"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets." 2 Kings 4:38.
The dearth in the land, when Elisha came again to Gilgal, might be compared with the Dark Ages when the original truths of Christianity were, in the main, lost.
About one hundred and fifty years ago the Spirit of God raised again these precious truths.
The sons, of the prophets, in the setting before us, were real, for the most part, and they were sitting before the prophet. When one is sitting, he has a lap, as in verse 39, "his lap full." The language suggests energy and lassitude intermingled.
How rich the truth recovered, "the unsearchable riches of Christ"; how slow we are to appropriate them to ourselves, so much sitting, so little walking. If we do not walk in the truth recovered for us, we may lose it. England has largely lost it, as well as the continent of Europe. The Spanish-speaking people seem to value the truth and are being blessed.
The command of Elisha was, "Set on the great pot." This was the same great pot that was set on at Pentecost.
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord." Eph. 2:20,21.
The pot was originally filled by the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. It was not a new one but contained all that is necessary to feed the people of God until Christ will come for us. How precious to have all of the truth ministered to clean souls in a clean place, by the Holy Spirit of God. "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3.
"And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot." 2 Kings 4:39-41.
It seems that the sons of the prophets have made progress. They now have a capacity for what is in the pot and discernment as to its purity.
One among them who did not have discernment shred wild gourds into the pot. This permeated the whole pot of food, similar to the leaven referred to in Matt. 13. The sons of the prophets discovered death in the pot.
The prophet said, "Then bring meal," and there was no more death in the pot. Then the food was fit to eat. The meal is Christ, come down from heaven. Every doctrine of man can be tested and set aside by the meal.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:1-4.
How full the provision and the protection of the truth for the last days.
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:6.
Gilgal speaks of the heavenly places where the believer is now seated. That is now our native land, but we are sent to bear witness on earth to the truth, all of it. Have your spiritual travels led you to Gil-gal?
The next step will be heaven. All who are trusting in the precious blood of Christ are sure to be in heaven. Many of the same are already there in spirit. For such, the transition, or translation, when it comes, will produce little change, only the place of bodily residence.
May the Lord lead our hearts already into Gilgal. There the earthly journey will end.
If the believer has traveled the path fully, from Jordan to Gilgal, taking in the lessons along the way, he must have, besides a good understanding in the things of God, a real deep joy that nothing can take away and which he cannot lose.
We go this way only once. May the Lord lead us by the hand from Jordan to Gilgal and fill our hearts with the joy of the Holy Spirit as a result.