Elisha and the Ax Head

Elisha and the Ax Head
2 Kings 6:1-7

There came a day when the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "the place where we live with you is too small for us, so please let us go to Jordan, so that each of us can make a place there where we may live." And Elisha allowed them to go.

One of them asked Elisha to bring his servants and come with them, and Elisha told him that he would go, and so he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they all cut wood (to build a place for each of them).

But just as one of them was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water, and the man was filled with sorrow, and cried out to Elisha saying "oh master! the ax was borrowed!"

So Elisha, the man of God, said "Where did it fall?" and the man showed Elisha the place where the ax fell into the water. Then Elisha cut down a stick, and threw it into the water, and suddenly the ax (that was made of iron) came to the surface and floated there.

So Elisha told the man "Take it up!" and the man put out his hand, and took the ax head up out of the water.

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Memory Verse: 2 Kings 6:6 "And the man of God said Where did it fall?.......and he cut down a stick, and threw it into the water, and the iron did swim."

Questions:
1 Why did the sons of the prophets want to go to Jordan?
2 What did Elisha do when they went to Jordan? why?
3 How did the ax head fall into the water?
4 Why was the man so upset?
5 Why do you think the man cried out to Elisha for help?
6 What miracle happened when Elisha threw the stick into the water?
7 (for older children) Why do you think that Elisha asked the man to take the ax up instead of getting it himself?

Answers:
1 Because the place where they were was too small for them
2 Elisha went with them because of them asked Elisha to bring his servants and come with them.
3 The man was cutting down a tree when the ax head fell into the water.
4 Because it was a borrowed ax
5 Because he knew that Elisha was a man of God
6 the ax head (which was made of iron) came to the surface and floated
7 (for older children) Elisha was requesting an act of obedience from the man, who had to trust that the ax head would float until he picked it up. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious blood and died on the cross for our sins, but we have to believe the gospel and receive Jesus as our Saviour.. we have to make it personal.

V. Gross/Oct'05