Elisha's Ministry - The Miraculous Floating Axe Head 2 Kings 6:1-7 Series

ELISHA'S MINISTRY - THE MIRACULOUS FLOATING AXE HEAD 2 Kings 6:1-7

SERIES – MESSAGES ON ELISHA – HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY Number 17

2Kings 6:1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2Kings 6:2 Please let us go to the Jordan, and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live,” so he said, “Go.”

This story may have happened on Elisha’s return in his circuit, and it happened one day that the sons of the prophets told Elisha that they needed more room. “Too limited for us” is the way the NASB records it, and it means their numbers had grown either through more being added to the number of prophets, or the married ones having children. Anyway, they had need for more room. In verse 1, the expression is “the place before you” and in the NIV it takes a more interpretative view “the place where we meet with you”. This verse gives a more exact picture of Elisha’s relation to these groups of prophets. From the other parts of the history we can gather that he made visits to the several settlements from time to time, and when he arrived, and while he remained, the members were about him as scholars around a teacher. They sat before him as it is said in 2 Kings 4 v 38.

It was the desire of this group of prophets to leave their current position and build and settle near the Jordan, but they asked permission of Elisha to do that, though I do think that was not necessary. Taking a beam, meant to work with timber. Josephus indicates the move would have been about 9 km away from where they were, possibly at Gilgal. They wanted to be near the Jordan. The Jordan Valley area, even today, is rich in trees; and found in the Valley area and on the mountainous slopes, are the Aleppo pine, Mediterranean cypress and Phoenician juniper. The mountainous regions in the northwest are clothed in natural forests of pine, deciduous oak, evergreen oak, pistachio and wild olive. Acacias are very common, and also Tamarix, Artemisia. (Josephus - willows, poplars, and tamarisks).

Matthew Henry made an observation – “There is that pleasantness in the conversation of servants of God, which can make those who listen to them forget the pain and the weariness of labour. Even the sons of the prophets must not be unwilling to labour. Let no man think an honest employment is a burden or a disgrace. Any labour of the head, is as hard, and very often harder, than labour with the hands.”

2Kings 6 v 3 Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants,” and he answered, “I shall go,” 2Kings 6:4 so he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees,

This was a random, personal invitation for Elisha to join with the sons of the prophets in the task ahead of them. Because of the events that were about to unfold, then it was actually the Lord who went before, and all this was of God. The Lord moves through men and their thoughts so that certain aspects are in place for times ahead where He can show the outworking of His will. Thus it was necessary for Elisha to be there, and accordingly, He prompted one of the men to invite Elisha.

We have very little idea of the unfolding of God’s will. It is like a whole map network being worked out, being worked out street by street, intersection by intersection, and we can’t see the completed whole at the time, but we are just small parts in it. When it is all finished, the whole picture is an integrated whole to the glory of God. What I like about verse 4 is that when they arrived at the Jordan, they began the work straight away. They were not time wasters.

There is one more truth that needs to be stated here. It can be said that there is an (academic or intellectual), and a practical side to Christianity. In my experience in Christian circles for 60 years, I have seen both. I think it is sad when they are broken into two categories. I suppose if I can generalise, then I have seen the most practical people in any Christian work or support, to be those you may not class as academics. There are Christian scholars who move on an intellectual plane and don’t seem to relate to the practical needs of fellow Christians. The worst of all are those who think themselves intellectual, and they can argue about anything, and all the rest, but you don’t see them at working bees or in practical service to needy Christians. One of the greatest dangers in Christianity is for a man or a woman to think themselves above others in knowledge and biblical application, but you don’t see them ministering or assisting other Christians in their needs. The moment a person thinks he is clever in his own eyes, then he is of no use to God whatever. Elisha was not one of those. He was willing to join in the work of tree felling and building, because there was a need.