TEACHING PART II: 2 KINGS 4:38-44

2 KINGS 4 38-44 ELISHA PURIFIES THE POT OF STEW AND FEEDS ONE HUNDRED MEN

I. The situation (the famine) (verse 38)

Elisha arrives to Gilgal and there is a famine in the land. Now this famine may be showing Gods curse on the nation of Israel. As we see in Leviticus 26:18-21 that disobedience to the Lord brings forth curses. Another thing we see is that the people of God are sharing in this famine. Though it may have been the apostate nation that sinned and because of them the famine came, the people of God don’t have a “get outta curse free card.” we see that they shared in the woe just as much as the nation of Israel. We see this today, like when tsunamis happen and hurricanes and deaths in the world, the people of God also share in the pain of those things, but we see it through a different lens than the world does.

Application: we must remember that we live in a fallen world and that we are not promised a greater life than that of fallen men, on the contrary, we may have more things poured upon us than they, but we know that God is the one in control so we do not waver.


II. The wild gourds (verses 38-41)

In this frame we see Elisha and the sons of the prophets sitting before him. We can say that though there was a famine in the land of food for men to eat there was not a famine of the word of God nor of those whom wanted to hear. Elisha, maybe teaching the sons of the prophets, broke open to them the “living Bread” of God, His word and so, as we see Jesus do, those whom he feeds spiritually, he also feeds physically. So he calls to his servant, which the Hebrew word na’ar (nah’ar) means that he was a boy, lad, one in the stage of adolescence, to grab herbs and prepare a stew. Now, the boy unknowingly grabs wild gourds, which may have been like cucumbers and commentators believe it was as a laxative, and taken in a massive amount very deadly. So, he grabs a lapful, the Hebrew word Melo’ means all, or all that there is; so he pretty much grabbed all from the vine and chopped it into the stew. It is evident that He was an obedient boy and one trustworthy for such a task of preparing a common, non lethal, or deadly stew, but truly we can say he would have been a person who watched more “Christian TV or teaching” than “the food network.” The boy had a good intention and was obedient to what his master called for, but with ignorance placed his fellow brothers in danger. One thing this can show us is the curse applied to the earth (thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee.) so in some way we can say that the pot of stew held in it the curse God had declared upon the earth. Once the man of God was told of the danger his people were in he used flour, common flour nothing special, but with God this flour that seemed common and of little use, was used to remove the curse of death that the pot held within it. The flour in and of itself could not heal nor give life, but with the power of God it was able to bring forth life from death. After it was deemed eatable by the man of God, he said to serve it to the people to eat, and it fed the people of God. Now, as you can already make the connection of how Christ came into this world that is cursed, and put on Human flesh, He was a regular/common man, but He was also God in the flesh. He was the common mixed with the divine; So, Christ, as the flour, was put in this world to remove the curse of sin, which brings death. Also, we can see how Elisha didn’t say, “stupid boy, throw the stew away!” no, he did not let the boys labor go in vain, he used a situation that seemed bad and turned to a situation where God could get the honor and glory. When I first came in contact with the doctrines of grace, and the reformed theology, I was one who new of grace yet did not impart grace on others who had another view of theology. Although they were wrong, I could have in a loving and gracious way showed them their faults with scripture, instead, I viciously attacked their ignorance in the scriptures as if I knew it all. Well, in my ignorance instead of imparting life to the conversation with grace and love and correction, I did the opposite. Some who were starting off in the faith saw me as a maniac and didn’t want anything to do with me, the ones who were mature in the faith didn’t want me around because my unedifying talk. I had the right intention, I wanted to do my masters will in teaching them the truth of the scripture, but instead doing it through the True Vine, Christ that tells us to treat others with love, and to uplift those in the faith, I plucked anger and frustration, the “Wild Gourds” of the flesh, and brought separation to my once healthy friendships, as the boy did in ignorance to his fellow brethren. But, glory be to God, who showed me my wrongs, and now has put grace in me and put to death the anger and frustration I once had. Now, when I speak to those who knew me in my mauling, deadly, cage stage, they see how God has took a tongue that brought forth death, to lips that bring for grace and praise. (1 cor 15:58) so, we must see our labor for the Lord as one that is not in vain, though we mess up and at times pluck from the “fleshly gourds” He can pour His mercy and grace upon the situation and bring fourth life. Also, we see that they ate. They trusted in the miracle that was done, if that were I, I would have been cautious in even taking another bite, but they had faith that what was done by God through Elisha was profitable for them in their hunger situation. Again, only through Christ, is our starving, hungry soul pleased and full. Only through Christ can we, in our spiritual famine, be full and partake of such a great meal. Also I like to think that we, the people of God, were once the wild gourds that brought forth death in our own lives to others. I am sure if we look at our past or listen to one another’s testimonies we would see that, but now that God has placed His Spirit into us, as the flour made the stew good for His people, so God makes our once deadly words and deeds to a life giving, body building, God honoring action.

Application: Trust that your labor for the Lord is not in vain, and that He can take a situation that seems to be bad because of our ignorance, and turn it around for His glory. God is not one who lets us do work for Him with no profit to Him. Ultimately God seeks His glory and when He can “show Himself off” through us He will take the chance to do so.

III. The feeding of the hundred

So after the instance with the “Stew of Death” we see that a man from Baal Shalisha came to Elisha, the man of God, and brought him the first fruits. Now the first fruits, as we see in exod. 23:19, lev. 23:20, num. 18:13 and deut. 18:4-5, were meant for the priests, but this man took his first fruits to Elisha. H.L. Ellison wrote:
The man was recognizing Elisha as the one true representative of God in the land; he did not wish to bring the first fruits to the priest who had been contaminated by Baalized worship of Jehovah, or even with Baal worship itself.”
So, we see this man wasn’t just saying “let me go to the priest, I just wanna get my giving of the first fruits over with.” No, he went and gave the first fruits who he knew was the true representative of God in the land. Also, this brings me to 1 Kings 19:18 when God tells Elijah that he has 7,000 people who have not bowed the knee to Baal. This man was not just looking for a religious act in giving the first fruits, but he feared and honored Yahweh so much that he wanted his sacrifice to go to the right person. So, we see that Elisha tells his servant to go feed the people with the 20 barley loaves and the grain he had just received. The servant found it impossible to feed 100 men with such a small meal. Yet, Elisha replies, “for thus says the LORD, they shall eat and have left over.” As many of you may be thinking, this recalls Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 in Mark 6:35-44. Jesus being before the people, teaching seeks to feed them. The disciples see it impossible with only 5 loaves and 2 fish, which compared to Elisha was significantly less food, but “what seems impossible with man, is possible with God.” so as we all know, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and they have left over. From all 3 stories that we read and heard, the main thread is the power, and provision of God to His people which should lead us to our Praise of Him. I am sure the widow praised God for the provision He brought upon her, that she may live off the rest of the profits of the oil and ultimately that her children would not suffer the bondage that they were doomed to receive. And I am sure that the sons of the prophets praised God for providing for them in a famine, and although through one boys ignorance it almost brought death, that with the power of God that which held death now brought forth life. Even with the 20 loaves, How God provided for them in such a way that 20 loaves and some grain fed 100 men. Another thing we need to notice in these historical facts is that the death, the famine, the lack of faith in the servant, are all applied to the people of God. We will have days of unbelief when we see what we have as nothing or not enough, we must remember that we serve a God who likes to work with little so that He may get the glory and abundant praise. Also, we will suffer of days of death or debt, but again even in our pain and in a state of hopelessness we have a God who can revive a situation as bad as death. Also, as the women, she went to her neighbors in her time of need because Elisha told her, and as the body, bride, and people of God, we are called to carry one another’s burdens and to help each other in times of need.


J.D Aguilar
Soli Deo Gloria

Part I: My teaching on 2 kings 4:1-7

2 KINGS 4:1-7
ELISHA AND THE WIDOWS OIL

I. A cry of despair (verse 1)
This widow has lost her husband which back in that era meant loss of property, or home, or fields, or slavery, for this women, her children. The debt that was acquired whether from her husband or whomever it was, has placed her 2 children in the state of bondage, their freedom has been taken from them and she knows this. She knows that if she does not find a way to pay the debtors then her children will be taken from her till the debt is paid. Now, she has noticed that she is incapable of paying the debt in her own power, she realizes her hopeless state and goes to the Prophet of God, Elisha and mainly shows faith in God. How is faith shown? As a wife of the prophet she may have known God’s promise to her in the state she has found herself in; Deuteronomy 10:17 and 18 give her assurance in the condition she finds herself in, and it is also reiterated in psalm 146:9. Her faith is seen in her dependence and trust in that promise, and acted out by her going to Elisha and telling him her dilemma. One thing we see is that she doesn’t tell Elisha what to do, or how to act upon her troubled state. She merely trust that God would work through Elisha to meet her need. We see this in John 11:3: Mary and Martha tell Jesus that “the one you love” or in the language of 2 kings, “Your servant,” “is sick.” now they didn’t tell Jesus, “hey, lazarus is sick, go heal him,” No, they casted their problem to the feet of Christ and had faith that He would act in the way God led Him. Again we see this when we studied 2 Chronicles 20 in verse 12 all that Jehoshaphat said was “our eyes are on You.” that’s it, not we trust you now kill’em and lets get this over with. Just faith that God could rescue them because they could not rescue themselves. That’s faith.
Just as this widow, we are found in a state of despair and hopelessness when brought before the gospel. We see that on account of Adam and Eve we have been brought into slavery or bondage, and can not escape by the strength of our own hands. We also owe a debt that can not be paid by us, but only by Christ, The Man/ Prophet, of God. We hear the promise that He sets free those who are under the creditor, satan, sin or death, and as the women, we must run to the Man of God and confess the state we have found ourselves in, and in hope, faith, and trust, cast ourselves upon Him and that He has the answer for us in the time of darkness.

Application: In time of despair, turmoil, or pain, run to Christ. Don’t tell Him what to do in your life, as if He doesn’t know your desires, but cast your cares and worries upon Him with the faith and hope that He knows what to do. As the covenant people of God, we have promises like Matthew 6:25-33.


II. God’s response/ obedience to the Word of God (verses 2-5)

Now that she has pleaded her case to Elisha he speaks and we see the word of God go forth and the women’s faith acted upon the word that was declared. “what shall I do for you? Tell me, What do you have in your house?” Elisha wanted to help this women, in being a man of God, and one who brings forth His words, He wants to reflect the attitude of God in helping the widow. Also, He doesn’t give her money or calls forth a collection, no, he asks her, what do you have in your house? With this request, if I were the women, I would have been like “what? in my house? if I had anything good there I would have paid the debt and not come to you.” She says, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Nothing… she has Nothing… she has a jar! To her that seemed of no benefit or profit, but Elisha, knowing the power of God, saw that jar of oil as a means to build faith in this women, provide for the woman’s need, free the children from bondage, and ultimately glorify God. So Elisha tells her to go borrow vessels-empty vessels- not a few, and when you have some “shut the door behind you and your sons,” now why is this a secret miracle? Lets go to Matthew 6:16-18, now although this hits on the point of hypocrisy it also hit’s the point of God being in the “secret place.” Although God does do miracles openly, he also does them and then tells the people not to tell anyone, we see this in Matthew 8:4 when Jesus heals the leper and says “tell no one..” God’s first goal in blessing us or providing for us is not necessarily to meet our needs, but to build our faith in Him; and not for us to say “hey everyone look how God has blessed me, but humble us before His throne and be thankful to serve a loving Father.” At times when God blesses us publicly we can take pride and say “see how God blessed ME!” and instead of glorying God we uplift ourselves. Also, another reason in may have been done in secret was because the widows need was a private need, and so the blessing was a private blessing. Third, I would say that it shows the absence of Elisha. That it was the power of God doing the miracle and not Elisha. Now we see the miracle. The miracle shows Gods power to make what seems little to be much, or that what seems to be inefficient to me sufficient. He supplied her need by using something she already had, oil, and with the generosity of the community with the giving of the jars, God used the common vessels that to fulfill His purpose.

Application: we all have something(s) that God can use for His glory. Though we may see them as nothing, with the power of God He can multiply that which seems little to much. Also, God is ultimately the God above all, and we must put our trust in Him and not man. Though Elisha did tell the widow what to do it was God who provided for her.

III. God’s overflowing kindness and the widows rest (verse 6-7)

The widow was obedient to the word declared by the “man of God.” He told her 3 things to do, sell, pay, and live. Sell the oil, pay your debt, live off the rest. God knew the needs of this widow, He had His eyes fixed on both her temporal/immediate need: that of paying off the debt so that her sons wouldn’t be put into slavery; and also Her future/ongoing need: that of living, and providing for her kids until they were capable of working and providing for the family. The state the women was in seemed dead. There was no way out, there was no way to find the light at the end of the tunnel, there was no way to find life. The Hebrew word at the end of verse 7 “and live on the rest…” is chayah (khaw-yaw’) it means, whether literally or figuratively, to revive, to make or keep alive, to give life, nourish up, preserve, recover, repair, restore, to save, or to be whole. Now, these are gospel words. Like I said the state that the women was in was dead, she was in bondage to the creditor, the legacy of her family was dead, the children would be slaves and so will the generations, BONDAGE! But, God provided life in this dead grave. He tells the widow what to do, He gives her a life giving command, to grab the oil that seemed worthless and unprofitable, and by His power that which seemed “not beautiful” or “not esteemed” was what brought her life. Not only did it bring her life, but it gave her rest. Their was no beauty in Jesus that we would esteem Him, but He poured His life out on the cross for common vessels. The sacrifice of Christ also gives us rest, in that we don’t have to earn or work for our salvation but that one moment on the cross brought us everlasting rest.

Application: we must live on the gospel of Christ. We have been freed from our debt, it has been fully paid, now we must “live on the rest” of His grace, and mercy, which is seen in the gospel; and as we know the gospel is eternal, so for us it is an eternal life and rest.