2 Kings 6:1-3

Author: Evangelist Daniel Sushanth

In 2 Kings 6:1-3, the sons of the prophets recognized that their current living quarters were too small due to the increased demand for ministry training under Elisha’s leadership. This highlights Elisha’s significant impact on the nation.

In the biblical story of 2 Kings 6:6, the prophet’s sons requested help from the man of God, Elisha, to build a dwelling. While one of them was cutting wood, the axe head accidentally fell into deep waters, causing the man to shout in distress as it was borrowed.

In 2 Kings 6:4-7, a man loses a borrowed iron axe head while cutting down trees near the Jordan River. Losing the iron axe head in the story of 2 Kings 6:4-7 was a major setback. While iron was not entirely rare in Israel during that time, it was still not widely available and therefore quite expensive.

Elisha asks where it fell and throws a stick into the water, causing the axe head to float. The man retrieves it. This was a clear and unusual miracle, showing Elisha’s faith and God’s power. While some may interpret this as a breaking of the law of gravity, it is generally accepted as a miracle or display of God’s power.

While God could have instantly returned the axe head to the man’s hand, He allowed the man to retrieve it himself. This reflects a pattern of God doing what only He can do and leaving the rest to human effort.

The story serves as a reminder that for God, anything is possible, and that faith plays an important role in prayer. Both the servant, who had faith in Elisha’s ability to help, and Elisha, who had faith in God’s power to make the impossible happen, exhibited great amounts of faith.

This incident is not widely known or preached, but it highlights the idea that we serve a living God who is always listening and watching over us. When we pray in faith, we can witness miracles taking place in our lives.

“God can do all things, he can make iron swim—we cannot—and yet you see the prophet did it, and he did it by the use of a stick. He cut down a stick. Was there any connection between the stick and the iron? I can’t see any, and yet God does use means, and he would have us use means.” (Spurgeon)

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we come before you in faith, knowing that you are a God who can do all things. Just as Elisha demonstrated his faith in you by making the impossible happen, we ask that you help us to trust in your power and goodness in our lives. We pray for the courage to take action and use the means available to us while trusting in your provision and guidance. Help us to always seek your will and be obedient to your leading, and may our lives be a reflection of your love and grace.

In Jesus’ name Amen.