A Lesson From The Axehead

“They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axehead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” 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. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.”

- 2 Kings 6:4b-7 (NIV)

To the Jewish culture, the Jordan was never considered a sacred river, like the Nile was to the Egyptians, for example. It was something crossed at significant times indicating profound change and challenges for a person or people with their walk with God. God has had some of us cross the Jordan in our spiritual lives, but sometimes we are just brought to the Jordan, to be reminded of how great God is. One such case is preserved in the scripture above, involving Elisha and a company of prophets.

They went to the Jordan to build some kind of dwelling, perhaps a meeting place. In the process of this work, an axehead, something of great value was lost. Iron was a new technology at this point in time, and as such, tools made of this material were expensive and few could own them.

The scripture above indicates this particular tool had been borrowed for the work at hand. The loss of this tool brought about great despair to the one responsible for its care, for if it could not be found, he may have had to work off the debt; a most unsettling prospect. We see this despair as he cries out to that great man, Elisha.

The tool was lost in the Jordan, a river that for the most part, does not have gently slopping banks as we are often accustomed to. One who steps in is immediately up to their shoulders in water, and often fast moving water at that. A man who steps in could be at great risk.

Elisha, as great a man as he was, could no more find the axehead than any other man present that day, but he was a faithful servant of the one who could. Upon inquiry by Elisha, the man points to the spot in the river where the precious item was lost. With faith, Elisha cut down a stick and threw it in the water, and the axehead floated. All the man who had lost the tool had to do was reach out and take it. What a mighty God we have!

We too, if we are not careful, can fall into the very same kind of despair at the Jordan's in our life. When we can't help ourselves we must remember the cross, for there we can find one who can, if we only have faith and reach out.