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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 12-Eighth Miracle - Meal-Healed Pottage
Other Subjects in this Topic:
EIGHTH MIRACLE-MEAL-HEALED POTTAGE
Chapter 12
The Passage which is before us (2Ki_4:38-41) has in it practical
instruction as well as spiritual lessons for us, for the Scriptures make
known the evils and dangers which are in this world as well as the glory
and bliss of the world to come. Elisha was visiting the school of the
prophets at Gilgal, instructing them in the things of God. At the close
of a meeting he gave orders that a simple meal should be prepared for
them; for though he was more concerned about their spiritual welfare, he
did not overlook their physical. It was a time of "dearth" or famine, so
one went out into the field to gather herbs, that they might have a
vegetable stew. He found a wild vine with gourds. Securing a goodly
quantity, he returned and shred them into the pot of pottage, quite
unconscious that he was making use of a poisonous plant. Not until after
the broth was poured out was the peril discovered, for when they began
eating the men cried out, "There is death in the pot." How little we
realize the many and varied forms in which death menaces us, and how
constantly we are indebted to the preserving providence of God.
The effects of the curse which the Lord God pronounced upon the sin of
Adam have been by no means confined unto the human family. "Cursed is the
ground for thy sake" (Gen_3:17) was part of the fearful sentence, and as
Rom_8:22 informs us, "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now." No matter where one looks, the observant eye
can behold the consequences of the fall. No section of creation has
escaped; even the fields and the woods bring forth not only thistles and
thorns, but that which is noxious and venomous. Some of the most
innocent-looking herbs and berries produce horrible suffering and death
if eaten by man or beast. Yet for the most part, in fact with rare
exceptions, God has mercifully provided adequate protection against such
evils. The instinct of the animals and the intelligence of men causes
each of them to leave alone that which is harmful. Either the eye
discovers, the nostril detects, or the palate perceives their evil
qualities, and thereby we are guarded against them.
It scarcely needs to be pointed out that what we have alluded to above in
the material world suggests that which we find in the religious realm.
Among that which is offered for intellectual and spiritual food, how much
is unwholesome and vicious. The fields of Christendom have many "wild
gourds" growing in them, the use of which necessarily entails "death in
the pot," for fatal doctrine acts upon the soul as poison does upon the
body. This is clear from that apostolic declaration, "Their word will eat
as doth a canker" or "gangrene" (2Ti_2:17), where the reference is to
the evil doctrine of heretical teachers. But just as God has mercifully
endowed the animals with instincts and man with sufficient natural
intelligence to avoid what is physically injurious, so He has graciously
bestowed upon His people spiritual "senses" which, if exercised, "discern
both good and evil" (Heb_5:14). Thus they instinctively warn against
unsound writings and preachers, so that "a stranger will they not follow,
but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers" (John
10:5).
The mercy of the Creator appears not only in the protecting "senses" with
which He has endowed His creatures, but also in providing them with
suitable remedies and effective antidotes. If there be herbs which are
injurious and poisonous, there are others which are counteracting and
healing. If the waters of Marah are bitter and undrinkable, there is a
tree at hand which when cut down and cast into the waters renders them
sweet (Exo_15:25). If we read at the beginning of the Scriptures of a
tree the eating of whose fruit involved our race in disaster and death,
before that volume is closed we are told of another tree, the leaves of
which are "for the healing of the nations" (Rev_22:2). This fact, then,
holds good in both the physical and the spiritual realms: for every evil,
God has provided a remedy, for every poison an antidote, for every false
doctrine a portion of the truth which exposes and refutes it. With these
introductory observations, we may now consider the details of Elisha's
eighth miracle.
First, the Location of the Miracle
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land" (2
Kings 4:38). It will be remembered that it was from this place that
Elisha had started out with his master on their final journey together
before Elijah was raptured to heaven (2Ki_2:1), where his sincerity
had been put to the proof by the testing, "Tarry here, I pray thee." From
Gilgal they had passed to Bethel (2Ki_2:2), and from there to
Jericho, and finally to the Jordan. It is striking to note that our hero
wrought a miracle at each of these places in inverse order of the
original journey. At the Jordan he had divided its waters so that he
passed over dry-shod before the wondering gaze of the young prophets (2
Kings 2:14-15). At Jericho he had healed the evil waters (2 Kings
2:19-22). At Bethel he had cursed the profane children in the name of the
Lord and brought about their destruction (2Ki_2:23-25). And now here
at Gilgal Elisha again exercises the extraordinary powers with which God
had endowed him. Wherever he goes, the servant of God should, as
opportunity affords, use his ministerial gifts.
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land" (2
Kings 4:38). Gilgal was to the east of Jericho, close to the Jordan,
where there would be more moisture and vegetation than further inland. It
was a place made memorable from the early history of Israel. It was there
that the nation had set up twelve stones as a monument to God's gracious
intervention, when He had caused them to pass through the river dry-shod
(Jos_4:18-24). It was there too that they had circumcised those who had
been born in the wilderness wanderings, thereby rolling away the reproach
of Egypt from off them. This evidenced their separation from the heathen,
as being God's peculiar people, who made the circumcision of the heart
(Jer_4:4; Rom_2:29), which is the distinguishing mark of God's
spiritual children. It was there also that they had first partaken of
"the old corn of the land" (Jos_5:11) so that miraculous supplies of
manna ceased. Yet even such a favored spot as this was affected by the
dearth, for great wickedness had also been perpetrated there (1 Sam.
15:21-23 and cf. Hos_9:15).
Second, the Occasion of the Miracle
"There was a dearth in the land." The Hebrew word for "dearth" (raab)
signifies a famine, and is so rendered in 1Ki_18:2. This is one of
the "four sore judgments" which the Lord sends when He expresses His
displeasure against a people: "the sword, and the famine, and the noisome
beast, and the pestilence" (Eze_14:21). In our day the "famine" with
which a righteous God afflicts a land is one far more solemn and serious
than that of dearth of material food, as that threatened in Amo_8:11:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in
the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing
the words of the LORD." Such a "famine" is upon Christendom today. It has
not yet become quite universal, but almost so. Thousands of places
dedicated to divine worship have become social centers, political clubs,
ritualistic playhouses, and today they are heaps of rubble. The vast
majority of those still standing provide nothing for people desiring
spiritual food, and even in the very few where the Word of God is
ostensibly ministered, it is no longer so in the power and blessing of
the Spirit. It is this which gives such pertinence to our present passage.
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and
the sons of the prophets were sitting before him" (2Ki_4:38). What a
blessed and beautiful conjunction of things was this. How instructive for
the under-shepherd of Christ and for His sheep in a day like this. Though
God was acting in judgment, the prophet did not consider that that
warranted him ceasing his labors until conditions became more favorable.
So far from it, he felt it was a time when he should do all in his power
to "strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die" (Rev_3:2),
and encourage those who are liable to give way to dejection because of
the general apostasy. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season" (2Ti_4:2) is the injunction which God has laid upon His
ministers. In seasons of "dearth" the servant of Christ needs to be
particularly attentive to the spiritual needs of young believers,
instructing them in the holiness and righteousness of a sin-hating God
when His scourge is upon the nation; and also making known His
faithfulness and sufficiency unto "His own" in the darkest hour,
reminding them that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help
in trouble" (Psa_46:1).
See here what a noble example Elisha has left those called by God to
engage in proclaiming His truth. The prophet was not idle; he did not
wait for needy souls to come to him, but took the initiative and went to
them. Times of national distress and calamity do not exempt any from the
discharge of spiritual duties nor justify any slackness in employing the
appointed means of grace. Nor did these "sons of the prophets" raise the
objection that Elisha sought them at an inopportune time and make the
excuse they must busy themselves looking after their temporal interests.
No, they gladly availed themselves of their golden opportunity, making
the most of it by attentively listening to the instructions of Elisha.
Their "sitting before him" showed respect and attentiveness. It reminds
us of Mary who "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word" (Luk_11:39),
which Christ designated that "good part," the one thing "needful" (Luke
11:42). And though many today no longer may hear the Word preached, they
can still sit and read it. Be thankful for the printed page, if it
contains that which strengthens faith and promotes closer walking with
God.
Third, the Beneficiaries of the Miracle
"And he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe [boil or
concoct] pottage for the sons of the prophets" (2Ki_4:38). The order
of action in this verse is significant, for it shows how the needs of the
soul take precedence over those of the body. Elisha saw to it that they
had spiritual food set before them before arranging for material food. On
the other hand, the prophet did not conduct himself as a fanatic and
disdain their temporal needs. Here, as everywhere in Scripture, the
balance is rightly preserved. Attention to and enjoyment of fellowship
with God must never be allowed to crowd out the discharge of those duties
pertaining to the common round of life. As Christ thought of and
ministered to the bodily needs of the hungry multitudes after He had
broken unto them the bread of life, so His servant here was concerned
about the physical well-being of these students: a plain and simple meal
in either case; in the one, bread and fish; in the other, vegetable stew.
"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" (2Ki_4:39).
Apparently this person took it upon himself to go out and gather herbs in
the field; no doubt his intention was good, but so far as the narrative
is concerned, it records no commission from Elisha to act thus-a clear
case where the best intentions do not warrant us to act unless we have a
definite word from God, and to use only those means He has appointed. It
is possible this person may have returned thanks to God when his eye fell
upon those gourds and felt that his steps had been directed by Him to the
place where they were growing. If so, we have a warning how easily we may
misunderstand the divine providences when we are acting in self-will and
interpret them in a way which justifies and apparently sanctifies the
course we have taken. When Jonah fled from the command the Lord had given
him, to "flee unto Tarshish" and went down to Joppa, he "found a ship
going" to that very place (Jon_1:3)!
Seasons of "death" are peculiarly dangerous ones. Why so? Because in
times of famine, food is scarce, and, because there is less to select
from, we are very apt to be less particular and act on the principle of
"beggars cannot be choosers." Certainly there is a warning here to be
careful about what we eat at such times, and especially of that which
grows wild. The Hebrew word here rendered "wild" means uncultivated, and
is generally connected with "wild beasts," which were not only
ceremonially unclean under the Mosaic law but unfit for human
consumption. It is to be duly noted that there was a plentiful supply of
these "wild gourds" even though there was a "dearth" in the land. So it
is spiritually; when there is a "famine" of hearing the words of the
Lord, Satan sees to it that there is no shortage of spurious food.
Witness the number of tracts from cultists and pornographic booklets
which are so freely circulated, to say nothing of the vile literature in
which the things of God are openly derided.
Yet though these gourds were "wild," they must have borne a close
resemblance to wholesome ones; or he who gathered them would not have
been deceived by them, nor would it be said of those who stood by while
he shred them into the pot of pottage that "they knew them not." This too
has a spiritual counterpart, as the enemy's "tares" sown among the wheat
intimates. Satan is a subtle imitator. Not only does he transform himself
"into an angel of light" but his "deceitful workers" transform themselves
"into the apostles of Christ" (2Co_11:13-14). They come preaching
Jesus and His gospel, but as the Holy Spirit warns us, it is "another
Jesus" and "another gospel" than the genuine one (2Co_11:4). Those who
looked on while this person was shredding the wild gourds into the pot
raised no objection, for they were quite unsuspicious, instead of
carefully examining what they were to eat. What point this gives to the
apostolic exhortation, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good"
(1Th_5:21); and if we refuse to do so, who is to blame when we
devour that which is injurious?
Fourth, the Necessity of the Miracle
"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" (2 Kings
4:40). It was not until the eleventh hour that they discovered their
peril, for the deadly danger of these "wild gourds" was not exposed until
they had begun eating them; not only had the gourds' appearance deceived
them, but they had no offensive or suspicious odor while cooking. The
case was particularly subtle, for seemingly it was one of their own
number who had gathered the poisonous herbs. Ah, note how the apostle
commended the Bereans for carefully bringing his teaching to the test of
Holy Writ (Act_17:11). Much more do we need to do so with the preachings
and writings of uninspired men. We need to "consider diligently" what is
set before us by each ecclesiastical ruler (Pro_23:1 and cf. Matthew
24:45), for though they be "dainties" and "sweet words," yet they may be
"deceitful meat" (Pro_23:2, 8). How we need to make Psa_141:4 our
prayer!
It was when the sons of the prophets began to eat the pottage that they
discovered its deadly character. Ah, my reader, are you able to
discriminate between what is helpful to the soul and what is harmful? Is
your spiritual palate able to detect error from truth, Satan's poison
from "the sincere [pure] milk of the word?" Do you really endeavor so to
do, or are you lax in this matter? "Hear my words, O ye wise men, and
give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. For the ear trieth words, as
the mouth tasteth meat" (Job_34:2-3). But let us not miss the moral link
between what is said in 2Ki_4:40 and that which was before us in
verse 38. It was those who had just previously been sitting at the feet
of Elisha who now discovered the poisonous nature of these gourds. Is not
the lesson plain and recorded for our learning? It is those who are
instructed by the true servant of God who have most spiritual discernment
and better judgment than others not so favored. Then "take heed what ye
hear" (Mar_4:24) and what ye read.
Fifth, the Nature of the Miracle
"They cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot.
And they could not eat thereof." What made them aware of their peril we
know not. Nor is the child of God always conscious of it when some secret
repression or unseen hand prevents him from gratifying his curiosity and
turns his feet away from some synagogue of Satan where there is "death in
the pot" being served in that place. Have not all genuine Christians
cause to say with the apostle, "Who delivered us from so great a death,
and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us" (2 Cor.
1:10). From that pot of death., Elisha, under God, delivered them.
Sixth, the Means of the Miracle
"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 [or
'evil thing'] in the pot" (2Ki_4:41). The "meal" we regard as the
Word of God: either the written or the personal Word. One of the great
types of Christ is seen in the meat (i.e., meal) offering of Leviticus 2.
It is only by the Word we are safeguarded from evil. See how graciously
God provided for "His own." Though there was a "dearth in the land," yet
these sons of the prophets were not without "meal"! How thankful we
should be for the Word of God in our homes in such a day as this. Though
someone else fetched the meal, "he [Elisha] cast it into the pot"!
Seventh, the Meaning of the Miracle
Much of this has been intimated in what has already been pointed out. Let
it not be overlooked that verse 38 of 2 Kings 4, begins with "And": after
a reviving, be careful where you go for your food! If you are suspicious
of the soundness of a religious publication, take counsel of a competent
"man of God." Let not a time of spiritual "dearth" render you less
careful of what you feed upon. In seasons of famine the servant of God
should be diligent in seeking to strengthen the hands of young believers.
Only by making the Word of God our constant guide shall we be delivered
from the evils surrounding us.
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