The Floating Ax Head!
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“One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, ‘As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.’ ‘All right,’ he told them, ‘go ahead.’ ‘Please come with us,’ someone suggested. ‘I will,’ he said. So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. ‘Oh, sir!’ he cried. ‘It was a borrowed ax!’ ‘Where did it fall?’ the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. ‘Grab it,’ Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it.” 2 Kings 6:1-7 (NLT)
If you’ve ever wondered if God cared about what seems like trivial matters or insignificant concerns, the miracle of the floating ax head should remove all doubt! I believe this miracle is recorded in the Bible to show God’s care and provision for those who trust Him, even in the insignificant events of everyday life. How often have we failed to pray because we may have thought God wouldn’t be concerned with this little issue? He has far bigger and greater things to deal with. If it’s big enough for you to worry about, it’s big enough for you to pray about. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 23 that The LORD is our SHEPHERD. He is both powerful and personal! In the New Testament, Peter challenges us to “cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you!” 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)
There is nothing too great for God’s power, nor too small for His concern in our lives! The very position of this miracle in the Bible emphasizes that fact. The miracle of the floating ax head is placed between the healing of an Aramean general of a fatal disease and the deliverance of Israel’s army. Through his prophet, Elisha, God shows great care and concern for this group of young students who were eager to serve the Lord. They were growing in numbers and the place where they met with Elisha for instruction was too small. Desiring to expand and build a new place to meet, they suggested an ideal location where there were plenty of logs to use for the construction of their new facility. Elisha shows his servant leadership by going with them to help with the building project. While busy at work one of the young prophets lost his ax head in the Jordan River. (You can tell these were young students studying for the ministry because it was a borrowed ax head.) But, to his credit, he spotted where it fell in and was honest enough to tell Elisha what happened. It would have been a miracle just to find the ax head in the muddy bottom of the Jordan river if they had been trying to fish it out with a stick, but Elisha used the opportunity to demonstrate God’s power and care for these students. What a teachable moment! The Bible says, “Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface.” (v. 6)
I love this story because it underscores the fact that God specializes in recovering lost things. God can recover what we have lost and put us back to serving Him. He is a God who restores us and makes our lives fruitful. There’s a whole chapter about this in Luke 15 you may want to read today. Whether it’s a lost sheep, a lost coin, or a lost son, God is able to recover what we’ve lost. In Luke 19:10 (NLT) the Bible tells us that Jesus “came to seek and to save those who are lost.” If He cares enough to find an ax head and cause this heavy metal tool to float to the surface, He can recover your life as well!
It’s also amazing to me how Elisha did this miracle. He cut a stick of wood and put it into the water to recover the lost ax head. That stick of wood is a symbol of the cross Jesus died upon to recover our lives.