is used over 300 times in the King James Version of the bible. Having
faith comes with many rewards to those who are faithful to those who keep Him first, as
Deuteronomy 7:9 tells us. "Know therefore that the Lord thy God is God, the faithful God, which
keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him."
C. How does this Old Testament narrative reflect the person and work of Jesus Christ? State and
explain at least one way that the principle of this narrative can be identified in the person and
work of Jesus Christ. Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
During his life, Jesus performed many miracles. People were able to bear witness to the power of
God through his many works. In Matthew 17:20, the bible says “And Jesus said unto them,
Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing
shall be impossible unto you”. At times it could be easy to lose faith, especially when things
seem impossible and it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to avoid our
instinct to give in to fear instead of letting our faith kick into overdrive. We can achieve this by
having the kind of faith described in Matthew 18, the faith of a child. The story of the Widow's
Oil teaches us that having faith in God in all things will benefit those who believe. Jesus had
faith in God when he gave his life for our sins. In Mark 10:33-34, it shows his belief that he
would be resurrected after being put to death.
IV. Application
What points of application can be made using the Four Questions for Application? State and
explain 1 point of application for each of these four questions. Your explanation for each of
these points should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
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A. The question of duty
In Deuteronomy 14:29 it reads, “And the Levite because he has no portion or inheritance with
you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and
eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you
do.” Elisha knew that he had an obligation to help the widow in her time of need. The bible
instructs us to care for those who have been widowed, orphaned and are poor. Psalm 82:3 says
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
God wants us to care for the widowed, orphaned, and unfortunate, so it is one of our duties as
Christians. There are approximately 76 verses that address widows in the bible. Psalm 68:5 says,
“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation.”
B. The question of character
The widowed servant woman gives us an idea of the kind of character we should all strive to
achieve. A person with “good character” acts, thinks, and feels in a way that matches some
commonly accepted “good” traits, like being honest, respectful, responsible, caring, and
fair. https://talkingtreebooks.com/definition/what-is-character-definition.html. Even in her time
of grief, she still had faith in God. She did not allow the death of her husband to make her forget
her responsibilities to her two sons. She took responsibility for the debt she inherited due to her
husband's death. She sought out Elisha and trusted that God would provide through him.
C. The question of goals
I think the goal of this narrative is to teach us about faith and trusting in God. It also illustrates
deliverance. As Christians, we need to develop a willingness to seek God in all things. We must
make every effort to do our part, even when we ask God to provide a need for us. We shouldn't
just ask for something and then sit and wait. An important part of showing faith by trusting in
God is to exercise our faith as well. When Elisha asked the widow what she had in the house and
her response was "just a jar of oil", he had faith that God would work through him and provide
all that she needed. Why else would he tell her to borrow all the vessels she could find from her
neighbors in the surrounding area, knowing that the jar was much smaller than the many vessels
he asked for? This was a great example of exercising faith. The widow also exercised her faith
by not questioning Elisha and just executing his instructions. Because of her obedience, she was
greatly rewarded.
D. The question of discernment
I believe the widow was spiritually led to seek help from the prophet Elisha. She knew he was a
man of God and he would do what he could to help her. I feel she had the discernment to follow
his instructions without the need to question or judge his request. The story shows the widow
understood her role as a believer and had faith in the God she served. Hebrews 11:1 says "Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." She had the
discernment to know that God would provide for her, even if she couldn't see her way out of the
situation.
