Be careful what you eat (2 Kings 4:38-41)!
As the return of the Lord draws near, the need for spiritual discernment among Christians is of the utmost importance. The devil knows that his time is short, and, as the last days come to a close, he will utilize every weapon in his arsenal to waylay the saints and whirl the unsaved to their destruction. Paul reminded Timothy that in the latter times “some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…” (1 Tim. 4:1). Peter likewise warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you” (2 Pet. 2:1). There have always been false prophets in the world and false teachers in the church, but, toward the end of the last days, their presence and power will intensify. Christians are to function as salt and light, but as the world grows increasingly corrupt and plunges more deeply into spiritual darkness, the church’s influence will be significantly negated. This interesting episode in the ministry of the prophet Elisha shows what can happen to believers when they are not exercising spiritual discernment.
The setting
Elisha lived during one of the darkest times in Israel’s history. His mentor, Elijah, had boldly prophesied to King Ahab that it would not rain because of the sin and idolatry that characterized the nation. Knowing the Scriptures as he did provided the man of God with the impetus to make such a powerful statement. Accordingly, a famine swept over the land, paralleling the spiritual famine that prompted it. To counter the effects of this spiritual famine, Elijah established schools for the sons of the prophets at strategic locations across the land. These schools were for the benefit of young men whom he had personally discipled and who were drawn together by a desire for mutual encouragement and edification. Upon Elijah’s translation to heaven (2 Kings 2), this duty was transferred to Elisha, his protégé.
On this occasion, following a time of spiritual instruction, Elisha requested that his servant put on a great pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets. But this servant, apparently independently, went out into the field, gathered a lapful of wild gourds, and brought them back to be sliced into the stew. When it was offered to the sons of the prophets, they could not eat it and cried out to Elisha, “There is death in this pot!” (2 Ki. 4:40). With that, Elisha immediately advised that meal be put into the pot, which miraculously counteracted the effects of the poisonous gourds.
The similarity
As we examine this portion of God’s Word, a number of present-day parallels jump out. First, is the similarity between Israel’s condition then and the world’s condition now. Just as there was a spiritual famine in the time of Elisha, so too there is a spiritual famine in our world today. The prophet Amos wrote: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). For Israel, disobedience to the Word of God brought about God’s judgment, resulting in a lack of rain and causing conditions in which healthy food was scarce and harmful food was in abundance. In our world, the profusion of poisonous “food” expressed through the arts, literature, philosophy, and other media only substantiates the fact that there is a “famine” in the land—a dearth of the hearing of the words of the Lord. Consequently, there are spiritual dangers at every turn. Paul exhorted Timothy, “Take heed to thyself and to the doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:16), emphasizing the need to be watchful in his personal life. How much more careful should the body of Christ be in these perilous times?
The servant
Another similarity can be seen in the actions of Elisha’s servant. Like this servant, many well-meaning but naïve believers can be guilty of gathering harmful “food” (i.e. false doctrine) and introducing it into the assembly, bringing about much distress among the Lord’s people. The fact that he apparently acted independently clearly highlights the need for personal accountability in the body and the importance of closely monitoring the spiritual actions of the younger generation. Perhaps if he had declared what he had intended to do, this disaster might never have occurred. Could it be that he thought that a few more items introduced into the stew were necessary to fill up the “great pot” or even to make it more tasteful? If so, it could easily represent the enthusiastic, but often erroneous, intentions of many novices in the Lord. After all, it was a great pot and, like the Word of God, it is sufficient provision for the Lord’s people.
The source
The vine which was the source of the problem is also a key similarity. When the servant left the house, he was venturing out in the field. As it was then, so it is now—the world is filled with “wild vines” that look harmless enough but are actually deceptively poisonous. The fact that he returned with his lap full was prima facie evidence that something was dreadfully wrong! Vines often lie close to the earth and so remind us of the origin of all false doctrine—a cursed earth. The apostle Paul voiced this truth when he stated in Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Believers need to have a Berean spirit, examining every teaching in the light of the Word of God, lest in time we discover the hard way that what we are imbibing is bad for our spiritual health.
The sons
Further, there is also a valuable lesson illustrated by the sons of the prophets. These young disciples “in training” made a mistake that many of God’s people make, especially young people: they ate anything and everything put before them! At the very least, they should have inquired as to what the servant had added to the stew. But, instead, it was given to the group apparently by other servants who “did not know what they were” (2 Ki. 4:39). They should have asked the hard question, “Where did you get this?” But they didn’t, and they soon discovered the consequences of not being more discerning. Whenever new or strange doctrine is introduced to the Lord’s people, there should always be a willingness to confront or at least ask the tough questions: “Where does this come from?” and “How does this line up with Word of God?”
There is one thing, however, that was done correctly. When the sons of the prophets could not eat the stew, they went to a man of God who was more experienced and more mature than they. They knew something was wrong, but they did not know how to correct it. Young people, take note—don’t go it alone; take your questions to those who are more mature in the faith, and they will give you valuable advice that will keep you from harm.
The solution
What was the solution to this problem? When Elisha’s help was solicited, the solution came by introducing meal into the pot of stew. Meal, especially fine meal, speaks of the moral and consistently fine life of Christ (cf. Lev 2). The antidote for any false doctrine is a proper understanding and application of the person and work of Christ. This is what will undo the adverse effects of false teaching. Note that the servant was not exhorted to pour out the contents of the pot, but, instead he was given the task of counteracting its contents. Nor was the servant ostracized for bringing the poisonous gourds in. As a matter of fact, the servant was the very one who was given the task of purifying the stew. What a lesson for today! Have we fallen prey to false teaching? Then we can witness the miraculous turnaround that results from feeding on a diet rich of the person of Christ.
Paul commended the Philippians concerning their spiritual discernment when he said, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment” (Php 1:9). That same spiritual judgment is what believers everywhere need to exercise if they are to avoid the dangers that abound in this day of famine.