Death in the Pot

2 Kings 4:38–44

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 4

Citrullus colocynthis

QUESTION: Were the gourds good or bad?

The gourds were very good and helpful when used in the right way, but they were harmful when used in the wrong way.

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The first thing I want us to think about from the story of Death in the Pot is…

Daring DIRECTION Without Divine DISCERNMENT Leads to Deadly DESTRUCTION.

Proverbs 16:18–25 NASB95

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of fools is folly. The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

QUESTION: Did the guy put the gourds in the stew to hurt people?

No, he was trying to help, but his ignorance put people in danger.

James warns us that what we say, especially about God, is powerful and we have to be careful with how we use it when he says,

James 3:1–12 NASB95

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Whether you are an elder, a deacon, one who aspires to be such, or a follower of Jesus in any sense, we have to take seriously the responsibility to speak about Jesus to others and also to speak correctly about Him.

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The second thing I want us to think about from the story of Death in the Pot is…

When God is added into the mix, things change for the better.

In Exodus 15:22-27, the Israelites need water but it is too bitter to drink until God tells Moses to put a tree into the water to sweeten it.

In Mark 8:1-10, a few loaves of bread and a few small fish plus Jesus is enough to feed everyone and have leftovers.

In John 6:4-14, Philip does the math and tells Jesus that the money they have isn’t close to what they need to even by bread for the people who are following Jesus, but a little boy’s lunch plus Jesus is enough to feed everyone and have leftovers.

In John 11:1-46, Martha tells Jesus that her brother, Lazarus, is dead, but a dead Lazarus plus a living Jesus resulted in a living Lazarus.

In your life today, the math doesn’t add up. There are not enough dollars in the bank, doctors in the hospital, or therapists in the counseling center to make a difference in your greatest challenges.

Like God’s people in the Bible, God is able to provide those things that you need even if it seems impossible, but you have to put Him into the mix of your life.

James 4:1–10 NASB95

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

One of the most expensive pieces of sushi is called Fugu in Japanese. Only the finest sushi chefs can make it, and the preparation is regulated by the government! Why? Because the sushi is made from part of the Pufferfish, which contains a Tetrodotoxin. If prepared incorrectly, a person would eat the sushi and all of their muscles, including their lungs, would become paralyzed while they were still conscious. They would suffocate to death since they couldn’t breathe. There is no antitoxin for this, so the only way to survive is to be put on life support until your body flushes the toxin out.

We have all some poisonous things in our lives. We were born sinners because our first father, Adam, ate something that poisoned the whole world. We are poisoned by others who have sinned against us, hurt us, or abused us. We have poisoned ourselves by turning to the world for guidance or trying to make it on our own instead of listening to God’s directions for us.

TAKEAWAYS

TAKEAWAY #1 - If we want God’s blessing, we must do things God’s way according to God’s Word, the Bible.

TAKEAWAY #2 - God can make something out of our messes when we come to Him.

TAKEAWAY #3 - God saved the Israelites from death in the pot, and He will save you and me from death and the grave.

God doesn’t have to save anyone, but He chooses to intervene because He loves us!

TAKEAWAY #4 - Through Elisha, God added bread flour to the pot so it could serve its purpose. Through the cross, God adds Jesus, the Bread of Life, to our dead spirits so we can serve our purpose, too.

In just a moment, you will head out into a village where people are dying from the poisonous stew of their lives. You have the Bread of Life that can change everything, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and if you sprinkle that good news into peoples’ lives it will make a big difference!

Pray and Sing