Elisha's Ministry – Death In The Pot – The Poisonous Pot Of Stew 2 Kings 4 V 38-41 Series

ELISHA'S MINISTRY – DEATH IN THE POT – THE POISONOUS POT OF STEW 2 Kings 4 v 38-41

SERIES – MESSAGES ON ELISHA – HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY Number 12

2Kings 4 v 38 [[When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 2Kings 4:39 Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, 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. 2Kings 4:40 They poured it out for the men to eat, and it came about as they were eating of the stew, that they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot,” and they were unable to eat. 2Kings 4:41 He said, “Now bring meal,” and he threw it into the pot, and he said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot.]]

2Kings 4 v 38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

Elisha did his journeys in a circuit – possible a yearly circuit - and had arrived at Gilgal, actually back at Gilgal. Gilgal was the place where Elisha’s ministry began right back in 2 v 1. It was the historic place after crossing the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land, the place of circumcision where all the reproach of Egypt was taken away. This was the place of separation. Symbolically, that was important, for Elisha was separated TO the Lord, but the people of the land had separated themselves FROM the Lord. Separation is a biblical principle that Christians today don’t know too much of. I think we are all guilty of failing this principle of holiness. I say “holiness” because separation is sanctification, and sanctification is the holiness of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification means “to set aside” or “set apart” and how many of us are set aside for God?

This verse tells us there was a famine in the land. Israel was controlled by physical conditions from the Lord, and famines were usually the mark of God’s displeasure with His people. When they sinned, He sent a drought of them with famine following, and/or He sent enemies into their land, or their crops got blight and disease. We have confirmation of that in a stern message to Israel before entering the land, delivered through Moses to all the people. For several chapters in Deuteronomy God’s conditions were spelled out to the nation in blessings and curses, and I have made two selections – (a). Deuteronomy 28 v 20 [[The LORD will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke in all you undertake to do until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds because you have forsaken Me. Deut 28:21 The LORD will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land where you are entering to possess it. Deut 28:22 The LORD will smite you with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew, and they shall pursue you until you perish. Deut 28:23 The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. Deut 28:24 The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust. From heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. Deut 28:25 The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies.]]

What a terrible set of conditions we have just read. To disobey God is a serious thing. To keep disobeying God is a fatal thing. The second selection is just as terrible. These were given as warnings. God’s warnings are His graciousness. Warnings are meant to convict us to return to God in a godly fear. Did Israel heed the warnings? We know they did not. Those in the bible study know over and over again Israel rejected God and went from bad to worse. That is our nation Australia now. Every new law the Government enacts seems worse than the previous one. Here is the second warning for Israel -

(b). The second one is this - Deuteronomy 32 v 20 [[Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them. I will see what their end shall be, for they are a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faithfulness. Deut 32:21 They have made Me jealous with what is not God. They have provoked Me to anger with their idols so I will make them jealous with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation, Deut 32:22 for a fire is kindled in My anger and burns to the lowest part of Sheol, and consumes the earth with its yield, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. Deut 32:23 I will heap misfortunes on them. I will use My arrows on them. Deut 32:24 They shall be wasted by famine and consumed by plague and bitter destruction. The teeth of beasts I will send upon them with the venom of crawling things of the dust. Deut 32:25 Outside, the sword shall bereave and inside, terror - both for the young man and virgin, the nursling with the man of grey hair.]]