In the preceding little narrative we saw in our prophet a bright expression of the power of the Son of God in meeting the power of death. It was as the stronger man entering after the strong to spoil him—the power of life casting itself into the place of death, to clear away death and destroy it.
Here we have a gentler expression of the power of the same glorious Jesus. It was still the same time of dearth as before (vs. 38). But with twenty barley loaves and some ears of corn the prophet feeds a hundred men, to the amazement of his servitor—as afterward Jesus fed five thousand with five barley loaves and two small fishes, to the amazement of His disciples: fragments were left after both meals that we might know the aboundings of our Father’s house, that there we find “bread enough, and to spare.” We have to go to Him as One who has overflowing treasures as well as overflowing affections. We are straitened neither in Himself nor in His resources. “His love is as large as His power”—and, I may add, His power as His love—” knows neither measure nor end.”
There is a difference, however, not only in the size of these two miracles, if I may so speak, of Elisha and of Jesus, but in the style and bearing of them. Elisha feeds the people “according to the word of the Lord”; Jesus, by His own word. Elisha says, “Thus saith the Lord, They shall eat and shall leave thereof”; but Jesus says, “Make the men sit down.” The glories are thus diverse. Jesus was “the Word,” according to whom Elisha fed the people. Elisha carried the name of the Lord with him, but Jesus was Himself the Lord, and bore about with Him, and exercised the rights and authority of His own name. We know the Son of Man in Thee, Lord Jesus, but we know Thee also God over all, blessed forever!