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.
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.
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, and Revelation 18:6]
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
