In Leviticus 26 the Israelites are told that if they turn their backs on God's covenant, God will discipline them with hardships that will escalate if they persist in rebellion. One of the hardships is famine, as described in verse 26:
"When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied."
This verse pictures a group of people having to share an amount of food that is only enough for a tenth as many people. The Israelites could avoid this kind of scenario by turning to God in repentance (vv 40-45).
The punishments listed in Leviticus 26:14-39 were the opposites of blessings that would come to the Israelites in the Promised Land. We can contrast the famine in Leviticus 26:26 with the blessings described by Moses in Deuteronomy 8:10: "And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you."
Israel would continue to receive such blessings if they maintained their faith in God. In particular, they would be blessed for taking care of those who were in need--Dt 14:29; 26:12. Note the example of Ruth, who was helped by Boaz, in Ruth 2:14: "So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over."
Another interesting example is in 2 Kings 4:42-44, where a man brings a firstfruits offering to the prophet Elisha. Elisha has the man share the food with a large group. Even though the group is large, there is enough food for everyone, with some left over. In contrast to Leviticus 26:26, people ate are were satisfied.
The miracle in 2 Kings 4:42-44 prefigures Jesus' feeding of 5000 in Matthew 14:13-21, where 5 loaves and 2 fish fed a large crowd, with much left over. In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 24, 2026, Kyle Kettering focused on this miracle to illustrate what can be accomplished when we place our trust in God.
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