=ELISHA – A MAN OF MIRACLES=

The Corn and the Barley Loaves

Review:
1. – (890 BC) – II Kings 2:13-14
2. – (890 BC) – II Kings 2:20-22
3. – (890 BC) – II Kings 2:24-25
4. – (890 BC) – II Kings 3:12-27
5. – (890 BC) – II Kings 4:6-7
6. – (890-891 BC) – II Kings 4:11-17
7. – (c. 886 BC) – II Kings 4:33-37
8. – (c. 886 BC) – II Kings 4:38-41

I. THE OF THE CONTRIBUTION

(c. 886 BC) – II Kings 4:42-43
A. “There came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God
bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in
the husk” (verse 42a).
1. In making this contribution to the prophet Elisha, the man from
Baal-shalisha did what many of the devout Israelites did in that day
of apostasy.
a. Such gifts were normally to be made to the
(Deuteronomy 18:3-5).
b. When the kingdom of Israel split and great apostasy set in,
the priests either did not exist in the land or they were so
apostate because of following Baalism that no devout
Israelite wanted to support them.
2. This man from Baal-shalisha’s gift reveals his
in God.
a. It says he was one of those seven thousand who had not
bowed the knee to Baal.
b. It also says he was not looking for a clever
to get out of giving.
c. Many religious Jews were keeping what belonged to because they did not want
to contribute to Samaria (the place where the apostate temple to Baal and his priests were
located).
3. By its name, Baal-shalisha, was an unlikely place to expect a contribution for God.
a. This town was originally named “Shalisha” (I Samuel 9:4).
b. Because of the evil influence of Baal worship, like other towns (“Baal-hermon” - I Chronicles
5:23) was given a name change which would Baal.
4. The food gift the man from Baal-shalisha gave Elisha was “of the firstfruits” (verse 42) of his crops.
a. The “ ” were the first portion of a larger harvest.
b. The “ ” illustrates giving back to God the first and the best of what
He has given us.
B. “And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. [43] And his servitor said, What, should I set this before
an hundred men?” (verses 42b-43a).
1. When the gift of food was received by Elisha, he ordered his servant to “Give unto the people, that they
may eat” (verse 42).
2. But Elisha’s servant Gehazi objected by saying, “What, should I set this before an hundred men?”
(verse 43).
C. “He said ” (verse 43) was Elisha's response to Gehazi.
1. When we get enthused about some work God has called us to do and then some Gehazi comes along and
discredits it in a cynical manner, let us not give up and quit the work.
2. Do as Elisha did and pursuing the work of God anyway.

II. THE OF THE CONTRIBUTION (c. 886 BC) – II Kings 4:43-44

A. Elisha simply his orders and added to them the promise of the multiplication of the gift: “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” (verses 43-44).
1. This man from Baal-shalisha accomplished a lot more than what he ever he
would when he made his contribution.
a. can make a much better use of our talents than anyone else can.
b. Multiplication occurs when we give as the Lord directs us to give.
2. are notorious at making much go a little ways. is famous
for making little go a long ways.
3. The loaves of the Israelites were cakes or rolls, rather than loaves in the modern sense of the word.
a. Each person at a meal usually had for himself.
b. Twenty loaves would be sufficient for men.
4. This man gave what he had but it made a miracle necessary, if the food is to feed all the men involved.
a. There were at least men to feed (verse 30).
b. God was able to do a miracle because this man was willing to what he had.
5. Not only will the food feed five times as many as it would normally have done, but there will also be
some leftovers (verse 44)!
B. This miracle of multiplying the food for the people foreshadows the work of in
feeding the multitudes.
1. In each case there was a crowd of hungry people, Elisha and Christ had compassion on them, there was an
unbelieving attendant raising an objection, Elisha and Christ fed the crowd through their servant, and in
each case a surplus remained after the people had eaten.
2. Christ is in the comparison to Elisha in performing the miracle of feeding people.
a. In Matthew 14, Jesus fed a much larger group, over five thousand (Matthew 14:21) instead of
one hundred.
b. In Matthew 14, Jesus employed fewer loaves—five (Matthew 14:17), instead of twenty.
c. In Matthew 14, Jesus supplied a better meal – fish as well as bread.
d. In Matthew 14, Jesus wrought by His own power.
e. In Matthew 15, there is also the miracle of the feeding of the 4,000 (Matthew 15:34-38).