2 Kings 4

Someone asked about 2 Kings 4:42 which reads "And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat."

Most people today have a B-movie view of the Old Testament because their interpretation of the script follows the scholarship of the Jews who did not interpret the text correctly in the time of Christ. Much of Judism was already in Apostacy which is why they did not recognize Christ. There were Jewish groups that had a completely different view of much of the Old Testament that was vasly different than many modern Christians believe the text is saying.

I have not done a detail study of this chapter in Kings in writing but what comes off the top of my head.

• "Baal shalisha" is probably not a name of an individual but the people of a place in the area of the tribe of Ephraim from which men offered help.

Someone or a group of people from that area were evidently sending emergency relief and support that was collected in righteousness.

• First fruits suggests this came by way of the Levites and was donated to them by the people as freewill offerings.
• The word husk suggests righteousness but the word only appears here in the Bible.
• The word corn means the fruit of the fields which was grain and many other things from orchards etc..
• The "twenty barley loaves" means the Levites may have given a larger share from their own reserves previously donated at a feast.
• Other food that is mentioned in earlier verses was not acceptable?? At this point in history it may be because of the same reason the Corban of the Pharisees was not acceptable to Christ. We should remember theat Israel was a different kind of government before the kings. The election of central rulers like kings or Emperors was a rejected the ways of God as we see in 1 Samuel 8 and therefore the way of Christ.
• I recommend one of our articles on Corban.