The Feeding of a Hundred

II Kings 4:42-44
And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

A man came from Baalshalisha and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and full ears of corn in husk thereof. See here is a man full of gratitude that he brought bread of the firstfruits for the man of God, Elisha. He purposed not in his heart that the man of God would be generous in multiplying his firstfruits. Leviticus 23:10 says, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest”. This was what was told to Moses by the Lord God. We see that man from Baalshalisha was simply following this. May we also be eager in obeying God and His commandments because they are given unto us by God for our well-being and by doing so we give God the glory! Luke 11:42 says, “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Let us not forget the most important offering desired by God which is to love God with all our heart and being fair to others. In other words, love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind and then love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39) as Jesus said. Whatever we offer unto God will be multiplied by God. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Yes, let us accept His mighty blessings unto us by bringing our offering and tithes into the storehouse of God.

Elisha asked to serve that which was brought by man from Baalshalisha to the people that they may eat. His servant responded if he should give it to the hundred people. The servant wondered if the food would be enough for the hundred people. Elisha insisted that the people be fed with the food because the LORD said that they shall eat, and shall leave thereof. Elisha was following the Lord God’s leading. The servant obeyed Elisha’s orders and distributed the food to the hundred gathered there. All the hundred ate and left thereof as per the Lord’s word. Elisha’s miracle is similar to Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand using five loaves of bread and two fish.

Remember, God’s provision can be sufficient to as many as gathered around His table. His food is good for the entire mankind forever. This includes our times of trouble, times of happiness, times of anxiety, times of famine, times of drought, times of economic depression, times of calamity, and times of surplus. His divine food is granted to us through His word, by His Spirit and using His children. God spoke to Elisha and used the food brought by man from Baalshalisha to fill the hungry hundred by using the hands of Elisha’s servant. Observe all the people involved here were receptive to God’s provision. We will be used by God if only we allow Him to, by resisting the enemy’s temptations. Enemy tempts us at all times to avoid going by the way of the Lord but resist him by bearing the whole armor of God. If we are not equipped it is easy to fall away from God and fall in the hands of the enemy. May our ears be sensitive to the murmurings of the Spirit of God and these murmurings are constant unto us His children while the enemy’s shouts are boisterous and much louder when we waver in faith. God will help us discern between the two if we wait on Him. Let us yield to His will in our lives by resisting the will of the enemy. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Yes, His thoughts for us are of peace to give us hope and future.

Next: Manoah’s Wife