Slices
Prepare
Pray for people serving the Lord in other lands.
Bible passage
Death in the pot
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 gourd plant 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.
Feeding of a hundred
42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe corn, along with some ears of new corn. ‘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.
Explore
In this passage we catch a glimpse of the day-to-day life of Elisha and other prophets. They were not unaffected by the world around them, having to forage for food (v 39) or depend on the goodwill of others (v 42) during a time of famine. As leader, Elisha appears to have carried responsibility for the upkeep of the entire group (vs 38,42), a fact underlined by the widow we saw in verse 1, who felt she had a claim on Elisha.
Once again in our days many struggle to make ends meet. God still can and still does provide for his people in miraculous ways. I have been privileged to hear many first-hand accounts of God’s provision, both through miraculous multiplication and through well-timed gifts. It’s scary not to know where your next meal is coming from; but it’s awesome when God steps in, showing that he knows and cares about your need.
Some of us are called to be like the man from Baal Shalishah, donating some of our first fruits for the sustenance of others (v 42). And some of us are to be like Elisha (vs 42,43), receiving with thanks and then sharing what we are given, even though it doesn’t look like there will be enough to go around (see also Mark 6:39–42).
Respond
If you are in need, talk to the Lord about it. If you have plenty, consider how and with whom you might share what you have received.
Deeper Bible study
Lord, because of your great love we are not consumed, for your compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.1
Today’s story follows on from yesterday’s in an unusual way. Elisha had raised a dead person and now those surrounding Elisha call out that there is ‘death in the pot’ of stew (v 40). Presumably, they realised that the unknown gourds were poisonous. These people were in the middle of a famine so they were scrabbling around for anything that looked edible, but the resulting stew was worse than the famine itself. Perhaps it seems a far smaller miracle than that in the previous story; certainly, it is less dramatic. Throwing flour into the pot was unsensational, but it turned the stew into life-giving sustenance. We probably have no idea of the times when God prevents something bad happening to us – we usually tend to notice either when something bad does happen or when something bad is dramatically turned into something good.
Elisha is referred to as a/the ‘man of God’ eleven times in this chapter with its five life-giving miracles. He is not God, but simply God’s vessel: the chapter makes plain that Elisha does not know everything (eg vs 14,27).
The chapter ends almost as it starts, with a miraculous provision of food being distributed far further than it would naturally have done. You may be reminded of Jesus feeding the thousands in the Gospels. Elisha’s servant would surely have been familiar with all that Elisha had done and yet he questions how twenty barley loaves could feed a hundred people. Sometimes, even those who should know the most do not grasp the power of God; it may well be particularly hard in times of famine to recognise that God can provide in abundance.
Consider getting into the habit of thanking God when you wake for the gift of the new day and of life, even in times of ‘famine’.
1 Taken from Lam 3:22,23
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 1,2; Psalms 112,113
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Tabz, Hettie and other youth workers with Local Mission Partner SASW Trust in schools and the community in Southport. Pray that, in the face of the many young people who come to them, they can seize the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships, revealing Jesus.
Mission Possible
This autumn, your local SU team will be at a venue near you, hosting an event for anyone looking to overcome the challenges of mission. So, whether you're a volunteer, an employed children's and youth worker, a church leader, or anyone else passionate about reaching the 95, come and join us to consider how, together, we can make effective mission possible.
Come and discover how you and your church can be envisioned, equipped and encouraged in your outreach to children and young people and discover a new chapter where mission is made possible.
