Elisha and the Axe Head

Finally, it’s time to resume blogging on Elisha. I couldn’t help but think of the number of times I wish miracles were still available. This was one instance of a hopeless situation when an axe head was lost. We can find the account in 2 Kings 6:1-7. The short account is a display of God’s magnificent power, His paid attention even to the smallest detail. It’s easy to think of Elisha’s great miracles such as paying off a widow’s debts, reviving the dead woman’s son, and maybe his most famous account was healing Naaman’s leprosy. Whenever Elisha is mentioned, the very first thing that comes into my head is healing Naaman’s leprosy.

There’s the alas of a departed power. The word alas is a call of distress. It would be equivalent to, “Oh!” when one expresses pain. There was a good reason for the sons of the prophets to worry. The axe head was borrowed. If you borrow something, you ought to take good care of it. These weren’t men who borrowed and never returned (Psalm 37:21-22). These were honest men who valued a contract. Honor and integrity were at stake. I was thinking maybe these guys were poor and that buying a replacement wasn’t going to be easy either.

This is an amazing display of a miracle. The River Jordan was known to have a very fast current. Do you remember the time when the Israelites can’t cross towards Jericho because of the River Jordan? Joshua 3 tells us that the River Jordan had to be split into two before the Israelites could cross it. I heard that the river itself is known for its very fast current. By then, the axe head would, humanly speaking, be gone. However, Elisha once again showed God’s power over nature. God authored the laws of science after all.

Elisha did what wouldn’t work today. I’m sure that I can’t get an axe head from the river with what Elisha did. Only a man of God could do such a miracle. Sure, the axe head may seem insignificant in contrast to Naaman’s healing at the river. However, this showed how God values a man of honor and integrity. God could’ve provided another axe for Elisha to give. Instead, the same axe head that was borrowed was recovered and in good condition.