Mark 8:1-9 Seven Hampers of Blessing - The Feeding of the Four Thousand

1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

The Lord supplies the miracle and the sustenance.  The disciples wondered; they were once again overwhelmed (v.4).  How often do we like the disciples of old forget God’s work in our lives.  We tend to forget that if there is ministry work to do, that the Lord Jesus provides the wisdom and strength to get it done.  The Lord gave to His disciples, and in turn the disciples were able to minister a feast to the people.  The people wanted to be filled with the Lord’s Word, and now after three days of listening, they were hungry.  The Lord was not about to send them away hungering.  He always meets our needs!  The word for baskets in v.8 literally means “hampers.”  This is no doubt how God blesses us, he daily loads us with benefits! Ps. 68:19 says: “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”  The Seven baskets (or hampers) loaded with loaves and fishes are an object lesson to the disciples to trust God to supply for the duty they were called to do and their object lesson is for our benefit too.  Dare we work the ministry without the power of God?  No way!  We might as well ask what the disciples did in v.4 – "From whence can a man satisfy these men?"  But thank God for His supply of power for the work of the ministry, and strength to live the Christian life.  Indeed without Him, we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5).