Topical Bible: Oil: Miraculous Increase of

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The miraculous increase of oil is a significant theme in the Bible, illustrating God's provision and power in times of need. This phenomenon is prominently featured in two key narratives within the Old Testament, both of which highlight God's intervention through His prophets to provide for His people.

1. The Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16):
The first account of miraculous oil increase occurs during the ministry of the prophet Elijah. Amidst a severe drought and famine, God instructs Elijah to go to Zarephath, where he encounters a widow gathering sticks. Elijah requests water and a piece of bread, but the widow responds that she only has a handful of flour and a little oil, enough for a final meal for her and her son before they perish. Elijah assures her, saying, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son" (1 Kings 17:13). He promises that the flour and oil will not run out until the Lord sends rain upon the land. The widow obeys, and as promised, "the jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word of the LORD spoken through Elijah" (1 Kings 17:16).

2. The Widow's Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7):
Another notable instance is found in the ministry of the prophet Elisha. A widow of a prophet cries out to Elisha, explaining that her husband has died and a creditor is coming to take her two sons as slaves. Elisha asks her what she has in her house, to which she replies, "Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil" (2 Kings 4:2). Elisha instructs her to borrow empty vessels from her neighbors and pour the oil into all the vessels. She does so, and the oil miraculously continues to flow until all the vessels are filled. Elisha then tells her to sell the oil, pay her debts, and live on the remainder. This miracle not only provides for her immediate financial need but also secures her family's future.

These accounts of miraculous oil increase serve as powerful testimonies of God's provision and faithfulness. They demonstrate that God is attentive to the needs of His people and is capable of providing abundantly, even in seemingly impossible situations. The increase of oil symbolizes the inexhaustible nature of God's grace and mercy, reminding believers of His ability to sustain and bless those who trust in Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 4:2-6
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? tell me, what have you in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Gradual Healing of the Blind Man
... by the man's faith, and was meant to increase it. ... their faith and the exercise of
His miraculous power, but ... story, we stop bringing vessels, the oil will stop ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the gradual healing of the.htm

Sanctification
... Knowledge is said to increase, and faith to increase. ... First God anoints us with the
holy oil of his ... does that in a spiritual sense which miraculous faith does ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/5 sanctification.htm

A Prophet's Strange Providers
... not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according ... seldom gives"a previous assurance
of miraculous provision, which ... not be rewarded with the increase of them ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a prophets strange providers.htm

Grieving the Spirit
... only an influence, a wind, a fire, an oil, a dove ... of healing, nor any other of these
miraculous and extraordinary ... whether we use it, and fructify and increase it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/grieving the spirit.htm

The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the ...
... only thing which some men have seen in the miraculous working of ... [3340] [3341] To
increase this precaution ... had been poured into a vessel full of oil, by which ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxi the cavils of.htm

The Marriage of Cana
... life, seen some instances of his miraculous power, "saith ... also turned water into
wine, to increase that indulgence ... with the poor woman, whose oil increased, to ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the marriage of cana.htm

Of the Five Sacraments, Falsely So Called. Their Spuriousness ...
... and see how many monsters this greasy oil fosters and ... for righteousness, and in
confirmation, for increase of grace ... of the Spirit by which miraculous power and ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 19 of the five.htm

Epilogue: a victim of Divine Love
... cannot penetrate to any depth, but, like oil on the ... sister Marie, the witness of
her miraculous cure as ... I believe that she will greatly increase the splendour ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/therese/story of a soul/epilogue a victim of divine.htm

The Third Kingdom
... The oil of joy for mourning,. ... on grosser material, the phenomena are exceptional,
unintelligible, and miraculous. ... decrease in grossness as they increase in power ...
/.../berkhof/new evangelism and other papers/the third kingdom.htm

Philip the Evangelist
... all that they did was to spill the oil, and it ... the devout heart, between what is
called miraculous and what is ... He too might have said, 'He must increase, but I ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/philip the evangelist.htm