Elisha and the Widow’s Oil - Bible Lessons for Kids
The story of Elisha and the Jars of Oil beautifully shows how God provides for our needs, making it a valuable and encouraging Bible lesson to teach children. Teaching this story can be both fun and impactful with the right tools! There are many creative ideas to help children understand and remember the story, including hands-on crafts and activities, and printable lesson plans that are perfect for Sunday school, homeschool, or faith-based schools. These engaging resources will help bring the story to life and encourage kids to trust God's faithfulness.
WHO WAS ELISHA?
Elisha was a prophet of God in the Old Testament who followed and learned from Elijah. After Elijah was taken to heaven, Elisha became the next prophet and performed many miracles through God’s power. Elisha’s life shows how God uses faithful people to do amazing things and help others.
THE STORY of the widow’s jars of oil
The story of Elisha and the Jars of Oil can be found in 2 Kings 4:1-7. A widow approached Elisha and told him that her husband’s creditors were coming to take her two sons as slaves. Elisha asked what she had, and she replied that she only had a small jar of oil.
Elisha instructed her to gather as many empty jars as she could from her neighbors, then go home, shut the door, and pour oil into all the jars.
She did exactly as Elisha said; miraculously, the oil from her small jar filled every container. When there were no jars left, the oil stopped flowing. Elisha told her to sell the oil, pay her debts, and live on what was left.
Elisha and the Jars of Oil - Bible Lessons for Kids
Are you looking for a simple way to teach the story of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal? Our scripted lesson plans, discussion questions, and printable crafts are perfect for children aged 3 to 8.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT ELISHA AND THE JARS OF OIL
In Bible times, it was common for people to become slaves or for their children to become slaves until a debt could be paid back. So, the two sons in this story were to become slaves to pay back their father’s debt.
Oil was important in Bible times. It was used in cooking and to make bread. It was also used as a medicine to help an upset stomach and to heal wounds. People burned it in lamps and used it to make perfumes. Oil had many uses, so the widow would have been able to sell it to pay for all the debts!
OIL RESIST JAR CRAFT FOR OLDER KIDS
Check out Elisha and the Jars of Oil for Older Kids for a simple yet fun craft. In this craft, kids will use a light-colored oil pastel to draw shapes, patterns, and designs on a template picture of a jar. Once they are happy with their designs, they will use watercolor paints to paint over them.
The oil pastel will resist the paint, and the pastel color will pop. This creates a beautiful effect that makes each jar look unique and vibrant. It’s a great way to reinforce the Bible story while letting kids express their creativity.
“WE CAN SEEK GOD FOR HELP” CRAFT FOR YOUNGER KIDS
While learning about the story of Elisha and the Jars of Oil, it’s important to help kids make the connection that God will help them, too. God is always with us, and we can seek God for help. Discuss things God can help us with. For example, He can bring peace when we feel anxious, make us brave, etc.
After brainstorming, kids can draw pictures of things discussed in a jar template in Elisha and the Jars of Oil for Preschool. They could also simply decorate the jars to remind us that we can seek God's help.
OTHER ACTIVITIES TO TEACH ABOUT ELISHA AND THE JARS OF OIL
Make Clay Jars: Use air-drying clay and challenge kids to make unique jars. Teach kids how to mold the clay and give them creative license to design!
Find the Jars: Print out pictures of jars (or get small jars from the Dollar Store). Then hide them around the room. Challenge kids to find as many jars as possible, just like the widow in the story had to gather them.
Sensory Bin: Gather measuring cups, colored water, jars, plastic bins, and funnels. Let kids fill the jars and cups to the brim. Help kids connect this activity to the story.
Water Relay Race: Create a simple relay race where kids race to pour water from a smaller container into a larger one! This will excite kids about filling containers, like the widow filled containers with oil. For more water relay ideas, check out The Barefoot Mom.
WANT TO CONTINUE LEARNING ABOUT OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, KINGS, AND QUEENS?
This lesson is part of an eight-week series on Old Testament Prophets, Kings, and Queens. The other stories include Elijah and the Prophets of Baal, Naaman is Healed, Esther the Brave Queen, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Joshua and Jericho, David and Goliath, and Jonah.
These lessons are also included in the 52-week Bible curriculum for little kids in preschool/kindergarten and bigger kids in first, second, and third grades.
The story of Elisha and the Jars of Oil is an excellent reminder of God’s faithfulness and the importance of obedience. Many crafts and activities help make this story come to life, whether at home, in Sunday School, or in a faith-based school.