In the Bible, countless stories of faith and miracles inspire and uplift us. One of these stories is that of a woman with a little pot of oil and a lot of faith. Despite the emotional and physical emptiness surrounding her circumstances, she clung to her faith and witnessed a miracle with just a little pot of oil.

Hi, I’m Little Pot. I’m a fruit pot! I’m a vessel in which the Potter grows His fruit. You can read about my story in a book called The Little Pot. But today, I want to share a different story about another little pot. It is the story of a little pot of oil. You can read it in the Bible. (2 Kings 4:1-7). Let’s explore how this small pot of oil represents how your Potter will provide for you.

Join me as we unpack the significance of having extraordinary faith and discover how it can inspire us to overcome our feelings of emptiness. Get ready to “Learn a lot from a Little Pot!”

2 Kings 4: 1-7

A woman from the prophets’ company cried to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband is dead, and you know he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little pot of oil.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her, and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she told her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then, the oil stopped flowing.

She told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

The Historical and Cultural Context of the Story

The story takes place at a time when women had few opportunities to work and make money. If their husband died owing money, their children would have to go to work to pay off their father’s debts. Unfortunately, the children were often kept as slaves after the debt was paid. Therefore, the woman in the story had not only lost her husband, but she was at risk of losing her sons, too.

She was empty emotionally and physically. She had no money, no food, no husband, and was about to be without her children. Consequently, she cried out to the prophet, Elisha.

The Significance of a Little Pot of Oil

Some translations of the text describe the oil as olive oil. Olive Oil was used for many things in the Bible, including anointing kings, priests, and prophets. Likewise, it was used to light oil lamps and for grain offerings. It was also used for making perfume, soaps, and cooking. Needless to say, even a little pot of oil was precious and essential to everyone.

The Symbolism of a Little Pot of Oil

In the Bible, oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon me because He had anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, recover sight to the blind, and set liberty to those who are oppressed. 
Luke 4:18

Likewise, in Acts 10:38, Peter explains that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power to do good and heal all oppressed by the devil. Because anointing is done with oil, we can connect the Holy Spirit to oil in this verse. Additionally, Peter describes the anointing as “with power.” We receive the power of the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Other references to oil and the Holy Spirit can be found here.

Applying Lessons from The Little Pot of Oil

The woman was empty emotionally and physically. She had nothing except a little pot of oil. You may feel empty, too. Perhaps you recently lost a loved one, a job, or a friend. Maybe you think that you have too little to share. Just as the woman had a little pot of oil, you have the Holy Spirit. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit has taken residence in your life. We can quench the Spirit but never run out of Him. He is there, ready to be our helper.

Elijah asked the woman to do the impossible. She was to pour the oil from the little pot and fill all the jars her sons could gather. A little pot of oil could not fill one jar, much less all the jars in the town. Yet somehow, the oil just kept coming. This principle is true when we apply it to how we give to others. If we are willing to pour out a little Holy Spirit to others, we become little oil pots, always full and never empty!

The Bible talks about gifts of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit. The gifts, talents, love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness are all things that we can share with others. Even if you feel empty, dig deep and give away what little you have in you. When you do, you’ll find that you never run dry. If you want to explore more, Read The Little Pot of Oil, by Jill Briscoe.

More Lessons from Other Vessels

If you want to learn even more biblical truths from pots, join me, Tea Pot, Oil Lamp, and Small Jar. Our stories are available as picture books on Amazon and in our store. If you type in your first name and email, I will also send a “Fruitful Friday” email each week. My tips, experiences, and advice about growing fruit for the Potter are all yours! And you’ll be the first to hear about amazing sales and FREE books from DawnStephensBooks.com.