Life Lessons at the Jordan River Seminary: 2 Kings 6:1-7

 

April 12, 1981, I had this unnerving thought; “I don’t know what I am going to do with my life”.  O wow!  I wonder if I have any company in the room this morning if some of you have had thoughts like that!  I remember the date well.  When the first space shuttle Columbia launched on April 12, I was finishing work on my second degree. I was 7 months from getting married and 8 months from entering seminary. I was in a good Sunday School group in a collegiate environment.  In fact, I drove the van for the collegiate group.  I even drove by Karen’s dorm.  She said she had a ride, “thank you”. 

I never told dad and mom about April 12.  He would have said; “Okay we’ll increase the acreage and bring in more cows.  That means more hay bailing.  This is the day job.  The factories are hiring night workers.  Get it together!

People all over this room have moments when you felt you were at the bottom. You wonder if you are in the right college or university. You wonder if you are in the wrong profession.  The kids grew up and left for college. You, mom and dad, feel you do not know one another anymore.  What now?

You remember the dark moments as a collegian when you woke up at a different address. Maybe your story is investments that went south.  What now? Are we in the right church?  The wrong church? It goes on and on and you feel at the bottom.  Who cares?  Who knows?  COVID -19 separated many of us.  Returning is refreshing and awkward, whether it is at school, in the office, or in the church.  Maybe this is your story today.

 I do not know how many of you call someone older and wiser when you are in a funk as I just described, but I called my pastor friend and told him what I just described to you about April 12. 

He told me to go get my Bible and turn to II Kings 6.  Get your pen or highlighter and let us look at these seven verses.

You just might be at a crossroad of life or at the bottom of the river in some of the previous scenarios, I just described. I learned early to let the scripture speak and accompany it with music. 

When Karen’s mom battled Alzheimer’s disease and her brother’s disability over a 14-year period, which were unbelievably difficult, still we went to scripture.  The Bible character today makes a good dad and mentor; he was very Jesus-like in demeanor you might say.

The context of this story finds us in the early times of Elisha’s ministry.  You know that Elisha succeeded Elijah.  He took on the evil of Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Elijah you recall prophesied against the prophets of Baal, calling down fire at Mt. Carmel and killing 450 false prophets.

Hebrews 11 has Elijah in the “Hall of Faith” and described with a “nature like ours” as spoken by James in chapter 5. His name means, “my God is Yahweh,” and he will go down as one of the greats of all time.  He prayed from scripture in famine and rain, following Moses in a thundering presence like John the Baptist.  Elijah ascends to heaven in a chariot of fire and a double share of his prophetic power fell on Elisha along with his mantle.

Elisha is a bit calmer but no less a dramatic and moving prophet.  His name stands for “my God is salvation”.  The prophets come soon to know that Elijah’s power is now with Elisha.  It is significant that Elijah anoints Elisha at the Jordan River.  Another one greater will be anointed by John the Baptist at the Jordan who will save His people.  As Elijah was the new Moses, Elisha is the new Joshua. 

Elisha’s work seems to mirror the work of Jesus in tone, in touch, in compassion, and in humility. He is with the common folk.  All his miracles seem to be deeds of helpfulness and blessings.

T.R. Hobbs puts it this way, "the two prophets, though different in approach and style, “show us the strength and integrity of their respective witness: In Elijah and Elisha, Israel knew that there was a prophet in Israel, and a God in Israel." 

"They had in common the heart and soul of prophecy: the uncompromising companionship of the Word of God in human affairs.” 

All of these characteristics of Elisha make today’s moment by the Jordan River all the more significant.  Things happen.  Sometimes awful things happen….things of our own doing and some not.  Take a few moments with me for the time we have left to unpack this story. 

Elisha is known and revered.  He has the double portion of the spirit of Elijah.  The sons of the prophets are in line with him.  The school of the prophets have grown in number.  The Jordan Valley Seminary is out of space!

The young men go to their leader and say, “we have outgrown our living quarters.”  We can go to the Jordan and cut the timbers needed for larger accommodations.  Elisha gives the go-a-head. 

In an interesting twist, they invite their leader to go along. 

Now on site, they are cutting trees.  Swinging an axe, and particularly on this site, was a hazard, since more than one axe is in motion. When I am out with Baptist Men and Women on disaster relief, the most dangerous thing I do is go out with the chainsaw crew!

Using an axe was so dangerous that Deuteronomy 19 addressed it.  “…as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies…he may flee to one of these cities and live”.

In our account, one of the young men is in full motion, swinging with his back toward the water, when the axe head dislodges from the handle and falls into the river.   We have a crisis!

Axe heads were hard to find in this era and if you got one of them, one paid a steep price for it.

Being in school, money was tight. The seminary student goes to his leader in anguish that the axe head came off the handle, and is in the river.  The worst is that he borrowed this tool and there was no way he could replace it in a timely manner.

Jesus, like Elisha never lashed out. The next moment is good news for this young seminarian and it is good news for you and for me.

The Man of God said; “where did it fall?”

The young man took Elisha and showed him the exact spot, without “spin” or blame pointed to the owner for not maintaining the axe better.  A miracle happens next.  The Man of God, who entered their world on the worksite and had a cutting instrument of his own, cut a stick and tossed it in the place where the axe head had fallen into the water. The iron floated to the surface of the churning river. The response to a miracle happens next.  The Man of God said to the young student, “reach out your hand and take it up”.

Without hesitation, he took it!

The Old Testament points us to Christ.

Can you see where this is headed?

My leader on April 12, 1981 asked me some questions:

    Is there a sin lurking?

God went to Cain’s house one day looking for Abel.  Abel was dead and God was looking for his killer.  He asked Cain about it….not that there were a lot of suspects to interview at the time! God said to Cain sin is “crouching at the door.” Its' desire is to have you!

Are you defined by self-talk?

    Are you dislodged from the handle and at the bottom of the river because you know you let     other voices define you?  Take those thoughts captive as Paul writes in II Corinthians 10:5     “and make it obedient to Christ”.  Demolish the voices, the noise, and any notion of     conformity to the patterns and the culture, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind”.     Romans 12:2

    Compliancy:  your axe head you know is neglected, loose, not tight.  I’ll deal with it some other time.  “Slothfulness is a sin of omission of desire and/or performance”. “Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry”. Proverbs 19:15 (or with an axe head maybe dead) I once read, “stop being your bad habit.”

King David’s failure           Restored

Elijah’s Breakdown           Restored

John Mark separation      Restored

Paul’s history                    Restored

Apostle Peter                    Restored

 

Let's go back to where it fell and be restored.

Sermon by Mark Hall