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