PopEYE, Olive, and a Widows Oil

According to the sages and Josephus, Obadiah was given the gift of prophecy due to his care of the prophets. His wife, after his death, was left with nothing. Obadiah had spent all his money and borrowed money from King Ahab to feed God’s mouthpieces. 100 prophets he had hidden in caves by 50. It is a common knowledge that this creditor was Jehoram the son of Ahab. Jehoram ends up assassinated by Jehu. His body ends up in the field of Naboth.

Obadiah’s wife is the widow who needs oil in 2 Kings 4.

“Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha saying, “Your servant my husband is dead—you know that your servant feared Adonai. Now the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”

 “What should I do for you?” Elisha asked her. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

She replied, “Your handmaid has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”

II Kings 4:1-2, TLV

“The Mosaic law gave a creditor the right to claim the person and children of a debtor who was unable to pay, and they were obliged to serve him as slaves till the year of jubilee, when they were once more set free (Leviticus 25:39-40)”

The word used here is not a pot but a flask:  Hebrew 610. אָסוּך (asuk) — a flask (Aw-sook)

אָסוךְ noun [masculine] flask (for pouring, anointing)

 She is instructed to borrow vessels, and when she begins filling them, she overflows with OIL! She has a flask of oil. This is anointing oil. She refers to herself as a handmaiden. We are in the season, according to Joel chapter 2, of the handmaidens:

And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Even on My menservants and maidservants,

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

This does not mean that the handmaidens do not need a husband or lack desire for a husband to prophecy/teach or support her. They certainly do! The prophetess Deborah desired her husband to fight the battle and take the victory, but at the end of the day, a handmaiden drives a tent peg into the head of the enemy. 

Spiritually, we, too, drive our tent peg into the head of our enemies, which is the Word of Yah. Think David and 5 smooth stones.

In the story she is told, “Borrow from your neighbors.”  We need each other prophets! It’s time to prepare for the days of Elijah/Elisha. 

 Elisha instructs her to, “Go borrow for yourself vessels from all your neighbors—empty jars—not just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and behind your sons, and pour into all those vessels, setting aside what is full.” Who was bringing the vessels to her? Her sons! “They kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” And what are her instructions? Take the empty vessels of those around her and fill them from her flask, her anointing oil!

We must become empty to be filled. Becoming empty usually happens after a hard season. That season may last years. Also, the time of this writing concerning Obadiah’s widow is famine, drought, war and lack. The woman fears bondage for her sons, but they are hidden in her home, and the door is shut and secured for them. Psalm 50:15 “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Notice, the prophet does not tell her he will borrow vessels for her. He gives her instructions that she follows just as Elijah gave a man with leprosy instructions to dip 7 times. As long as the widow had empty vessels, she could fill them. I believe this is a story to encourage God’s handmaidens, those who are widows, and those who are living in poverty. This can be spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. The wicked ruler will take her sons, but the son of the free woman cant be taken.

In this lesson, I will refer to the prophet as PopEYE. Popeye was a sailor man. What is a sailor? A sea (SEE) man. A person who navigates a ship or other vessel at sea.

When a prophet enters a room, enters a meeting, or scrolls through social media, their eye will pop. When false doctrines, pride, arrogance, unbalanced teachings, fables, bondage, witchcraft, etc., are found, the eye of the prophet sees it. At times, the prophet brings correction. This does not mean the prophet is wiser than the teachers or other leadership or that they know all. But the prophet was built to bring words that stir the heart to repentance and therefore is often hated for corrections by those who cover their ears and pick up stones.

The Body of Messiah still has prophets, and they have POP Eyes. Olive Oyl (Oil) is reminiscent of the feminine form of the Holy Spirit. Olives are crushed, pressed, and poured out. As many are doing introspection, this is the life of a prophet. It is ongoing. One cannot bring a word to people or make corrections unless they are crushed. John had much time in the wilderness preparing for his assignment. 

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?8Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.

A reed shaken by the wind, is persuaded to believe one thing today and another tomorrow. A person who goes with the crowd, the elect, and speaks out of both sides of their mouth. 

Who wears fine clothing? The wealthy elite. 

Jesus/ Yeshua did not get John out of jail. He did not start a political campaign against King Herod or try to overthrow the Romans. He did not save John from beheading. 

The prophets are built for beheadings. Dungeons. Pits. Mocking. Prisons. Stoning. 

They cry out from under the altar:

 And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”

Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.

(Revelation 6:9-11)

This is the prophet’s voice. 

Genesis 4:10 (the murder of Abel) with Revelation 6:10

 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.”

“Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. (Luke 11:49-51, NKJ).

PopEye needs “spinach” to defeat Brutus, who was first called Bluto (heavy) and then became Brutus. A real brute. He mocks Popeye and tries to take the oil from him. We need the Word ( spinach). Spinach is connected to the Latin word spine. Prophets are not spineless. Olive oil, spelled Oyl, and Popeye are characters created by a Jewish man named Elzir Crisler Segar in 1919. 

Elzie originated as a short form of Eliezer ( God is my help). The Crisler name means a potter. Segar, Hebrew “to shut,” as in shut the mouth of the lions. 

I’m feeling more and more that it is the season for the prophets to come forth from their caves. During the famine of Elijah’s day, wicked Jezebel slaughtered the prophets who spoke the oracles from the throne room. Obadiah was hiding them and feeding them bread and water. Prophets need men like Obadiah.

Fast-forward to Elisha’s day and the prophets are not hiding; they are actually multiplying. They must move and enlarge their tent pegs and continue the School or gild of the prophets. Notice, they also need a school to gather at. We see the School of the Prophets still flourishing in the Book of Acts.

“Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” 

“Go,” said Elisha. Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” 

“I will come,” he replied.

(II kings 6:1-3)

The prophets still need the Obadiahs and the Shunamite women. These people care for the prophets, intercede, make a room and a place of rest for the prophet, feed the prophet, and, at times, have musical gifting because the first thing the prophets asked for when needing direction from the Lord was MUSIC. 

Could you bring me a minstrel?  “But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha” (II Kings 3:15).

For years, I have felt a very strong mandate to mentor young and old prophets and those who are prophets but do not know their identities. 

When I say mentor prophets, I’m not speaking of age.

Amos declared he wasn’t a prophet, but the Father called him. This is where my name comes from; Amos resided in the city or region of Tekoa. 

When the Father gave me the name, I had no idea it meant trumpet in Hebrew, that it was the home of Amos, or that I was given the role in the body as a prophet. Maybe you are right where I was? Struggling with your identity. Not fitting in.  

The prophets’ need to prepare. Darkness is here. The darkness is gradually getting darker. This is when the prophets are at their best!  Naphtali’s vision is keen, like a deer at night. This is what you prophets were built for, darkness. Light shines brighter in darkness. Go borrow vessels, not a few.  

The PopEye is a Seer. “ And the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.”

The prophet has big ears: When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?” (I Samuel 15:13-14)

Enter a building, a home, and the prophet will see things in paintings, wallpaper, nature, a headline, a street sign, a license plate, etc. 

The prophet has keen eyesight, earsight, and sensory enhancement! 

As the earth heats up and darkness becomes thick, we must pray for the prophets. The very one sent to announce Yeshua, had his head cut off by the sword. His head paraded on a platter. And a child is persuaded by her mother to request such evil. Our children are being persuaded by the spirit of Ahab and Jezebel we have tolerated on our LAND!  Only a harlot would demand the head of the prophet. But the prophet John had already completed his assignment. He announced the Lamb of Yahweh, who takes away the sins of the world and was there as a witness to the Mikva/ baptism and the Ruach Holy Spirit. 

His headship, as the one like Elijah, a voice crying out in the wilderness “repent for the kingdom of heaven, is at hand indeed,” Silver ( redemption) platter. 

In every generation since the first family, prophets have been with us. They are in your gatherings, your classes, and your groups on social media. Sometimes, they are in their caves or sitting alone by a brook, listening, refueling, and preparing for their next assignment until they hand the torch over.

Do you know any prophets? Do you feel as if you might be called to this role? It’s okay to say it. Titles are something we find throughout the Book of Acts. We learn who is the teacher, evangelist, apostle, prophet, and disciples. Once we know who we are and what we were created to do, we can get busy doing it.

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