2Ki 6:6 | KingComments | STEP | At the Jordan they go to work. While they are busy, an accident happens. When someone was cutting down a beam with an axe, the axe head fell into the water. He has lost control of his tools. Fortunately, the axe does not hit anyone (cf. ), but it does disappear into the water of the Jordan. The man has lost his tool. As he sees the iron disappear into the water, he cries out: “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” Elisha must have been close to him, because the man addressed his cry of fear to the man of God. That was the right call. Humanly we would say: ‘What luck that they asked Elisha to come along.’ Elisha inquired where the iron had fallen into the water. When the man has directed him to the place, Elisha cuts off a stick and throws it in to where the axe head fell. The stick functions as a magnet, because the iron is made to float. Elisha doesn’t take the iron out of the water himself, but tells the man to take it up for himself. Elisha does the miracle, but the man must do what he can himself. The story as such shows how much the man of God is involved in an apparently small event, but had become a personal drama for someone else. This history stands between two events that are of international magnitude. God’s attention goes out to the big and the small. He has interactions with nations and with the individual. The man’s predicament is that he has lost something that was not his. He borrowed the axe, because he himself had none. We can perhaps deduce from the panic caused by his loss, that he had no money to buy one. The result of Elisha’s intervention also points to this. The prophet did no miracles without reason. If there is a real need, then we can count on God’s gracious and wonderful help. Spiritually speaking, there is also something for us to learn. Here we see the Jordan as the river that, as it were, swallows up of a student prophet’s tool, but also has to return it. When we think again of what the Jordan is a picture of – the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus – we learn that all our strength has been destroyed in the death of the Lord Jesus. We also learn that we have risen to a new life and that we may work in the power of the Holy Spirit on God’s house with the means He has for us. The means we are given to serve the Lord are borrowed means. These are the gifts that have been made available to us. These gifts are no guarantee that the work will be done properly. We must learn that what we are and have, can only be properly used if we receive it from the hands of the man of God (the Lord Jesus) who retrieves it from the Jordan (the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus). Moses is also a man of God who once threw a tree into the water. In that case it was to make undrinkable water drinkable, so that the people could drink it ( ). Elisha does the same for a few. In the wood we can see a picture of the cross of the Lord Jesus. Paul brings “the wood”, the cross of Christ, into the church in Corinth ( ). Because the Corinthians misuse their gifts to their own glory, Paul reminds them of the foolishness of the cross. In the light of the cross the self-importance disappears and the Spirit is given the space to work what is to God’s glory. Man has to take up his tool himself. The house is being built now with a tool that came from the Jordan. The power of the stream is overcome by a piece of wood, so that what was hopelessly lost, is saved and can be made useful.

‏ 2 Kings 6:6

The Accident and the Miracle

At the Jordan they go to work. While they are busy, an accident happens. When someone was cutting down a beam with an axe, the axe head fell into the water. He has lost control of his tools. Fortunately, the axe does not hit anyone (cf. Deu 19:5), but it does disappear into the water of the Jordan. The man has lost his tool. As he sees the iron disappear into the water, he cries out: “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

Elisha must have been close to him, because the man addressed his cry of fear to the man of God. That was the right call. Humanly we would say: ‘What luck that they asked Elisha to come along.’ Elisha inquired where the iron had fallen into the water. When the man has directed him to the place, Elisha cuts off a stick and throws it in to where the axe head fell. The stick functions as a magnet, because the iron is made to float. Elisha doesn’t take the iron out of the water himself, but tells the man to take it up for himself. Elisha does the miracle, but the man must do what he can himself.

The story as such shows how much the man of God is involved in an apparently small event, but had become a personal drama for someone else. This history stands between two events that are of international magnitude. God’s attention goes out to the big and the small. He has interactions with nations and with the individual.

The man’s predicament is that he has lost something that was not his. He borrowed the axe, because he himself had none. We can perhaps deduce from the panic caused by his loss, that he had no money to buy one. The result of Elisha’s intervention also points to this. The prophet did no miracles without reason. If there is a real need, then we can count on God’s gracious and wonderful help.

Spiritually speaking, there is also something for us to learn. Here we see the Jordan as the river that, as it were, swallows up of a student prophet’s tool, but also has to return it. When we think again of what the Jordan is a picture of – the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus – we learn that all our strength has been destroyed in the death of the Lord Jesus. We also learn that we have risen to a new life and that we may work in the power of the Holy Spirit on God’s house with the means He has for us.

The means we are given to serve the Lord are borrowed means. These are the gifts that have been made available to us. These gifts are no guarantee that the work will be done properly. We must learn that what we are and have, can only be properly used if we receive it from the hands of the man of God (the Lord Jesus) who retrieves it from the Jordan (the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus).

Moses is also a man of God who once threw a tree into the water. In that case it was to make undrinkable water drinkable, so that the people could drink it (Exo 15:25a). Elisha does the same for a few. In the wood we can see a picture of the cross of the Lord Jesus. Paul brings “the wood”, the cross of Christ, into the church in Corinth (1Cor 2:1-5). Because the Corinthians misuse their gifts to their own glory, Paul reminds them of the foolishness of the cross. In the light of the cross the self-importance disappears and the Spirit is given the space to work what is to God’s glory.

Man has to take up his tool himself. The house is being built now with a tool that came from the Jordan. The power of the stream is overcome by a piece of wood, so that what was hopelessly lost, is saved and can be made useful.