2 Kings chapter 4 is filled with death. First, the wife of one of the sons of the prophets came to Elisha asking for help because her husband had died. This was the occasion when the miracle of the unending pot of oil provided her with the financial resources she needed. That is followed by the death of the Shunammite woman’s son, who was miraculously raised from the dead. 

Following these two incidents, the Prophet Elisha goes to Gilgal to spend some time with the sons of the prophets. In the midst of everything else going on, there was a famine in the land. They placed what we could call a “community pot” in the midst of the camp, and everyone added whatever food they had to the kettle. We used to do that when I was in the Boy Scouts, and most of the time, the result was better than you might expect. But on this occasion, shredded wild gourds proved to be poisonous, hence the phrase, “There’s death in the pot.”

My concern today is of a different pot of death. One of false teaching and doctrine. I’ve had several people contact me about various issues being taught by so-called preachers and even embraced by entire organizations. These teachings blend in with contemporary culture and modern standards, but they can’t even remotely be supported by the Bible.

Therein lies the problem. A lack of understanding the Word of God opens the door for deception. It doesn’t matter how good it sounds; if it is contrary to what thus saith the Lord, it is a different type of death in the pot. If you are familiar with this story in the Bible, you know that God inspired Elisha to provide a remedy that healed the meal. Our only hope of survival from the poisonous false teachings of our day is to eat the meat of God’s Word, which will provide the nourishment we need to survive in these perilous times.