2 Kings 6:1 – 7 “Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.”
“Go,” said Elisha.
Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”
“I will come,” he replied.
So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God.
And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.”
This is such a simple story that we might miss its importance. The number of apprentice prophets was increasing and they needed more living space. Fortunately, Gilgal was close to the Jordan River, where they could get lumber. In a land full of rocks, trees would only grow where there was water, so there were plenty of trees close to the Jordan. But a terrible thing happened. As one of the young men was cutting down a tree close to the river, the head of the axe flew off into the water. Perhaps the water was deep right there; at any rate, there seemed to be no means of recovering this axe head.
In those days, tools were expensive and very valuable due to the cost of the metal to create them. The loss of any tool was a major one; in addition, this poor young man was in despair because he had borrowed this axe from someone else. These young Torah students had no money and little means of support. How could this young man possibly replace this axe? Perhaps this young man was the only support of a widowed mother; if he wound up in debt to the owner of the axe, what would happen then? If the owner of the axe was a cruel man, he might even enslave this young man to regain the cost of the axe. This young man’s life might be totally ruined, all because of the loss of the axe head.
What did this young man do at that point? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but I suspect that he immediately got a long pole and began probing the river bottom to see if he could find the axe head. Perhaps the axe head fell among rocks and was lodged, making it impossible to recover.
When the young man explained what had happened to Elisha, Elisha immediately threw a stick into the water. Suddenly, the axe head began to float, and the young man was able to pick it out of the water. This was a true miracle with no possible alternative explanation. We can well imagine that the young man immediately took steps to re – attach the axe head to the handle far more securely than it was before!
APPLICATION: So many times, we read these miracle stories and ask ourselves if God really does this stuff, and if He does, will He do something similar for us? During our second missionary term in Ghana, we were working at a clinic with a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV. In those days, we had to go all the way to Accra to buy many of our drugs and medical consumables. During one trip, we pulled into a parking space in Accra only to hear hissing from all four tires!!! Yes, that’s right! All four tires on the Land Cruiser spoiled at once. This incident took place in the early 1990’s when communication was difficult and e – transfers of money were unknown. Cell phones didn’t exist, and phone calls to the U.S. were expensive and difficult. Transfers of funds could take up to 8 weeks or longer, and our support level was low and spotty. At that point, we knew exactly how that young prophet felt as he watched that axe head fly off into a deep pool in the Jordan River.
Land Cruiser tires were expensive, and four of them at once represented an enormous cost. The clinic didn’t have the money to buy new tires. We managed to get four used tires in good condition; however, we were facing a return trip of several hundred miles over wretched roads. We succeeded in calling our mission headquarters. (Miracle #1) Our missions secretary informed us that two months earlier, someone had donated sufficient money for us to buy four new tires. Somehow, we succeeded in cashing a check for sufficient funds to buy those tires. (Miracle #2 – finding a place to cash that check was difficult.) For us, that financial miracle was just as impressive as that floating axe head must have been for those young prophets.
GOD IS STILL IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS!!! But there are a few conditions.
- Do everything you can to rectify the situation: Before informing Elisha of this loss, it’s likely that this young prophet had already done everything he could to try to recover the axe head. Perhaps he attempted to fish out that axe head with a long pole. Perhaps his friends waded into the river to help him search. In our story, we did everything we could by purchasing four good used tires so that we would have something to run on and repairing one of the others so that we had a spare. We were prepared to limp all the way back to northeastern Ghana when we called our mission secretary. We did not merely sit down, fold our hands, and demand that God perform a miracle.
- Make sure that you have exhausted all possible sources of help: This young prophet didn’t give up, but went to Elisha for assistance. Remember that Elisha was a farmer. When Elijah called Elisha into ministry, Elisha was plowing with oxen. As a farmer, Elisha would recognize the value of the axe head and would also be resourceful.
- Trust God: even though there is no mention of the young prophet praying, he was trusting Elisha as a man dedicated to God. Elisha was God’s local representative, so effectively, the young prophet was trusting that God would act through Elisha.
- Trust that if God does not work an immediate miracle, He can still deliver you. Reviewing previous stories of Elisha’s ministry, we realize that God never does things the same way twice. Each deliverance is unique. God is not merely interested in delivering us but in building relationship with us. In our particular situation, we needed to learn that God could be trusted to move in the hearts of donors so that funds would be available when necessary.
Have you lost your axe head? Ask God to help you, but don’t limit Him. God has only made one axe head float, but He can provide in ways you can’t anticipate.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even when we seem to be facing impossible odds. Thank You, that You are a God of infinite variety and infinite resourcefulness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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