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Chapter four last week we mentioned on Wednesday night that in 4-1 to 623 we have a series of miracles by the prophet Elijah so this on the one hand is it is a demonstration of God's mercy and goodness and kindness on the other hand it does in fact confirm that he is the lawful successor to Elijah the prophet so Elijah speaks truth to the Kings in chapter 3 and then he goes about on these various activities these miracle miraculous displays of God's sovereign powers we're going to take up the second two or the last two miracles in chapter 4 last time we saw the widow's oil and the Shu termites son who had died and been raised tonight we're going to look at this purification of stew and the provision of bread for a 100 men so I'll begin reading in verse 38 and Elijah returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in the land now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him and he said to his servant put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets so one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered from it a lap full of wild gourds and came and sliced them into the pot of stew though they did not know what they were then they served it to the men to eat now it happened as they were eating the stew that they cried out and said man of God there is death in the pot and they could not eat it so he said then bring some flour and he put it into the pot and said serve it to the people that they may eat and there was nothing harmful in the pot then a man came from bale Silesia and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits 20 loaves of barley bread and newly ripened grain in his knapsack and he said give it to the people that they may eat but his servant said what shall I set this before 100 men he said again give it to the people that they may eat for thus says the Lord they shall eat and some left over so he said it before them and they ate and had some left over according to the word of the Lord so it's a relatively brief section and a relatively simple section in turn of terms of exposition so we'll look at it briefly and then draw out several lines of application but I just wanted to recoat davis who said we enter into a segment of Elijah's ministry in which he shows Yahweh's power is triumphant over debt we saw that in verses one to seven over death in verses 8 to 37 drought in verses 38 to 40 for two episodes disease will be in chapter 5 and then difficulty in chapters say so it is a manifestation or a demonstration of God's power through his prophet Elijah 2 very real and very tangible and very earthy needs that people have we see in this section that God is in fact concerned with the the major movements in world history specifically the Moabite rebellion in 2nd Kings chapter 3 but he also comes to render aid to persons in need at a very Minh City of a hit of nation against nation but in the the ebb and flow of men's men's lives in the kingdom of God God is there for them so let's look first at this purification of stew in verses 38 to 41 now it's similar to what Elijah has already done in chapter 2 when he was in Bethel or in Jericho rather and he purified the water the water there was was bad water it produced Berenice it produced all kinds of calamity and Elijah under God purified that water used a bowl and salt and he put it in there it wasn't that that was magic it was the word of the Lord that healed those waters well the same thing is here here a true here but note the situation verse 38 indicates that things are not well in the land it says Elijah returned to Gilgal that's where he had been with a lie Jah prior to Elijah's translation and then he goes on to say and there was a famine in the now that's not just in Gilgal the land refers to Israel and if you're familiar with Leviticus 26 in Deuteronomy 28 we refer to those often those are the Covenant blessings and covenant cursings at the plains of Moab we'll look at that one in Deuteronomy 28 god almighty tells the nation of Israel if you go into the land and you obey my covenant you obey my law there will be blessing there will be you know blessing on the land will be blessing in your homes there'll be economic prosperity and all sorts of good things but if you go into the land and you disobey and you and you engage it in wickedness and covenantal infidelity then there will be curses and one of the curses is famine and so when we read here in verse 38 that there was a famine in the land we'll continue to see that that's the backdrop of this section in second Kings it's repeated again in chapter 8 at verse 1 so famine in Israel usually indicates that God is judging the nation God is displeased with what's going on in the nation and so he has brought this covenant curse to bear upon them so we see there the famine and then notice this stew Elijah returned there was a famine in the land now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him and he said to his servant put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets now typically when we read of a famine in the land that doesn't mean there's no food whatsoever the idea of drought doesn't mean no water whatsoever but it's certainly something that limits the capacities of men to survive but in this instance Elijah is visiting these sons of the prophets remember that there were these schools of the prophets there were these places started no doubt by Elijah where men would gather they would be trained they would engage in edification and encouragement one to another and they were in many respects the thing that was actually holding the nation together by the grace of God but he visits with these prophets Elijah does for instruction encouragement and then as well to confirm his place as the prophet of God all of this is confirmed Tory or authenticating all the miracles that he does it does serve particular needs but it also validates that he is the man of God and that his word is indeed the Word of God now notice this instruction to prepare stew to feed the prophets matthew henry made this comment he said on the lecture day the sons of the prophets being all to attend he ordered his servant to provide food for their bodies while he was breaking to them the bread of life for their souls like that he wants to make sure that they're able to eat while he is indeed feeding them with the truth of God in terms of edification and instruction and encouragement for their usefulness in ministry there in Israel now note the problem in verses 39 to 40 verse 39 says so one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered from it a lap full of wild gourds and came and sliced them into the pot of stew though they did not know what they were now that last bit is a bit ambiguous we're not sure if it was the group that didn't know that he put this into the pot or if they to a man didn't know what kind of a gourd this was but suffice it to say bad things were placed into this pot now the older commentators and Davis agrees that it was probably citrus called synthesis which produces a small yellow melon that acts as a strong laxative a large quantity can be fatal so it's not a good thing that they're about to ingest and they realize this matthew henry here again says something very very perceptive as I get older and hopefully more seasoned the more I appreciate matthew henry and matthew pool these brothers are just fantastic but listen to what henry says he says the sons of the prophets it seems were better skilled in divinity than in natural philosophy that's what the old boys called science they were better skilled in divinity than in natural philosophy and read their Bibles more than their herbals so they didn't know what gourd it was and picked up and plopped into that stewpot and so this is indeed a bad thing however the implication ought to encourage those of us who seek to honor God we have good intentions at times but we make mistakes along the way God and His goodness overrules this not everybody ends up having to run to the bathroom or ultimately run to the emergency room to get some sort of treatment because they ingested this poisonous gourd but God in His grace and in His mercy overrules this no doubt the one who went into the field to gather the herbs more in tune with divinity than he was with natural philosophy thought it was a good thing to grab this little yellow melon looking fruit or gourd rather and put it into the stew pot it was well intentioned but it was mistaken and God in His goodness overruled that now we ought to appreciate that but with this miracle and the next it ought not to be universalized in other words the scope of these miracles ought to be considered just because we see that these men these prophets didn't get poison we don't lift that out of its context and then somehow think we'll never get poison I can eat whatever I want because I'm never gonna get poison because God will mint no don't don't live like that don't put poisonous gourds in your stew pot be wise and exercise judicious pursuit of natural philosophy when it comes to stuff you're gonna put down your gullet don't be a fool and universalize a miracle and then start living as a fool and light of it same thing with the feeding of these 100 the idea that Jesus teaches us that we need to pray that God give us this day our daily bread indicates at least on the part of Jesus that our provision isn't going to be a miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish every day that we live we need to seek God we need to ask God we need to trust God we need to depend upon God but with reference to this we ought not to universalize it but we ought to take some comfort that even though this man was mistaken the Lord nevertheless overruled this particular situation so there's death in the pot verse 4 they served it to the man - to eat now it happened as they were eating the stew they cried out and said man of God there is death in the pot and they could not eat it now note the remedy he said then bring some flour now this is like that salt in the new ball that was used to purify the waters at Jericho the salt and the new Bowl was not magic it didn't have healing properties wasn't the case that you could take that put it into any body of water and it would somehow clean it up it wasn't iodine it wasn't some water purification salt but rather it was a sign an emblem a symbol and that's how this flower functions here it's not the case that this flower can neutralize the poisonous effect of this gourd as Mathew Poole says it happens too quickly it's not the case that the flower exercises some healing properties into this stew pot rather it's a symbol or a sign or an emblem and a display of God's power much like water is useful to us and baptism are much like bread and wine are useful to us and in the Lord's Supper it's a it's an unofficial sort of a sacrament it's an unofficial sort of pledge that God is at work I say unofficial in terms of salt in a bowl and flour in a stewpot official sacraments include baptism and the Lord's Supper but you see in the history of Israel you see in the new covenant church that God uses these emblems to help the people of God not that we live by sight but these visual reminders keep us from going astray they help us baptism Lord's Supper are constant emblems and signs of what God has done for us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ and that's probably how this flower functions in this particular capacity Davis says visible signs are God's defense against spiritual amnesia and then notice at the end of verse 41 and there was nothing harmful in the pot so they're able to eat this stew and to receive sustenance at a time of famine now notice secondly the provision for on 100 men in verses verse 42 indicates the resources notice there then a man came from bale shelita and brought the man of God bred of the firstfruits 20 loaves of barley bread and newly ripened grain in his knapsack now this is a great indicator that there was still faith in Israel verse 38 indicates that there was in fact a famine for and he said that there is no doubt God's judgment upon the land as a result of that they have was a wretch the kings after him the Kings prior to him Jeroboam the son of Nebat these men were terrible servants of God Most High and they drove the kingdom into the ground but this is an evidence that what God spoke in first Kings 1918 was in fact true God said I have reserved for myself 7,000 knees that will not bow to bale or kiss him so God had a remnant in place and this is evidence of that because it was the case according to the law in Exodus 23 in Leviticus chapter 23 numbers 18 Deuteronomy 18 the firstfruits were to be presented to the house of the Lord specifically to the priests now note where this man from bale chalisa takes his first fruits when there's a corrupt priesthood when these priests are servants of bale as they serve Ahab or as they serve Isaiah or as they serve johar impose wicked kings when those men are not engaged in the true worship of the Living God and they are false and they are they are fakes then what does this man do he takes these firstfruits to Elisha the prophet this is a wonderful display that there was indeed a remnant there was in fact faith in Israel Hubbard says in this case however the man brought it to Elisha by passing in protests the apostate northern religious leaders at the sanctuary near by at Bethel he passes that comes to Gilgal so he can find Elisha to present him with these firstfruits that is the evidence that there is faith House says not all Israelites adopted the religion of Jeroboam and am faithful individuals supported the separatist Yahweh prophets the Lord did indeed reserve 7,000 who refused to worship Bale you see that little sign of that little statement in verse 42 I mean obviously the existence of these schools of the prophets obviously Elijah but not just in terms of the prophetic class but there were men in Israel that had not bowed the knee to bail and so this man brings his firstfruits he brings these 20 loaves of barley bread newly ripened grained in his now newly ripened grain in his knapsack and he presents it to Elijah now note Elijah's instruction he says give it to the people that they may eat that's a good thing isn't it Elijah's not gonna horde he's not gonna save it up for next week he's going to make sure that all the people that are present are going to eat and now the man is smart enough to realize that 20 loaves and a bit of grain isn't going to be enough or sufficient to feed this multitude now if you're thinking New Testament you should be because Elijah here is functioning as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ which we'll investigate in a little more detail as we can as we continue tonight but simple mathematics dick dictated that the 20 loaves and Bitto grain would not sufficiently feed the 100 men that are present at this particular setting so the servant says what shall I set this before 100 men so like I said again give it to the people that they may eat for thus says the Lord they shall eat and have some left over so we see the instruction is based on the Word of God the instruction includes present provision and the instruction includes future provision as well there will be some left over just like with that widows oil she filled up all of the vessels she was able to pay off her debts and then she had some left for her and her signs to sustain themselves we have another Ephesians 3 verse 20 moment in this particular tax he not only provides but he does exceedingly abundant above all that we ask or think he not only feeds them presently but there's also leftovers now this is a time of famine I think it's tough for us as North Americans to really get into passages like these where in in an agrarian society food gathering was a whole lot more labor-intensive than it is for us in fact a large part of your life was founded on getting food ok so when we read through this and we see this reference in verse 38 to famine in the land we really should let that sink in for a moment famine in the land for us means Costco's out of my favorite brand of peanut butter I just can't have that I just complained today to somebody that superstore doesn't ever have the coffee that I like that's a famine in the land in North America but in this particular context famine in the land meant death so much of life at that particular time was about gathering food storing food getting food it wasn't the case that they had a Walmart a super store a price Mart you know I mean shelves full of breakfast cereal I mean there's there's more stuff in one aisle of our stores than we could ever use in a lifetime if it was able to be preserved for that long we just take it for granted but in this situation the fact that there are these 20 loaves of barley bread some newly ripened grain and his knapsack no doubt these persons are watching this transaction when this man hands over the food to Elijah and they're licking their lips they're handed that the hunger pangs are ringing inside of them it wasn't that they just finished a great big meal and they don't care about barley loaves they see this and it looks enticing so God not only provides for them but there's leftovers there's more for later you see a famine in the land and nevertheless God is showing grace and mercy and kindness and goodness to his people on the ground and then notice that is precisely what transpires in verse 44 so he said it before them and they ate and had some leftover according to the word of the Lord so as I said it's a very brief section as matthew henry says he says it he made hurtful food to become safe and wholesome he made a little food to go a great way those are the two things operative in this particular passage but I think there are several lessons that we need to appreciate in the first place and I'm taking this right from Davis he speaks of the earthiness of God the earthiness of God and what does he mean by that he means God is a real world God God is in the muck with his people God knows where we're at God knows the situations we face and God is there for us the earthiness of God Davis says these two episodes this brief section verses 38 to 44 used the verb to eat eight times that's not accidental because verse 38 tells us there's a famine in the land doesn't that naturally suggest again as North American readers we probably go right over verse 38 without giving it a second thought but whenever you read there's famine in the land in the biblical narrative the the natural question that should present itself would be well what are they going to eat right if you came home and you told your wife and you kick your kids you know dad lost his job I would imagine they would say well what are we going to eat or they probably at some point will say that what are we going to eat and so that verb is used 8 times in this brief section and notice he goes on to say without becoming Marxists we can see a very important point here Yahweh is very earthy daily bread matters to him how close the God of the Bible is to where you live I think that's a good observation and one that's helpful to room find us with reference to the mundane of affairs of our lives a second thing that we ought to appreciate is the faithful response in a faithful faithless regime in other words what is the faithful man's response in a faithless regime while you function in accordance with the law verse 42 then a man came from BHEL Silesia and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits now brethren that was a sacrifice remember there's famine not just in Gilgal but in bale shal isha there is famine in the land and for this man to take his stuff this precious food and take it to the Prophet Elisha and turn it over to him to do with as Elijah sees fit that's an act of faith he's obeying the law of God even when circumstances are against him he's obeying the law of God even when the government is against him he's obeying the law of God as a faithful man in a faithless regime we ought to appreciate as well that God does provide for his faithful ones during a faithless regime the fact that there were schools of prophets the fact that there was Elijah the Prophet the fact that there was Elijah the Prophet why does God send those men to this particular region because there was a remnant there were those who had not bowed the knee to bail there were those who had not succumbed to bail worship they wanted to serve Yahweh and so the prophetic ministry continued so God deals with his faithful people in the midst of a faithless regime and a third lesson with reference to this particular point is one that I think is difficult as well is that the faithful oftentimes suffer along with the faith less notice it doesn't say in verse 38 Elijah returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in the land so God raptured the faithful out of the land for the period of time that there was a famine or God set up tent cities for the faithful no he did provide for them through the minute straight of his law through the Ministry of his profits but brethren when a faithless regime drives the nation into a ditch and when persons all around us start to engage in idolatry and cry out to God for judgment oftentimes God visits nations with judgment and the righteous suffer alongside of that I think gives us some impetus to pray for the good of the nation that we are in I mean it could sound self-interested god bless the nation so that I don't end up in trouble but isn't that in essence what Paul tells us in first Timothy chapter 2 in fact you can turn there so you can see that I'm not making this up I think it's got at least in the context or there's an illusion or some sort of frame of reference to the letter to the exiles by Jeremiah in Jeremiah chapter 29 go to first Timothy 2 but just while you're turning there think of Jeremiah chapter 29 the people of Israel Judah specifically are in captivity in Babylon and God tells them very specifically to pray for the Peace of the city that you in dwell in other words pay pray for a pagan babylonian city why so that you can continue to flourish and thrive and populate and have children and eventually return back to Judah pray for the Peace of the city that you dwell in notice Paul in 1st Timothy 2:1 therefore I exhort first of all that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for kings and all who are in authority notice that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence in other words pray for the governing authorities so that they don't outlaw Christianity pray for the governing authorities so that they don't throw you into prison pray for the governing authorities so that you may continue to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence I don't think it's untoward and I think it's absolutely positively a good thing to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven because when men continue to violate his law when they continue to butcher babies and butcher old people and butcher sick people when they continue to engage in flagrant abuse of God's holy law and he sends vengeance down from heaven he doesn't cart the believers are first to a particular province where they can be safe until the judgment passes brethren believers go through these sorts of things as well and we knowing that ought to be a prayerful people and interceding people not only for our own benefit but for the sakes of you know governmental authority for for for families for society these are legitimate things to cry out to God for so faithful Ness in a faithless regime ought to be the pursuit and then thirdly we ought to appreciate as a whole these four miracles in Chapter four the widow's oil the Shunammite son the pot of stew and these hundred men in the first place the Lord is not only concerned with the big stuff affecting nations I mentioned this earlier want to tease it out a bit here the Lord is not only concerned with the big stuff affecting nations the Moabite rebellion in chapter 3 which is successfully put down but also with the small stuff and when I say small stuff I don't mean that it's it's insignificant but comparatively you know Moabite rebellion against an entire nation we call that a big thing you know if some nation invaded Canada we'd call that a big thing when it comes to our own debts and when it comes to our own life in this world those are big things but you get the contrast I'm making big stuff small stuff small stuff doesn't mean it's unimportant as this section teaches us because God deals with it but big in terms of national sort of situation and small with reference to the things that we go through on a daily basis so God is not only concerned with the big stuff affecting nations but also with the small stuff of everyday life and what we've seen in this passage in terms of everyday life includes debt death killer stew and just a few loaves those sorts of things God is concerned with as well and I think that naturally from this two implications follow the first is to recognize this and to understand it and to use it as an antidote against carnal anxiety in other words if God is concerned to subdue Moabite rebellion and to make sure that a nameless woman gets an you know endless oil at least for a time then that ought to promote in us a lack or a desire rather to resist the tendency to carnal anxiety or what we popularly call worry if you look at Matthew chapter six I think this is the gist of Jesus teaching in this particular section the antidote to worry in Matthew 6:25 234 therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing look at the birds of the air for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feeds them you see God tends to birds and if you're more valuable than birds you may not be at the level of a Moabite rebellion against the northern kingdom might not be big stuff that way even though it is classified as small stuff you need to understand that God is there in the small stuff and as a result do not worry do not be riddled with carnal anxiety don't be paralyzed by that sort of a mindset but rather look at the birds look at the birds of the air for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feeds them are you not more of more value than they which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature I mean in the end of the day it just doesn't help or benefit to worry doesn't it though does it I've ever got to the end of a day I've worried I'm a worrier I'm a chronic worrier I don't have any qualms admitting that to everybody here I think you probably already know that but at the end of the day and I don't ever do but I probably should I should reflect and say did any of my worry today make anything better I think the answer will always be a resounding no no I've learned that half the stuff I worry about doesn't happen you know it's just really not a good exercise to engage it so why do you worry about clothing he says in verse 28 consider the lilies of the field you see what he's saying look at the small stuff to learn of your God I think we're in tuned to look at the big stuff and to see God in that and that's good we better see see God in the big stuff but I think here precisely Jesus is saying see God in the little stuff and may that serve as an antidote to your carnal anxiety and to your worry and your panic look at the look at the lilies of the field they don't toil they don't spin and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these now if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven will he not much more clothe you of you of oh you of little faith therefore do not worry saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear for after these things the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things sufficient for the day is its own trouble now it's not lost on me brethren that I just confessed to sin to you in terms of worry four times Christ says don't worry four times in in that big of a passage he points to birds he points to he points to lilies he points to Gentiles he says God's got this why do you worry about it and I think having that proper understanding of God and the big stuff but God and the small stuff as well and that's what a second Kings for just parades it highlights it demonstrates that it is conspicuous that it's the small everyday ordinary earthy affairs that God speaks to and deals with but as well this is an antidote with reference to fear notice in Matthew 10 now carnal anxiety and fear are very similar worry and fear are similar but but not exactly the same sort of thing but notice Jesus emphases with reference to not fearing in the context it's with reference to the Apostles and a missionary trip going out and preaching the gospel certainly they're gonna meet opposition the book of Acts highlights that the opposition first from unbelieving Israel opposition from the Roman Empire there's going to be great opposition against the Christian Church and so Jesus is cautioning Jesus exhorting Jesus is encouraging his disciples not to fear but notice how he encourages them not to fear notice specifically in verse he mentions do not fear in verse 26 but then drop down to verse 27 whatever I tell you in the dark speak in the light what you hear in the air preach on the on the housetops housetops do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell there's a whole lot of things that could be said there but I think it points to the incompetence of men and the Omni competence of God man's incompetent he can only kill your body God's Omni competent he can kill body and soul and throw it into hell so you ought to fear Him don't fear men that are incompetent but rather fear a God who is omnipotent and then notice how does he display this in the small stuff are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will but the very hairs of your head are all numbered do not fear therefore you are of more value than many sparrows so an antidote to fear a hell so that we do not is to understand God understand God's sovereignty and power in the midst of the small stuff and if you haven't seen it if I haven't been clear 2nd Kings chapter 4 is a trophy case of God's dealings in the small stuff again don't go home and say Butler thinks death of a child is a small thing I'm not saying that Moabite rebellion against Israel life on the ground in terms of ordinary day out situations secondly the Lord is not only concerned with Kings and sometimes he isn't but he's also concerned with nobodies there's a great contrast between chapters three in Chapter four Elijah doesn't even want to look at doesn't even want to look at the Johanna verse thirteen Elijah said to the king of Israel what have I to do with you go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother but the king of Israel said to him no for the Lord has called these three together these three together to deliver them into the hand of Moab and Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts lives before whom I stand surely were it not that I regard the presence of Josh of that king of Judah I would not look at you nor see you so you see God doesn't even want to look at Joe harem but he does he does tend to not only Joe harem but especially to Jehoshaphat actually he tends to Jehoshaphat Jehoshaphat or he is sort of on the sidelines and recipient receives blessings but he's not only concerned with Kings he's also concerned with nobodies a nameless widow in the first part a nameless Shunammite a nameless group of guys sitting around a stewpot and a nameless hundred that got to eat you see God's not only concerned with big stuff small stuff Kings and nobodies they're not encouraging see that's what chapter four second Kings teaches us thirdly the Lord is not only concerned with the direct advancement of his kingdom but also he delights in showing kindness in the midst of the kingdom what do I mean by that when elijah comes to the stewpot or you know calls for the stewpot that directs directly aids the advance of the kingdom doesn't it I mean I'm sure prophets were just like men today if they didn't eat they drop dead if you don't have a prophet you don't have the Word of God and so when these prophets are fed it is a direct advancement of the kingdom of God but for the others they're not directly advancing the kingdom of God it's God delighting and showing kindness merci without necessarily a view to advancing the kingdom the Shunammite woman no notoriety no redemptive historical sort of presence in Israel just a son for a woman to put a smile on her face so it's for the advancement of the kingdom and it's for happiness in the life of the kingdom fourthly the Lord utilizes means in this chapter oil a bowl with salt flour in the stew a few loaves to feed a multitude but the power is according to his word that's what's uppermost in the chapter and that's what I said earlier we're not to take these two particular miracles and universalize them and think that we can throw anything into our stew pot and eat it because in 2nd Kings for they didn't die so neither will we or we ought not to think we don't need to get enough food for the church picnic because if we just have 12 hamburgers it's gonna feed everybody because that's what happened in 2nd Kings chapter we're not to do that we're to understand that precisely what God promises comes to pass in 2nd Kings chapter 4 it's the power of his word 5th the Lord brings judgment on his unfaithful people the famine but also demonstrates grace in the midst of such judgment like food you got the overarching term in verse 38 there's famine in the land that's judgment but in the midst of the land there's grace because God is providing for his remnant in the midst of this particular context you see God or the Prophet Habakkuk prayed in your wrath remember mercy what do you think about it prayed that probably because he had witnessed such things in God's history we can pray that prayer today in your wrath we believe that that this culture is you know progressively and and and more so under the wrath and judgment of God and we can pray in your wrath remember mercy because of 2nd Kings chapter 4 there's famine in the land but in the midst of the famine in the land that is punctuated by this the these outflows of God's grace in terms of the provision of food six the Lord not only grants Grace and the provision of food but he does so in and exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think manner they had some leftover beautiful we don't even sometimes don't even eat up leftovers it goes into the fridge it grows hair after a week and we toss it out you wouldn't throw away leftovers here remember when we used to go to Union Gospel Mission we'd see food on the ground out in front of the Misha and Steve and I would Muse you wouldn't see that land on a street in the Sudan for me there's no way there'd be a big sweet button laying on the street the suit it would be eaten it would be gone in Haiti I mean it's just amazing homeless take route back here and they leave pizzas and sandwiches I mean if it was a famine in the land there'd be no pizzas and sandwiches on the ground at the free grace Baptist Church would then so the fact that there were leftovers brethren that was a blessing from God that was in Ephesians 3:20 moment he does exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think we just wanted something for our bellies now but we got something for later too this is the God of second kings for and then finally the Lord God not only rules his people from on high he sends his prophet to dwell among them as his representative imagine how it warmed the hearts of the remnant to see Elijah and to see these schools of the prophets they knew things weren't right in Israel they knew that every time they went to their pantries and there was only a little bit of food sitting on that shelf they knew that because of a of Jeroboam and then Ahab and then a Ziya a ninja harem and then the you know the whole host of ungodly kings that they had they had been unfortunate enough to live under they knew what was happening so they'd see the school of the Prophet so they'd hear the school of the prophets or they'd see the Prophet Elisha it must have cheered their hearts province or to summarizes at the end he says it is the chapters concluding demonstration that the Lord is a God who heals and provides talking about these two miracles a God who brings life from death it is also the final proof that the god of Elijah is now the god of Elijah and I think that's a beautiful way to conclude with reference to the miracles I mentioned the typical significance of the miracles generally Elijah like Jesus does a lot of miracles I mean we see that Matthew 5 to 7 the authoritative word of Christ Matthew 8 to 9 miracle miracle miracle one after another the Lorelai show the Prophet he's commissioned in chapter 2 or he receives the mantle he does a couple of initial things in Jericho and then at Bethel and then in chapter 3 he speaks the authoritative word to these kings going into battle to subdue this Moabite rebellion and then chapters 4 to 6 he's a no he's a Jesus white figure going from place to place to place doing miracles among the that the common folk along among the nameless among the nobodies that's precisely what Jesus did but this last miracle specifically points to our Lord the specific significance when Jesus fed the 5,000 and then again the 4,000 we might wonder why a 5,000 and then a 4,000 I think the 4,000 was a Gentile region I think what we have in the feeding of the 5,000 is Jesus ministering to Jews and then the 4,000 reads and I think it can be shown I tried to show it when I preached this passage is that he's feeding Gentiles Jew Gentile benefit under the Messiah of Israel even our Lord Jesus Christ so the specific significance of this last miracle is that it's typical of our Lord Jesus and when we see Jesus in the New Testament Scriptures doing these things he is the anti-type to Elijah but as well in John's Gospel as he records the feeding miracle Jesus is the anti-type to Moses Moses gave you bread in the wilderness your father's ultimately died the bread I give you you will not die well let us close in a word of Prayer father we thank you for your word we thank you for the excellence and the power and the majesty displayed in a passage like second Kings for it cheers us and it encourages us God to see you even moving and blessing and dealing and doing miracles and the lives of ordinary people people that their name's not even recorded in Scripture encourage us with this view of our God and encourage us with the reality that that you are over all things the big things the small things and that you are a God who calls us not to worry and a God who calls us not to fear I mean we take these things may we pray the men may help us to be more and more conformed under the image of your beloved son and we pray in his most blessed name amen