Prior to his birth, Samuel’s father would give Samuel’s mother a double portion of the meat from his sacrifice. This showed his love for her and affirmed her, despite her being childless. She was doubly honored.
Just before Elijah went up into heaven, Elisha requested to receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. He did; he was doubly blessed.
The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed that those once shamed would receive a double portion, making up for what was lost. They would be doubly restored.
Receive a Double Portion
Given these examples, wouldn’t it be great to receive a double portion?
Not so fast.
In Revelation, God proclaims a double portion of punishment on Babylon for all the evil she had done. She was doubly punished.
We’d all like a double portion of God’s goodness, but no one wants a double portion of his punishment. But when we follow Jesus and go all in for him, we can, in fact, receive his abundance and escape his punishment.
Thank you Jesus!
[1 Samuel 1:5, 2 Kings 2:9, Isaiah 61:7, Revelation 18:6]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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