In II Kings 4:40, we find the strange story of the “Poisoned pottage.” A group of young “Prophets-in- training” were out in the country. They were growing hungry. They collected some gourds, chopped them up, put them in a pot and cooked up some stew.
But as they began to spoon it out and eat it, they tasted something funny. They reported to Elisha, “Oh man of God, there is death in the pot!” Now just how they surmised that this pottage was poisoned, we don’t know. Did someone die? Or did a few students grow ill?
John Wycliff, in his commentary, identified these wild gourds as “Colocynth.” He described them as, "Wild cucumbers, egg-shaped gourds having a bitter taste, and producing violent diarrhea when eaten, or even death." These prophets may have started showing the first stages of such a sickness, and they were afraid it was about to bring death.
Elisha immediately asked for some flour. He poured it into the kettle and the stew was no longer poisonous. And it is this “Perilous pottage” which is being constantly fed to our culture today. And a helping of this, is beginning to make us sick.
People are being fed it from the classroom, rostrum, theatre, school and pulpit. Sad to say, in many so-called Bible Colleges, "schools of the prophets", and even in some churches, there is "death in the pot".
Are you not sick of the new brand of Christianity that even pagans don't feel embarrassed to join?
Are you not sick of a culture that throws the Ten Commandments out of the window and doesn't care about cheating, stealing or lying? These are people who do not know the difference between love and lust.
Are you not sick of hearing sin being called a “sickness,” and alcoholism or drug addiction a “disease?” If it is a disease, it is the only “sickness” you pay to get; alcohol is the only disease that is deliberately bottled by people and taxed by the government. It is the only disease that is introduced to us by the ungodly and we take voluntarily.
It is strange; our culture will demand masks to guard ourselves and others from the Coronavirus. “That could kill us!” we argue. Yet we open our spirits and gulp down any spiritual food without even thinking. That could kill us too!
Are you not sick of the liberal teachers who brainwash young students into disbelieving the Word of God?
Are you not sick of experts who know all the answers when they don't even know what the question is?
God gave us a term for such poison. He called the modern plant that kills, “False” (empty) Doctrines (teaching.) And He referred to the healthy life giving food as ugiainouses didoskolas –(”Sound, whole, happy teaching=”Sound doctrine.”)
Your spiritual health is determined by your spiritual diet. If one is sick, confused, and aimless in this world, it is clear he has been feeding from the “poisoned pot.” Only when one has spiritual health—when he/she is producing the “fruit of the spirit,”—when there is joy, gladness and love— can they know that they are feeding on healthy food. A good diet of Spiritual milk and meat can bring us back to spiritual health.
But what about you? Do you taste “death in the pot?” You need to change your intake. Begin eating the right food and your spiritual health will follow.
Numbers 6:24
David Lusk
