Monday, March 8, 2021

“Hope Floats” (2 Kgs 6:1-7)[1]

 

Dr. Paul Manuel—2020

Text:

2 Kgs 6:1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.”

2 Kgs 6:3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

2 Kgs 6:6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

Outline:

      I.    The prophets need a large venue (vv. 1-2).

            A.    They tell Elisha their plan.

            B.    They assemble the needed material.

Application: While others may be content putting forth less than their best effort, you must do your best to present you best to God (2 Tim 2:15).

     II.    The prophets clear a large area (vv. 3-5).

            A.    They invite Elisha to participate.

            B.    They lose another man’s tool.

Application: When the going gets tough, God does not want you to quit and drop out. He expects you to carry on, to persevere despite the difficulty (Heb 12:1).

    III.    The prophets witness a strange event (vv. 6-7).

            A.    They show Elisha where it fell.

            B.    They recover the man’s borrowed tool.

Application: Once you believe in God, the major obstacle to miracles is behind you (Heb 11:1).

Introduction: Some things are more buoyant than others, things that are not buoyant at all:

An airline stewardess was giving the standard safety briefing to the passengers. She had just finished saying “In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device,” when a man remarked, “Hey! If the plane can’t fly, why should I believe the seat can float?”

Some things are more buoyant than others, things that are not buoyant at all, like hope. In at least one instance, however, “Hope Floats,” as it does in the passage today.

Background: The Bible records many miracles. Prophets, like Elisha, perform them to confirm their divine appointment. Elisha is a disciple of Elijah in his school, “the company of the prophets”[2] (a.k.a. “the sons of the prophets” 1 Kgs 20:35), living and ministering for about sixty years in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Ahab and Joram. This “man of God”[3] performs several miracles, including raising the Shunammite widow’s son from the dead.[4] Perhaps the most curious feat is his making a metal ax head float. As we begin…

      I.    The prophets need a large venue (vv. 1-2).

2 Kgs 6:1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.”

     The company has a good problem (oxymoron). They have either decided to establish a fixed meeting location or they have physically expanded beyond their current accommodations. In any case, their predicament may be a sign of spiritual growth. These students need a new place to gather.

     Elisha’s ministry is in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which has an unstable government under consistently unrighteous rulers, and it has recently seen a violent civil war, destroying the entire royal house. In contrast, the Southern Kingdom of Judah has a very stable government under mostly righteous rulers, and it hosts the temple in Jerusalem which is the center of Jewish religious life. Surely, Elisha, a “man of God,” would be welcome in the south, but Elisha stays where he is, perhaps realizing that the north needs him more.

     The disciples approach the prophet.

            A.    They tell Elisha their plan.

     They choose an appropriate place. The Jordan River gives them an adequate water supply along a well-traveled route, making the hall and living quarters they will construct easy for people to find.

            B.    They assemble the needed material.

     The structure will not be an elaborate stone edifice, time-consuming and labor-intensive to erect, probably just a simple wooden building with a thatched roof, enough to offer shelter from inclement weather.

Application: When planning new construction, it is important to consider many variables, lest the final product prove inadequate for your needs. Jesus mentions the detriment of poor planning in his parables.

           There is the man who builds bigger barns when he should be content with what he has:

God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)

           There is the man who builds a house on a poor foundation only to discover that it is in a flood zone and that his ground is subject to erosion:

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matt 7:26-27).

           There are the men who build tombs for the prophets but pay no attention to their message then deny that they themselves are guilty of crimes against those same prophets:

Woe to you…hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets…. [yet] you testify against yourselves [admitting] that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. (Matt 23:29, 31).

Just as Jesus counsels his disciples to plan their construction needs carefully, so Elisha’s disciples must plan their construction needs carefully. Likewise, if there is something you are to accomplish for God you must plan carefully for what lies ahead, even when you are not certain what the future may hold. Do not assume things will fall into place simply because you pursue God’s will. He may expect some additional effort on your part.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. (Heb 10:36)

In any case, know that your efforts for God are “not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58). He values them and, as long as they are buttressed by faith, He will credit them to you “as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). While others, even other Christians, may be content putting forth less than their best effort, you must do your best and present you best to God (“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved” 2 Tim 2:15).

     II.    The prophets clear a large area (vv. 3-5).

2 Kgs 6:3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

    The student prophets come together in their new location and start to build their meeting hall. Progress comes to a halt when they encounter a problem. But first they involve everyone.

            A.    They invite Elisha to participate.

     Normally, prophets’ disciples serve the prophet, even as Elisha “used to pour water on the hands of Elijah” (2 Kgs 3:11).[5] Here, Elisha seems to join the main activity of building, until something disappears.

            B.    They lose another man’s tool.

     It apparently does not belong to one of the prophets, and the loss creates some concern. This will not reflect well on the company, and a solution is not immediately apparent. Trying to catch it with a net or hook it on a line will not work. The ax head is lost.

Application: The poem by William Hickson (1925) that includes the advice, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” applies here. It is similar to several NT admonitions:

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14)

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. (Heb 10:36)

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb 12:1)

When the going gets tough, God does not want you to quit and drop out. He expects you to carry on, to persevere despite the difficulty.

    III.    The prophets witness a strange event (vv. 6-7).

2 Kgs 6:6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

            A.    They show Elisha where it fell.

     Locating the ax head is easy. It does not drift away with the current but sinks immediately to the bottom of the river. Unfortunately, it is out of reach.

            B.    They recover the man’s borrowed tool.

     It is hard to understand how Elisha’s proposed solution will rectify the problem: “cut a stick and threw it [in]” (v. 6). The prophet throws a branch in the water which, contrary to expectations, sinks. Then, contrary to reason, the metal ax head floats to the surface of the water. This reversal of natural law is what constitutes a miracle.[6] Why does God bother with such a minute matter? Surely He has more important things on His mind. Apparently, He considers the boost to their faith worthwhile.

Application: Miracles, by definition, are contrary to reason, and many people attempt to offer some alternative explanation for them that is either unsatisfying or that requires an even bigger leap of faith. Although not as great a miracle as the resurrection of Jesus, the floating ax head still requires a suspension of disbelief to allow for God to work. Faith in God’s ability is generally the minimum requirement for any miracle. Some people have difficulty believing in the miraculous, but once you believe in God, the major obstacle to miracles is behind you. As the author of Hebrews says…

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb 11:1)

Having faith is not the same as being gullible. Faith has God as its object; gullibility has no object, except perhaps one’s self, which is not reliable.

Conclusion: For Elisha’s disciples, seeing the ax head rise to the surface of the water doubtless bolsters their faith in God. It probably does the same for the prophet. To see that “Hope Floats” is an encouragement He even cares about mundane issues, like the loss of a tool. He may not help you find your car keys when you misplace them, but He is there whenever you need Him, and He is ready to help.



[1]“Hope Floats” is the title of an American movie drama (1998) that has nothing to do with this passage.

[2]Elijah and Elisha had several schools in the Northern Kingdom, at least one with an impressive enrolment:

2 Kgs 2:3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha…. 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha…. 7 Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance…. 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching….

2 Kgs 4:1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha…. 38 The company of the prophets was meeting with him.

2 Kgs 5:22 “Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me.

2 Kgs 6:1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha.

2 Kgs 9:1 The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets.

[3]This title marks a prophet:

Deut 33:1 Moses the man of God

Josh 14:6 Moses the man of God

1 Sam 2:27 A man of God came to Eli.

1 Sam 9:6 There is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true.

1 Kgs 12:22 This word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

1 Kgs 13:1 By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel.

1 Kgs 17:18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God?”

2 Kgs 1:9 The captain … said to [Elijah], “Man of God…”

2 Kgs 1:10 Elijah answered, “I am a man of God.”

2 Kgs 1:12 “I am a man of God,” Elijah replied.

1 Chr 23:14 Moses the man of God

2 Chr 8:14 David the man of God had ordered.

2 Chr 11:2 Shemaiah the man of God:

2 Chr 30:16 Moses the man of God.

Ezra 3:2 Moses the man of God.

Neh 12:24 David the man of God.

Ps 90:0 A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Jer 35:4 Igdaliah the man of God.

[4]Elijah and Elisha both performed resurrection miracles:

1 Kgs 17:17 The son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” …21 [Elijah] stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived…. 23 Elijah… gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

Cf. 2 Kgs 13:21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

2 Kgs 4:32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.

[5]This subservient role explains why Peter is reluctant to receive Jesus’ ministrations:

John 13:9 Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

[6]There are other miracles that employ a reversal of nature, coincidently some also involve water:

John 2:8 The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

John 6:19 They saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water.

John 21:14 Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

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Jim Skaggs