In biblical times, the cooking-pot was an essential household item used for preparing meals. It is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, symbolizing both the mundane aspects of daily life and deeper spiritual truths.

Old Testament References

The cooking-pot is first mentioned in the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. In Exodus 16:3, the Israelites lament their situation, saying, "If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, where we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread!" Here, the cooking-pot represents the abundance and comfort they experienced in Egypt, contrasting with their current hardships.

In 2 Kings 4:38-41, the prophet Elisha performs a miracle involving a cooking-pot. During a famine, the sons of the prophets gather wild gourds and cook them in a pot, only to discover that the stew is poisonous. Elisha instructs them to add flour to the pot, and the stew becomes safe to eat. This event highlights God's provision and the transformative power of faith.

Ezekiel 24:3-5 uses the cooking-pot as a metaphor for Jerusalem under siege. The LORD instructs Ezekiel to "put on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it. Put in the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces—the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the best bones." This imagery serves as a prophetic warning of the impending judgment and destruction due to the people's unfaithfulness.

New Testament References

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention cooking-pots, the concept of preparing and sharing meals is prevalent. The communal aspect of meals is seen in the early church, as described in Acts 2:46, where believers "broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." The cooking-pot, though not directly mentioned, would have been a vital tool in these gatherings, facilitating fellowship and unity among believers.

Symbolic Significance

The cooking-pot in Scripture often symbolizes sustenance, community, and divine provision. It serves as a reminder of God's care for His people, even in times of scarcity or trial. The pot also represents the idea of transformation, as seen in Elisha's miracle, where something harmful is made nourishing through divine intervention.

In a broader spiritual sense, the cooking-pot can be seen as a metaphor for the believer's life. Just as ingredients are combined and transformed in a pot to create a nourishing meal, so too are the experiences and trials of life used by God to shape and refine His people. The cooking-pot, therefore, is a symbol of God's ongoing work in the lives of His followers, providing for their needs and drawing them into deeper fellowship with Him.5518a. sir -- a pot
... Word Origin probably of foreign origin Definition a pot NASB Word Usage cooking
pot (1), cooking pots (1), pails (5), pot (14), pots (6). 5518, 5518a. ...
/hebrew/5518a.htm - 5k

"But they are Gods to Us," You Say. ...
... The family deities you call Lares, you exercise a domestic authority over, pledging
them, selling them, changing them"making sometimes a cooking-pot of a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/apology/chapter xiii but they are.htm

"Attracted by the Influence"
... Then another expedition, and in again with three pebbles for hearthstones, a shell
for a cooking pot, bits of straw for firewood, a stick for a match, and sand ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xix attracted by the.htm

Cooking-pot (8 Occurrences)
Cooking-pot. Cooking, Cooking-pot. Cooks . Multi-Version Concordance
Cooking-pot (8 Occurrences). Leviticus 11:35 Any ...
/c/cooking-pot.htm - 8k

Cooking (14 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 7:9 And every meal offering which is cooked in the oven and everything
made in a cookingpot or on a flat plate, is for the priest by whom it is ...
/c/cooking.htm - 10k

Pot (46 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 7:9 And every meal offering which is cooked in the oven and everything
made in a cookingpot or on a flat plate, is for the priest by whom it is ...
/p/pot.htm - 25k

Cooked (35 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 7:9 And every meal offering which is cooked in the oven and everything
made in a cookingpot or on a flat plate, is for the priest by whom it is ...
/c/cooked.htm - 17k

Cooks (1 Occurrence)

/c/cooks.htm - 6k

Skinning (2 Occurrences)
... take the flesh of my people for their food, skinning them and crushing their bones,
yes, cutting them up as if for the pot, like flesh inside the cooking-pot. ...
/s/skinning.htm - 7k

Comparison (27 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 24:3 And make a comparison for this uncontrolled people, and say to them,
This is what the Lord has said: Put on the cooking-pot, put it on the fire ...
/c/comparison.htm - 15k

Meal-time (1 Occurrence)
... or smaller as the case might demand (1 Samuel 2:13 Ezekiel 24:3; compare Micah's
metaphor, Micah 3:3), and put these pieces into the cooking-pot with water ...
/m/meal-time.htm - 24k

Mealtime (1 Occurrence)
... or smaller as the case might demand (1 Samuel 2:13 Ezekiel 24:3; compare Micah's
metaphor, Micah 3:3), and put these pieces into the cooking-pot with water ...
/m/mealtime.htm - 24k

Flat (33 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 7:9 And every meal offering which is cooked in the oven and everything
made in a cookingpot or on a flat plate, is for the priest by whom it is ...
/f/flat.htm - 21k

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