The Book of Second kings

Chapter 4c

[38] And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

The Unfailing Provisions of God 2 Kings 4:38-44

1) Dearth in the Land (Vs 38)

Famine in the land for bread - Israel is living in idolatry and God promised famine Dt 28:15, 23,24

Elisha has come to Gilgal, where there was a school for the sons of the prophets where was a famine

Todays Famine is not for preaching but for hearing Amos 8:11- Is the world hungry?

Fellowship - Make preparations to set a supper

[39] And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

2) Deception (Vs 39)

One man (maybe a preacher) went out into the field to gather herbs

His intentions were good

He found a wild vine and gathered wild gourds from it

Wild cucumber, that if enough is taken in it could kill a person (colic, nerves affected)

Harmless in appearance- yet they were pleasant to the eye

Safe in appearance thus He gathered a lap full

He shred the gourds into the pottage and no one knew what he put in

Maybe someone saw him, but thought nothing of it ...What you don’t know can kill you

[40] So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

3) Death in the Pot (Vs 40)

All men began to eat of the pottage

They cried out “O thou man of God, there is death in the pot”

Bad taste & Sour stomach

1 ingredient, harmless in appearance, damaged the whole pot *a little leaven leaveneth the whole

1 error, 1 fatal quality, 1 sad mistake, led to the sickness of many

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” Pr14:12

The church has death in the pot and has No fellowship, love, joy, Power, peace of God

Wild vine of compromise- Poisonous Ideas into the Pot (If it feels good do it)

Bible alterations, worldly music,impurity-- gambling, porn, drugs, cussing (Pr 23:29-Hab2:15alcohol)

False Doctrines Allowing baptism for salvation

Allowing women as deacons, even in ministry (Must be the husband of one wife)

Allowing abortion - Hitler killed 6 million Jews yet America has murdered 46 million babies

Allowing Homosexual Gay Marriage Rom 1:27

Prayer out of our schools

[41] But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

4) Deliverance (Vs 41)

A. Effort demanded

The man of God said “bring meal”

Meal is representative of Jesus as “He is the bread of life”

Remember The meal barrel that wasted not 1K 17:14 - It also represents the Word of God

The man of God cast the meal into the pot

The Wholesome put in, in spite of the present poison

Putting the Teaching of Gods Word into the poisoned pottage

B. Faith to Partake of it

Pour out for the people to eat and there was no harm in the pot

We must feed on Gods Word

There is no neutral position, eat or starve as there is a dearth in the land

[42] And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

5) Dedication (Vs 42)

An anonymous man from Baalshalisha brought an offering, a gift to the man of God

1 Sam 9:4 the land was once named Shalisha - meaning “He presides over thee”

During Jezebels time it was renamed adding “Baal” and thus the land was a land of idolatry

He brought “the bread of the firstfruits”- Lev 23:20, Num 18:13, Dt 18:4,5 & Ex 23:19

Since religion in N. Kingdom of Israel was apostate, the man brought this gift to the man of God

This gift was given in a famine and was the first of the harvest (Precious Offering)

This gift was given as an Act of Worship –

He brought “20 barley loaves and full ears of corn”-

This gift was given out of a loving heart Prov 3:9,10 & Mt 6:33 seek ye first the kingdom of God

This gift was sent by the Providence of God-

It was unexpected & unsolicited- God meets needs Sovereignly (there was a famine)

Now they have bread & corn to go along w/ pottage

This gift represents Jesus “the living bread” and “He is the firstfruits”

Elisha demands this gift to be given unto the people that they may eat

Elisha forgot about himself as he was an unselfish man and is going to give back and share

[43] And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

6) Doubt (Vs 43)

Elisha’s servant (probably Gehazi who was little concerned for that womans dead son) doubts this gift to be enough

Gehazi questions & complains “What, can these 20 loaves and ears of corn feed 100 men?”

Gehazi believes that there is not enough, though he has seen Gods power and authority thru Elisha

It was NOT the servants duty to comment but to OBEY!

In a famine, God provides food and Gehazi says “But, it is not enough”

Today’s modern church says “how can you set old fashioned preaching before people?”

“You need to be more trendy, less conservative and do away w/ old paths and old timey ways”

Elisha says again “Give it to the people that they may eat” Ps 104:15

“For thus saith the Lord they shall eat and shall leave thereof”

God promises not only to provide but to go beyond our need Eph 3:20

[44] So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

7) Demonstration (Vs 44)

The servant set the gift before the 100 men and they did eat. “Taste and see that the Lord is good”Ps 34:8

They ate their fill and had leftovers just as the Lord had said

They could not consume it all, even in the time of their need-The bread of God is unfailing bread

This Looks ahead to Jesus who fed 5000 men beside women and children w/ 5 loaves & 2 fishes Mt14:14-21

Concl:Jn 6:1-13 Jesus fed the multitude w/ 5 loaves & 2 fishes Jn 6:35 Jesus taught I am the bread of life

Jn 6:41,42 The crowd did not believe Jesus was enough, just as Gehazi did not believe

ONLY JESUS is sufficient to Save