| Elisha Causes Iron To Swim |
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6:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait
for us.
6:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there,
where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
parted the Jordan and crossed over to the other
side, as recorded in the second chapter. A "beam"
is a log that has been prepared to be used as a
rafter in the building of another structure once
they had arrived.
6:3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy
servants. And he answered, I will go.
to go with them.
6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan,
they cut down wood.
6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was
borrowed.
6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in
thither; and the iron did swim.
Once Elisah saw the point of entry into
the river, he cut down a stick and threw
the stick into the water. The reason that
this act by Elisah was a miracle was that
the laws of the universe were defied.
Iron that does not float under any
condition, especially in the form of an
axe.
pulled it from the water. However, first of
all, none of these prophets even knew
where the axe head was, for it was on the
bottom of the muddy Jordan. Remember what Naaman said when Elisha told him to go bathe in the Jordan?
He thought it was so dirty that he wanted to go to the clean rivers of Syria to dunk the seven times.
Secondly, Elisha threw the stick into the river, so he did not have control of the stick once it left his hand and
entered the water. The next point is that a stick will not float an axe head that is large enough to cut down
timbers.
6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
I don't think so, for it gave great comfort to these prophets, and to many
people after this event, to know that our Lord does care for the small
things in the lives of those that serve Him.
for us.
- This school of the prophets has grown to a point to where it is over-crowded, it is just to little. This also
6:2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there,
where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
- This prophet's school on the Jordan is the location
parted the Jordan and crossed over to the other
side, as recorded in the second chapter. A "beam"
is a log that has been prepared to be used as a
rafter in the building of another structure once
they had arrived.
6:3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy
servants. And he answered, I will go.
- One of the students asked Elisha to come with
to go with them.
6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan,
they cut down wood.
- Remember that they brought the rafters with them, so after they arrived at Jordan they cut down the rest of
the trees necessary to build the structure.
6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was
borrowed.
- Many critics say that this prophet said, "I begged it..." however you have to remember that the prophets were
not allow to beg. God is against his prophets begging, and carrying any begging bag, for He wants to take
care of them Himself.
- Remember what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10 just before he sent them out on a ministry? He told
them to go forth with the message that the kingdom of God was at hand, and don't carry any gold, silver or
brass in your purses. Jesus promised that God would provide for them, he gave them the power over all evil
spirit. These disciples were on a mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the offspring to the ten tribes
of Elisha's day, and God would move in the hearts of people to provide for them.
- This axe was lent to this prophet, and this prophet had compassion for those things that are placed in his or
her responsibility. Even today if one borrows something and looses it, even if you replaced it, it is still not the
same as returning the object that you borrowed in good condition.
6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in
thither; and the iron did swim.
- So Elisha asked the young prophet,
Once Elisah saw the point of entry into
the river, he cut down a stick and threw
the stick into the water. The reason that
this act by Elisah was a miracle was that
the laws of the universe were defied.
Iron that does not float under any
condition, especially in the form of an
axe.
- What the critics try to say is the Elisha
pulled it from the water. However, first of
all, none of these prophets even knew
where the axe head was, for it was on the
bottom of the muddy Jordan. Remember what Naaman said when Elisha told him to go bathe in the Jordan?
He thought it was so dirty that he wanted to go to the clean rivers of Syria to dunk the seven times.
Secondly, Elisha threw the stick into the river, so he did not have control of the stick once it left his hand and
entered the water. The next point is that a stick will not float an axe head that is large enough to cut down
timbers.
- So this was Elisha's twelfth miracle.
6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
- This axe appeared on the surface of the water, and Elisha told the young
I don't think so, for it gave great comfort to these prophets, and to many
people after this event, to know that our Lord does care for the small
things in the lives of those that serve Him.
| II KINGS 6:1-7 H.O.R.M. Bible Study |
