SueAnn Porter

One of my favorite stories is when Elisha makes the ax head float.

Elisha was living with a group of prophets, and they complained, “The place where we live is too small. Let us go to the Jordan and cut down some trees so that we can build a place to live.

I might be reading this wrong, or I need to go stick my head in Mr. Strong’s concordance, because I admit this translation ( Good News Translation) is not the tightest–but isn’t the Jordan a River? Yes. Yes it is. So why are there trees so close to the river? Other than a weeping willow or “thrushes” I don’t know if a tree that grows really close to a river is good material to use to build a house?

So anyway, one of the prophets borrows an ax, starts cutting down a tree, and the ax head goes flying off the handle. (Is that where that term comes from? Hmm.) The ax head, according to Murphy’s Law, drops into the water. So the man who lost it asks Elisha, “What shall I do, SIR?” (Notice how we get extra polite when we really need something? Nothing wrong with that!)

“Where did it fall?” Elisha asked him. The man showed him the place. Then Elisha cut off a stick and threw it in the water and made the ax head float. (How cool is that? But what I really want to know is how did Elisha know that it would work? I would never guess to throw a stick into the water to make an iron ax head float.)

Then Elisha told the man, (in the KJV): Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and took it.

(The first thing that comes to mind is Moses using his rod for various water tasks: Opening the Red Sea, closing the Red Sea, striking the rock so that water came out, and  striking the rock again, when he was supposed to SPEAK to the rock, because there was a picture of Messiah that God wanted to get across to Moses (and us) but Moses blew it and was never allowed to go into the promised land.)

I think it would be so cool to see an ax head floating. It defies all the laws of science. Or does it?

The next story in 2 Kings 6 tells of the King of Syria, who was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up camp.

Elisha sent word to the king of Israel warning him of the Syrians plans. Elisha knew what the king of Syria was saying in the privacy of his own room.

So here we go again: a man of God has a gift, so the evil king wants to kill him. “Let’s get him.” Um, don’t you think he would then know that you’re after him?

So the king of Syria was told that Elisha was in Dothan, and sent an army to get him. Elisha’s servant woke up and was afraid, because they were surrounded by troops, horses and chariots.

Elisha said, “There are more of us than them.” He prayed, “Lord, open his eyes and let him see.” The Lord answered the prayer and Elisha’s servant saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Angels. Warring Angels. Not babies floating and playing harps–not that there’s anything wrong with that. But this called for Angelic Warriors.

The Syrians attacked, and Elisha prayed, “Lord, strike them blind.” The Lord answered his prayer and struck them blind. Then Elisha lead them away to Samaria. Elisha then prayed, “Open their eyes and let them see.” So their sight was restored.

When the King of Israel saw that they were in Samaria, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them?”

Elisha tells him, “No, give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king.” So he did. From them on, the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel. (For a while, anyway.)

In other news, Slow Man’s twin brother Slow Bro is ready for service.

We have sand in his feet and we just need to position him by the road!