DEATH IN THE POT -- Monday:
"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 4:38-41)
After raising a widow's son from the dead, the mighty prophet Elisha "came again to Gilgal." This was the place where God "rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off" Israel (Josh 5:9). There they kept the Passover in the promised land, and the manna ceased (Josh 5:10-12). When Samuel was the judge in Israel, Gilgal was in the circuit he made regularly (1 Sam 7:15-16). It was a significant place in the history of Israel, hallowed by the blessing of the Lord that was first conferred there. Now, "Elisha comes again to Gilgal."
When Elisha arrived at Gilgal, "there was a famine in the land." But despair was not among those who were before him. They were "the sons of the prophets," and they were "sitting before," or meeting with, him. Scripture indicates the prophets dwelt together at this time, and gathered around Elisha, who was a chief prophet (2 Kgs 6:1). It is generally understood that this was a sort of "school of the prophets," where they gathered to sit at the feet of Elisha. It is assumed it had its origin with Elijah, who took Elisha from Gilgal to Bethel, where he was translated into heaven (2 Kgs 2:1ff).
This group–"the sons of the prophets"– is mentioned no less than 10 times in First and Second Kings (1 Kgs 20:35; 2 Kgs 2:3,5,7,15; 4:1,38; 5:22; 6:1). With only two exceptions, they are always mentioned in association with the prophet Elisha.
These "sons of the prophets" had some among them who were "young," and apparently in the state of spiritual formation (2 Kgs 5:22). They were all prone to be together. Their gathering appeared to be around the man and Word of God–a sort of picture of a true school of learning.
On this particular occasion, like Jesus Himself, the prophet Elisha was mindful of the need of those hearing him. He said to his servant, "Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets"NKJV (4:38b). Keep in mind, "there was a famine in the land." It is written one of them "went out into the field to gather herbs (i.e., vegetables), and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were" NASB (4:39). With food hard to obtain, the person gathered what he could, not able to identify what manner of food he had found.
When they served the stew to the "sons of the prophets," the men immediately recognized the stew was not eatable. If they consumed this food, they would surely die. Thus they cried out, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" It is interesting that they did not throw away the contents of the "pot," and send someone out to gather more food. But remember, "there was a famine in the land." Instead of resorting to the "try-it-again" method, they called upon the "man of God." A wise procedure, indeed!
Immediately, like Moses, Elisha went to work with what he had. It is written, "So he said, ‘Then bring some flour (meal).' And he put it into the pot, and said, ‘Serve it to the people, that they may eat.' And there was nothing harmful in the pot" (4:41). In this case, food was "healed." In an earlier miracle, Elisha healed some polluted "waters" (2 Kgs 2:19-22). You may recall that Moses once made bitter waters sweet by throwing a tree in them that God showed him (Ex 15:25). In all of these cases, a miracle is recorded–Divine intervention in a hopeless situation.
We learn several things from this account. The value of these things is found in the realm of the Spirit, not in nature. First, it is possible to serve something to people that looks good, yet will induce death. Second, it is also possible to detect harmful things before they do any damage to you. Third, when you are faced with something harmful, the solution is to be sought from godly resources. Fourth, God can change the quality of things so that they nourish you instead of harming you.
There are times when some young disciple quickly assembles some food for the saints. Yet, when it is served, it brings harm, and is bitter–because the person did not know what he was gathering. How often I have found that seasoned men and women of God can put the flour of grace and truth into such things, bringing spiritual perspectives that nourish the soul instead of harming it.
Perhaps this is involved in the Apostolic admonition, "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Col 4:6). Many a sermon and lesson have proved to be poison because the gatherer "did not know what" he was serving. How gracious God is to provide a way to correct such situations.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to gather things that will bring no harm to the people of God. if, in my ignorance, I serve something that is spiritually poison, raise up men of God who can detect the problem, and provide some gracious ingredient that will make what is said helpful to the saints.