03.25. Death in the Pot: 2Ki_4:33-41
Chapter 7 Death in the Pot
2 Kings 4:33-41 Who are those that shall never see death, and yet are dead? The apostle saith, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God," Colossians 3:3. How wonderful to have thus outlived yourselves! The Scriptures often speak of those who belong to Christ as crucified, dead, and buried with Him! Turn your attention to Golgotha. What is it you behold there rolling on like a tempest against the Holy One of God? It advances on the wings of night, accompanied by a thousand terrors. The anger of the Almighty is in its train, the acclamations of hell accompany it. Unrestrained it rushes on, and its whole fury is directed against Him whom you see suspended on the cursed tree. No angel from heaven now stands forth to strengthen him, no shield from on high to screen him. He appears forsaken of God and man, and in this dreadful situation, he sees a power approaching him. It quenches the light of his eyes, it hath broken his heart, stiffened his limbs, and, amid the triumphant shouts of hell, rent his body and soul asunder. What power can this be? By what name is this fearful agony of the Eternal Son, this bloody catastrophe and dissolution to be described? It is the rebuke of God; it is death! It is a rebuke, a death, endured by Him who suffered it, not as due to himself, but to you and me. It is the death of that curse which was due to the sin of the whole world. He bore it as our Mediator; and "we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again;" which if we do, then are we indeed regarded as having died in Him, so that we shall never see real death, as he himself hath declared. Our death is thus complete, that we may now learn to regard our old man as crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that henceforth we may not serve sin; that we may learn to reckon ourselves as dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord; that we may not suffer "sin to reign in our mortal body, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof:" that we may be able to join in the triumphant song, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" that we may see the king of terrors prostrated at our feet, and the horrors of death and of the grave crumbled to dust.
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot."
Though the present portion of our sacred narrative may appear less attractive and significant than the one last considered, it illustrates the words of the apostle, that all Scripture given by inspiration of God, "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness;" and it conveys truths and reflections which acquire a double interest from the times we live in. It shows what God is to his children in seasons of difficulty and distress: and do I err in supposing that such exhibitions are at present peculiarly adapted to our soul’s wants? Let us then here notice, I. The dearth in the land;
II. Death familiar among the heirs of heaven; and III. The Lord’s hand not shortened.