You may like to consider three miracles recorded in the Bible. One happened in the days of Adam and Eve; it shows us the power of sin. One happened in the time of Elijah; it shows us the power of faith. One happened during the ministry of Jesus Christ; it shows us his marvelous power. Each of these miracles involves a small amount of food. Each of these miracles also makes us think. So I have called this lesson “Food for thought.”

A Desirable but Deadly Fruit

Gen 2:8-9, 16-17, 3:1-5

In the garden of Eden, God planted all kinds of beautiful trees which provided food for Adam and Eve. Two trees were special however, because the fruit they bore had miraculous powers. The fruit of one tree imparted eternal life. The fruit of the other imparted eternal death.

With regard to the first tree, after man sinned, God banished him from the garden, "lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (Gen 3:22-24). This shows that the fruit of this tree could miraculously impart eternal life. Of course the privelege of eating this fruit was conditional upon Adam and Eve living righteously in faith and obedience toward God. When they broke faith with God, and believed instead the Devil's lie, they were driven away from the garden and from the tree of life.

Of the second tree, God had commanded man not to eat from it, "for in the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die" (Gen 2:16-17). Adam and Eve did not die a bodily death the day they ate of that tree. So we understand that they died spiritually. They lost eternal life. What terrible power there was in the fruit of that tree! Of course, sin was committed in eating the fruit because God had forbidden it. All sin has the power that was in that fruit, for "the wages of sin is death..." Only through Jesus Christ can the gift of eternal life be restored to the sinner (Rom 6:23).

A handful of Flour and a Little Oil

1Kg 17:8-24

How poignant this story and its sequel, of Elijah's miraculous help for the distressed widow of Zarephath. The widow believed the promise of God that Elijah told her. It took much faith to believe that what Elijah said would come true. Through her faith she saved herself and her son from starvation. She saw the wonder of her bowl of flour and her jar of oil never run out, even though she used them daily. Indeed, not only did her faith preserve earthly life, but it yielded eternal life for her. She was an example of the statement, "the just shall live by faith" (Hab 2:4). What amazing power there is in simple trust in God and his promises!

Five Loaves and Two Fishes

Mtt 14:15-21

The most important miracles recorded in the Bible are no doubt those which Jesus did, because through his miracles we can believe in him and receive eternal life through him (Jhn 20:30-31). Consider the power in the hands of Christ as he broke the bread and fish into pieces, such that but five loaves and two fishes fed a multitude. He did the same kind of miracle on another occasion (Mrk 8:1-9).

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus spoke of himself as "the bread of life" (Jhn 6:35-48). He said that he had power so great that he could give everlasting life to all who believe in him. That's food for thought if ever there was.

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