seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Kings 4:38 Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”
39 One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40 The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
41 Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
43 “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.
But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” 44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
39 One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40 The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
41 Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
43 “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.
But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” 44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
There are two stories here. There is the poopy stew and the never ending bread.
Sometimes I think my hubby only stays with me in retirement because I can cook. We're fortunate enough to live right next door to a store that sells nothing but produce. Some of the stuff they get in, that is considered gourmet, is really odd. Some of it... well I don't know what it's supposed to look like so I might get something that is green.... and if I cook with it before it's ready.... well it could send hubby to the throne..... but gravy will calm it down... or that's what happened back then.... Elisha added flour to the pot and it solved the poopy stew.
According to the story.... some bread was contributed. It was common for people to bring their best bread and grain as an offering. According to the story, this guy brought twenty loaves of barley bread and some of the grain. Normally, the offering would have been taken by the priests at the Temple... but we're in Israel. There is no Temple.... the Temple is in Judah. In Israel, where Elisha is working, there is no Temple... there are a couple of places with shiny cows to worship... but there's no place for God's priests to receive offerings. So when this man made his offering... he brought his bread and grain to Elisha and the prophets... they were the closest thing to priests he could find. Good man. Now... about that bread.... Elisha said... go ahead and serve it.... 20 loves of bread for 100 people.
My Nannie [grandmother] said... if there's bread or cake left... then it was too rich! That man really put his heart into the sewing, cultivating, harvesting, grinding, combining, baking and offering of that Barley Bread... it fed all the prophets and some.... come to think of it.... Nannie always had extra people at the table and left overs. Nannie was French... she sure could cook.... and she raised a Presbyterian preacher.
This is from enduringword commentary.
“The gourds were probably colocynth. Popularly called ‘wild cucumber,’ the vine still grows near the Dead Sea. When the gourds are cut open the pulp dries rapidly and forms a powder, which in that part of the world is still used as a cathartic medicine. It has a very bitter taste. If eaten in enough quantity, it induces colic and can be fatal.” (Dilday)
And there was nothing harmful in the pot: There was nothing inherently purifying in the flour Elisha put in the pot. The real purification was a miraculous work of God.
Bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread: “These had been brought to Elisha as firstfruits. Normally these portions were reserved for God (Leviticus 23:20) and the Levitical priests (Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4-5). Because the religion in the Northern Kingdom was apostate, the loaves had been brought by their owner to the one whom he considered to be the true repository of godly religion in Israel.” (Patterson and Austel)
Give it to the people, that they may eat: In a miracle that anticipated Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000, Elisha commanded that a small amount of bread be served to 100 men.
For thus says the LORD: “They shall eat and have some left over”: God promised not only to provide, but to provide beyond the immediate need. Elisha trusted the promise of God, acted upon it, and saw the promise miraculously fulfilled.
Give it to the people, that they may eat: In a miracle that anticipated Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000, Elisha commanded that a small amount of bread be served to 100 men.
For thus says the LORD: “They shall eat and have some left over”: God promised not only to provide, but to provide beyond the immediate need. Elisha trusted the promise of God, acted upon it, and saw the promise miraculously fulfilled.
“What can these few cakes do towards feeding a hundred men? They forget that God can multiply them. Ye limit the Holy One of Israel. Do you think he needs our numbers? Do you think he is dependent upon human strength? I tell you, our weakness is a better weapon for God than our strength.” (Spurgeon)
