Last week, I received a sudden email from one of my mentor’s mailing list. She spoke about organizing an event enabling believers to encounter the glory realm through worship. She highlighted that there are breakthroughs that will be birthed in this season.
Two things struck me when I read that mail, one of them is "Increased capacity". Last week, I recall mentioning that the prophetic and supernatural experiences are not gifts for a select few but for as many believer that desire them. I strongly believe that the email from my mentor is a confirmation of this word.
In the previous mail, I mentioned that I was going to do a comparison between the story involving oil and the widow during the time of Elijah and that of Elisha.
I discern that this is a timely study and I am sure you will be blessed from it.
The story of Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath can be found in 1 Kings 17:7-16. As a background story Elijah declared famine in the land and God was using Ravens to feed Elijah and he drank from a brook. One day, the brook dried up (imagine how much water Elijah drank and how hot the weather was, well he sure drank a lot of water). God instructed Elijah to go to Zarephath where he had instructed a widow to feed Elijah. The widow fed him with the last jar of flour and jar of oil. The flour and oil sustained the widow and her son until the famine ended.
The encounter with Elisha and the Widow can be found in 2 Kings 4. The context in the preceding chapter is not closely linked to this story. However, we see that the widow was the wife of a prophet with two sons. Her husband owed some money before he died and she was afraid that the man her husband was indebted to would come to take her sons away. All she had at home was a jar of oil. Elisha instructed her to borrow jars from her neighbors, close her door with her sons and pour the jar of oil in the jars she had borrowed until they were filled. Next, he asked her to sell them and pay what she owed. The ending of the story shows that she made enough money to sustain her and her two sons for their lifetime (assuming they lived long and factoring an annual inflation rate of 10% annually).
Phew! Two beautiful stories. I am sure some details are already standing out to you. Regardless, I will highlight them.
From the first story we see the following;
1. There was famine as prophesied by Elijah.
2. God instructed him to visit a widow.
3. The widow was unaware that God instructed her to feed Elijah
4. The widow had a son.
5. She obeyed the instruction of the prophet and had enough till the famine ended.
6. In verse 1 of 1 Kings 17, we see that Elijah prophesied famine for three (3)years. God fed him for a while and the widow fed him for a while so we can assume that the flour and oil lasted between 1-3 years without spoiling or finishing.
Before looking at the review of the second story it is important to highlight that Elisha had received a double portion of the mantle that was on Elijah. This means he was expected to do twice as much as Elijah did.
From the second story;
1. The widow was the wife of a prophet.
2. The widow had two sons.
3. There wasn't necessarily famine in the land but she was broke.
4. She had only a jar of oil at home.
5. She obeyed the instructions given to her.
6. The miracle of multiplying the oil did not make her debt disappear, she had to sell the oil.
7. The profit from the sales was enough to feed her and her sons for their lifetime.
Two beautiful stories!. Buy jars! can mean many things; buy wisdom, increased capacity, bold beginnings, a new thing and whatever the Lord explains it as to you. For the context of the season that we are in, I will still focus on the story of the Widow and Elisha. I will continue by breaking down the instructions he gave her.
1. Borrow jars from your neighbors
2. Bring the jars indoors and close the doors with your sons
3. Pour the oil into the jars and fill them
4. Giving feedback to the prophet and next instructions (sell the oil, pay what you owe and live on the rest).
I strongly believe that this story is timely because it explains the situation with which most people are entering the third quarter of the year. Her husband owed a lot that two of her sons would have to be taken as slaves to work for the debtor. For context, Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver so her husband owed more then 40 pieces of silver which was a lot of money. The most important part of this story is her faith and obedience in believing and acting timely on the instructions of the prophet (I spoke on the importance of faith and obedience in 2024).
1. Borrow Jars from your neighbors
Have you seen a child holding maybe a 10 Naira note and you ask them to give you that note in return for 5, 10 Naira notes but they refuse to let go of their 10 Naira note? This is exactly how some of us are.
To receive something you need to drop what you are holding!
This particular instruction can mean different things to different people, for example; it could imply asking for help from neighbors or from the helper (The Holy Spirit). For the woman to get a sizeable number of jars it means she has a community, a support system of people that loved her, cared for her and supported her. It also meant she had a good reputation of borrowing and returning or helping.
Borrowing jars means to build capacity, enough to contain the blessing that is coming. The capacity that is built determines the size of the blessing that will be received. This means building spiritual capacity and physical capacity, letting go of the skills known and competencies learnt to build and learn the unknown. Prophet Tomi describes it as "being an amateur in the new rather than a professional in the old", motivational speakers will say “having an open mindset as opposed to having a fixed mindset".
2. Bring the jars indoors and close the doors with your sons
Contrary to the opinion of shining bright like a torch light or blowing your trumpet, the next instruction here says "hide, guard and carefully steward the jars that you have borrowed". "Tolu, ah I don't like this message" Be patient! we will get to publicity but it is not the next step.
When you have a diamond you hide it until you are ready to trade it for a greater value!
That is exactly what this is saying. Why, you may ask? This is because empty pots are fragile and easy to break. You don't want someone to destroy the capacity you are building or discourage you from the skill and competencies that you are developing.
3. Pour the oil in the jars and fill them
If you know oil well, especially olive oil it is better when fresh. So how does the woman pour the remaining oil to fill the jars. She doesn't!
Capacity is built until the old oil become new oil and over overflows from the small jar into the new jar.
"Pour the oil" is a proverb not an instruction. This means develop enough capacity, skill, and competence until you can pour into other people. Yup, that’s right people are vessels, jars are people in this context.
4. Giving feedback to the prophet and next instructions (sell the oil, pay what you owe and live on the rest).
Now you have poured into people, or filled the vessels that you borrowed with the new capacity that has been built you can sell the oil. There is a subtle instruction here give and sell or give before selling.
Market (to sell means to market or give in exchange of money, MARKET!) the new skill, competence, behavioral change, settle debt and live debt-free forever. This is so profound, instructive and strategic because what it is actually saying is "sell the old and new oil together in a way that the new overshadows the old oil and the oil doesn’t look old or smell stale".
This is a call, to act, do and pivot. We are in such a beautiful Kairos moment that will forever be significant in your life if you act now. If you were looking for a cue to pivot this is it. I am certain that this letter means different things to different people. I know it has been eye-opening, enlightening and significantly instructive in ways you didn't even know was possible.
This is what God is doing in this season and more than pivoting in a way that creates significant wealth that can last you a lifetime, he is calling you to partner with him and buy wisdom.
This is also an encouragement, instruction, warning and call to buy the right jar for the capacity that you need to build.
It is foolishness to store oil in a basket and stupidity to preserve damp crayfish in a jar!
Stay prayed up and discerning till I write to you next!
D Oracle!