As the sons of the prophets were sitting before [Elisha], he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” – 2 Kings 4:38
We are introduced here to a group of men known as “the sons of the prophets.” They lived in community and gave themselves to study and prayer. They brought the Word of God to the people.
It’s likely that Elisha was there often, teaching, mentoring, exhorting them to walk with God. In this time of famine, Elisha wanted them to enjoy a good meal. So he said to his servant Gehazi, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew” (4:38).
Then one of the students thinks, “We should add some flavor to the meat.” He found some wild gourds and put them into the pot “not knowing what they were” (4:39).
When the sons of the prophets tasted the stew, they knew immediately that something was wrong. They shouted to Elisha, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” (4:40). Elisha told them to put flour in the stew, and then “there was no harm in the pot” (4:41). God made the poisonous stew safe.
This strange story points us to a wonderful truth: God’s work continues despite our foolish mistakes. The student who put the poison in the pot certainly didn’t intend to harm the others. He must have thought “How could I have been such a fool?”
When, by a miracle of God’s grace, the stew was made safe, the student must have breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank You, Lord! My foolish mistake might have led to disaster, but You stepped in and saved us from the worst effects of my folly.”
Do you need God to step in and save you from a foolish mistake?
