From Death to Life

God is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can ask or think, and He often operates in ways unexpected by man.  On one such occasion Elisha met with the sons of the prophets during a season of famine.  During their meeting, they filled a large pot with various herbs and wild gourds they found growing on a vine nearby.  Though the variety was unknown to them, the gourds certainly looked edible and good enough to eat.  I'm sure they thanked God for His provision as they cut up the gourds to make a stew.

2 Kings 4:40-41 tells us the miraculous event that followed:  "Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it. ⁴¹ So he said, "Then bring some flour." 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."  It turned out the wild gourds were poisonous, that there was death in the pot!  One would think all the contents of the pot were dangerous for human consumption and the poison from the gourds.  Picking them out would not render the pottage safe.  But Elisha did something unexpected:  he told them to bring some flour, pour it into the pot, and miraculously the stew was rendered safe to eat.

There is an element of faith required in these events, to obey Elisha to bring the flour and to eat the stew with the poison still within.  By faith in God and obedience to Him the prophets were preserved and nourished even in the midst of a famine.  This is not the only time something like this happened.  When the Hebrews came to the bitter waters of Mara that were undrinkable, Moses cried out to the LORD who showed him a tree.  He threw the tree into the water and the water was made sweet (Exodus 15:25).  On another occasion after the people murmured against the LORD He sent serpents among them that bit the people and many died.  They confessed their sin and begged for Him to remove the snakes.  Instead God directed Moses to fashion a serpent of brass, to place it on a pole in the midst of the camp, and everyone who looked upon it would be healed (Numbers 21:9).  The men of Jericho must have been shocked when Elisha threw salt into the bitter waters of Jericho that previously caused barrenness and they were healed (2 Kings 2:21).

Instead of removing what was deemed dangerous, in these cases something more was added according to the word of God Who overruled the poisonous contents of a pot, bitter waters and venomous bites.  It was those who believed in God who received the benefits of God's miraculous power to nourish, heal, refresh and save.  It is God who gives life, and His word is living and powerful.  Even when there is a famine of hearing God's word He can direct people to receive eternal life in Himself by faith in Jesus.  Jesus, the Living Bread come from heaven, came into a world full of sin He allowed to remain so people could see their need for forgiveness and salvation found only in He Who gives everlasting rest for our souls.  How wise is God to place the church in this world steeped in sin so we might be the salt of the earth who, by His grace, can share the Gospel with all and make disciples of Jesus.