2 Kings 4:40

THE POISONED POTTAGE

‘O thou man of God, there is death in the pot.’

2 Kings 4:40

The use of a miracle, like that of an eclipse, is twofold. It may be studied as a special phenomenon in itself; or it may be regarded as specially serving to illustrate the general mechanism of the heavens. There is a certain one-eyed way of thinking which regards a miracle as only a wonder. There is another way, just as one-eyed, which regards it as only a revelation. The true way, the ‘binocular view,’ includes both.

I. The miracle in itself.—It was remarkably well-timed. If ever ‘the times were out of joint,’ it was at that season in Israel. All the wealth and influence of the court had long been against the true faith, and in favour of ungodliness and superstition. Many prophets, in consequence, had been slain; and it seemed at one time to the most eminent of them all, that he was the only God-fearing man left in the land. ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?’ The fitting answer came in miracles such as this. Such is the economy of the miracles of Scripture; they come exactly at the time, of the character, and in the proportion required. Indeed, the old heathen dramatic rule, that a god should not be introduced unless at a crisis befitting his interposition, might have been taken from this practical rule of God’s Word.

But this miraculous illumination is not all. This miracle was not only a public benefit and encouragement to all true Israelites at that time, but it was also a private providential deliverance to one important company among them. It was not a mere display, therefore, of God’s power. On the contrary, it established faith by its manner of preserving life; and in seeking, as it did, to confirm grace, it employed the hand of Providence for that end. Further, this miracle was of a singularly discriminating description. It gave assistance to God’s special servants the Prophets: to God’s prophets, when the severe pressure of their daily necessities must have been a great temptation to them to give their sole and undivided attention to merely temporal matters. How peculiarly calculated, therefore, was this assistance to benefit all believing tremblers in Israel at that time! What is good for the minister is good for his flock; what encourages him in his work encourages multitudes beside him.

Lastly, it gave all this encouragement and comfort because it was a real miracle, a true sign. No ordinary man could have cured the poisoned pottage by a handful of mere meal. ‘The treasure’ was ‘in an earthen vessel, that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of men.’

II. Let us regard the miracle—

As illustrative of God’s ways, whether in Providence or in grace.—(a) As by the handful of meal in this history, so by the ‘foolishness of preaching,’ by the doctrine of the cross, by ‘babes and sucklings,’ by the carnally weak and ignoble, by earthen vessels of various descriptions, God is pleased to work, as a rule. It is one of His most distinguishing prerogatives to effect great results by small means. Never let the humble believer despond, therefore, because of the apparent inadequacy of the means. It is a principle with God that His ‘strength should be made perfect in weakness.’ (b) The history also serves to illustrate the admirable timeliness of God’s help; and that not alone with regard to the general character of the times. It was not when the gourd was gathered, not when it was shred into the vessel, not till it was on the very point of being partaken of, that God interfered. The sense of peace, the apprehension of important truth, the greatly-needed temporal mercy, the much desired spiritual deliverance, often arrive when the very next step would be into absolute ruin or death. Exactly ‘sufficient for the day’ is both its evil and its good. (c) We also see, in a very remarkable manner, the completeness of God’s care. We see that He not only provides for our necessities; He corrects our mistakes. Even the poisoned gourd is made by Him to minister to man’s life. Even the follies, the mistakes, the wanderings, and, in a certain sense, the very falls of those who truly believe in His Son and love Him, are made to help them on their way. ‘All things work together for good to them that love God.’ Not that this, however, applies altogether to the man who knowingly selects poison as his food. (d) Once more, we see illustrated here the great reflex benefits of the Gospel. Elisha came as a guest. He became the true host. They gave him their best, full of death. He gave them life in return. Nor does the principle fail of any one who really receives Christ in his heart. ‘I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me.’

—Rev. W. S. Lewis.

Illustrations

(1) ‘Death in the pot! It is often with spiritual food as it is with bodily food; it looks as if it were healthful and nourishing, i.e. the words are beautiful and attractive, and yet there is soul-poison in it, which is destructive, if we are not on our guard against receiving it.’

(2) ‘ “They did eat, and left thereof.” That always is the rule where God provides.

To this hour He is the same profuse, richly generous Lord Whom Elisha knew. When all His people have had their portion of His mercy, when they have received from Him the bread of life which perishes not in the using, when they have been satisfied with the goodness of His house, there remains much left over. Faber is right: in Him and in His Christ there is “grace enough for thousands of new worlds as great as this.”

In another way there is an overflowing fulness of love in Him. His patience with me is “ever faithful, ever sure.” His kindness towards me does not grow weaker, though my follies and frailties become more apparent to Him. I cannot escape from His compassion. It besets me behind and before. In my gloom it leads me back to the light. In my disobedience it wins me again to loyalty. Always, when I fear that I have exhausted His supply, I discover afresh that I “eat and leave thereof.” ’