I invite you to open your Bibles this morning to the book of 2 Kings, 2 Kings chapter 6. In the Pew Bibles, you'll find that either on page 361, and if that's not close, it's on 274. It's been a little bit of a little time since I've been in the book of 2 Kings with you, We're going to dive right back in today with another episode from the ministry of the prophet Elisha to the kingdom of Israel. And as we do so, we don't want to miss the contrast that this particular story in chapter 6 makes with all that surrounds it. The story we considered last time, the story before this, was a very detailed story involving the political intrigue between Syria and Israel. And the story after this involves warfare between Syria and Israel. And in the middle we have this short story in verses 1 through 7 of Elisha's dealing with the company of the prophets. A story without much detail. A story that's very brief. And because of this unique place it stands in, this story in particular, It tends to give license, if you will, to many who would like to comment on it, to lift it out of its place and look at it from all different perspectives to try to understand it. And we must be cautious this morning, friends, as we lift things out of context in Scripture, we tend to pour things in to the content that don't belong. And in this case in particular, this particular story has often turned from an historical account as we will consider it today. into a mysterious allegory that has opened all manner of interpretation throughout the ages. We'll do our best to understand the story in its context. And when we do, we will come to see that it's much less about an axe head floating and much more about the saints of God from dire straits delivered. And as we consider their deliverance from dire straits, we will see in two points that they're delivered in two complementary ways. First, by the man of God's comforting presence. with them. And secondly, by the man of God's miraculous intervention. With that perspective, let us approach the Word of God this morning in 2 Kings chapter 6, beginning at verse 1. The company of the prophets said to Elisha, Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan where each of us can get a pole and let us build a place there for us to live. And he said, Go. Then one of them said, Won't you please come with your servants? I will, Elisha replied. And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. Oh, my Lord, he cried out. It was borrowed. The man of God asked, Where did it fall? When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there. and made the iron float. Lift it out, he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. Here ends the reading of God's word. As we approach this text this morning, a couple notes. Verses 1 through 3 is written in a style that is to make us feel a sense of urgency. Things are moving very quickly. Time is compressed. Details are eliminated. And in the second half of the story, in verses 5 through 7, the miraculous part, things slow way down, almost frame by frame, so we can pay attention to the miracle. But we must know that the first part of the story begins with urgency, and it does because it opens up with a complaint. The company of prophets comes to Elisha with a complaint. They have a problem, a problem that they hope to be helped by the man of God's comforting presence with them. We read, the company of prophets said to Elisha, look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Sounds pretty simple on the face of it, doesn't it? Sounds like this room this morning, you know, another 50 people, it'd be too small for us. But is that what it's talking about? We have to ask some questions of this less than detailed portion of scripture. What was the place they're talking about? we don't know for sure. According to the Hebrew text, it was a place where they sat in the presence of Elisha. Where they sat before his face. And from that expression, we can know that at least it was the place where Elisha met with his people to instruct the company of prophets. It was a place of learning. Many suppose, and the NIV suggests when you get to the end of verse 2, that the company of prophets also lived there together. I think this is much less certain. We do not know that the families of the company of prophets lived together in a common dormitory or in some kind of a commune setting. We do know from chapter 4 that a prophet's widow lived with her two sons in a house in a neighborhood. And we also know from chapters 5 and 6 that Elisha lived in his own house, at least when he was in Samaria. Therefore, we would do well to understand this place to be one of learning rather than one of living. Well, where was this place? We don't know for sure. In earlier chapters, we saw the companies of prophets in the south of Israel at Gilgal and Bethel and Jericho. And in chapter 5, if you remember, Gehazi made reference to a school of prophets in Samaria. Now, it was part of his deception, but it may be a kernel of truth that there likely was a company of prophets in Samaria. in the north, the capital city. So of those four places that we know that there were companies of prophets, two of them were already near the Jordan River, Gilgal and Jericho. So this place was either, most likely, Bethel or Samaria. And the fact that this story takes place in the middle of two stories that take place in Samaria, I think that strongly suggests that this is happening in Samaria. Well, the next question is, how many met in this place? This place of learning in Samaria? We don't know. But it is a question that many want to answer when they think of the place as too small. They say, well, how many people were there? In chapter 2, we read that there were at least 50 men in Jericho. And in chapter 5, we read that the prophet fed 100 men in Gilgal. That's the only two numbers we have about the Company of Prophets. But many, because they want to answer this question, say, well, there's 50 here and 100 here. That makes a trend. There must be 150 or 200 here. Why else would the place be too small? They conclude that their numbers were growing. But we can't be sure. You say, Pastor Donovan, we don't seem to know much about this first verse. We do know one thing, there was a problem. There was a problem in this place that I think was Samaria, a problem in this place that I think was a place of learning. There was a problem in this place that it was too small. But what does that mean, that it was too small? You see, we have to be careful as English readers, any kind of readers. We read words that sound familiar and we plug in what we think it means. But the word used here for too small simply means narrow or straight and refers to any and all kinds of tight spots. Scripture uses the word in a couple of ways and the way that we interpret it here in this first verse, I believe, sends us on the right trajectory. One takes us one way, another one takes us another way and we need to spend time to figure out what's the problem here. Well, the first way this word is used we find in Numbers chapter 22, where it's used to describe the tight spot where Balaam's donkey had no room to turn either to the right or to the left. It was constricted, it was tight, it was close. And if that's the meaning here, as most conclude, then we should understand the problem to be that the company had outgrown its facilities. The place was too small. The difficulty with this interpretation is that it does not explain why the entire community wanted to uproot and move to the Jordan River instead of simply adding on, finding a bigger facility, maybe building a new facility down the corner, around the block and around the corner. Or maybe having Elisha teach two groups instead of just one. It would be like having all of us uproot our families and move out to Lake Henshaw to start a new church so that we could all fit in the building. It just seems to impress my sensibilities. So how else is this word used? We find it in 1 Samuel chapter 13. And there we read of the tight spot that Israel's army was in when the Philistines came against them with 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand of the seashore. And in verse 6 of that chapter, we read that when the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical, that their situation was narrow, that their situation was straight, and that their army was hard-pressed, they hid in caves and thickets among the rocks and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. In other words, they were in such a tight spot that all they could do was go into hiding or run away. And if this is the meaning here, then the problem for the Company of Prophets was far more serious. And I believe that the tight spot in which the Company of Prophets found themselves was this kind, what we might call dire straits. And therefore, I believe the problem was one of persecution, not overcrowding. And this conclusion also supports believing this to be in Samaria. When we consider Naaman last time, we saw that because the king of Israel had no regard for the Lord or for his prophet, Elisha went to the court of the king and in front of all his officers and the important people, he rebuked him for his unbelief. I don't know many kings that would take that line down. We think of John the Baptist rebuking Herod. It cost him his head. And it's in the wake of this public humiliation that we find the company of prophets in a tight place. And if they couldn't hide, they would have to run and that's exactly what they're planning to do. They're making plans to get out of town, to go to Jericho, to build a new place there where they can gather. Elisha himself would soon be the object of the king's wrath. If you look at chapter 6, Verse 31, the king was calling for his head on a platter. This doesn't stress my sensibilities quite so much. In fact, I can look in this congregation and I know that there are grandparents. And parents and people themselves here who know this kind of dire strait. Who've been in situations where they are so hard pressed that their only option is to uproot their family, pack up their things, and move far, far away to Escondido, California and start all over again. Plans were laid and prayers were made and in the province of God, you're here today. From dire straits, delivered. Well, back to our story. by the time in the story that the prophets come to Elisha, they'd already made their plans. Already, according to verse 2, they wanted to go to the Jordan where each one of them could cut down a tree and fashion a beam to use in building a place there to sit together. You must note that the emphasis on their plan is the place. It's over there. It's not the size of the building. And in contrast to the proud and self-serving Gehazi that we considered last time who tried to conceal his plan and to conceal his actions from Elisha and from the Lord. The company of the prophets brought their plan to Elisha. As students of the word of God, they knew the proverb. In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his step. And therefore, before executing their plan, they approached Elisha, the man of God, to petition him for permission and thereby God's approval. And how often in our lives do we act first and presume it was the will of God rather than submitting our plans to His will by prayerful consideration of His word and by consulting with godly and wise counselors about our plans. By the example of these prophets, we can be encouraged to heed the word of God that comes to us from James chapter 4, beginning in verse 13. Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that. Well, that's exactly what the prophets did. They consulted the man of God, looking for the blessing of God on their plan. And in the bringing, we need to know that there was a grave urgency in their voice. It's lost in our English translation. When they come in verse 2 and they say, Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole and let us build a place there for us to live. They come saying, Let us go. We pray you. We beg you. Let us go. And without hesitation, Elisha lets him go. He says, go. And for at least one of the prophets, permission was not enough. He wanted not only the Lord's blessing on their plan, he wanted the Lord to attend them on the way. And so we read in verse 3 that one of them said to Elisha, won't you please, we pray you, come with your servants. And again, without hesitation, Elisha answered, I will. And he went with them. Do you hear the echo of Moses here? Begging for the presence of God. In Exodus chapter 33, after the Lord had judged the people of Israel for their idolatry with the golden calf, he told Moses he would lead the survivors up to the promised land without him. Go ahead, if I go with you, I'll kill you all. In verses 15 and 16 of the chapter, Moses responded by pleading. He says, if your presence does not go with us, Please do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? Go with us. And the prophets, especially this one, begged Elisha to come with them. What else would distinguish them as a group traveling to the Jordan as a company of prophets? other than the presence of Elisha. The man of God. The Lord is with Elisha. And if Elisha was with them, the Lord was with them. And so they made their petitions, their urgent petitions to God through Elisha's prophet. And they were answered. And we read in verse 4 that the company of prophets went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees from dire straits delivered. This would be a great place to end the story, don't you think? Happy ending? It's not the end, however. You know the saying, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Well, no sooner did the company of prophets get out of the frying pan than one of the prophets find himself in the fire. From dire straits in Samaria to dire straits in the Jordan, straits from which he is delivered by the man of God's miraculous provision. We read in verse 5, As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. Now that's an understatement if I ever heard one. If you've had any experience swinging an axe or a sledgehammer, you may have had the experience this man had. And cadets, when you're learning how to use hatchets and hammers, this is exactly what your counselors are warning you against. As this man was swinging his axe, the iron head flew off the handle. and it landed in the river. It didn't simply fall into the water. If you've ever lost an axe head, you know it can fly a long ways before it actually falls. An uncommon experience for us, a dangerous one to be sure, from the time of ancient Israel, a very common experience, because axes then were hand-fashioned, custom-made, each one a handle whittled to fit exactly into the individual and unique axe head that was molded and cast. And then once they wedged that handle in there and they had it tight in place, they would strap it in with leather and soak it with water so it would grip real tight. But that's as good as it got. And the more you used the axe, the weaker the leather became and it was not a matter of if you were going to lose the head, it was when. It was a common occurrence. In fact, it's referenced by Moses in the law. You know about the city of refuge where a man could run when he killed someone accidentally. Moses was given instruction on who could go there. This was the example he gave. He says, for instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood. And as he swings his axe to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. It's not what we call a common experience that we can all refer to. but it was in that day. And the situation of our story is exactly the same, but the problem that develops is different. No one was killed. And still the man becomes so distressed that he cries out to the man of God in verse 5, Oh my Lord, it is borrowed. We're so used to disposable everything, including tools, that a first reaction might be, well, so what? Okay, the axe head's at the bottom of the river. Go get another one. What's the big deal that's making this guy freak out? Well, the answer is right here in verse 5. He tells us himself why he is in such dire straits. It's because it's borrowed, he says. More literally, because it was asked. It was beyond his means to own and he had to ask somebody. Now, there's a lot of debate. about whether he asked for it in order to borrow it and then take it back, or whether he asked for it to keep it, meaning he begged for it. We don't know. But in either case, this man had lost a very costly item. Today, if I went to the hardware store, I can get an axe and a handle for about 30 bucks. But in ancient Israel, when iron was still a new technology, it was worth a lot more. There are some that have compared the cost of an axe head then to the cost for the price of a car today. Ouch. Imagine your distress if the car you asked from your friend ended up at the bottom of Lake Dixon. Well, if the man had gotten the axe by begging, someone had been very generous with him. And it was a great and most likely an irreplaceable loss that he had just suffered. there was certainly reason enough to be greatly distressed. If he had borrowed it, the law required him not only to replace it, but also to pay the owner up to 100% of his value in extra damages. Two cars. And if he was unable to pay, he would be sold as a servant. More than enough reason to be distressed, don't you think? But there's really no way to know which was the case, And I'm here to tell you that it really doesn't matter. Because the distress in either of those situations was nothing compared to the distress that this man had. You see, in either case, whether it was borrowed or whether it was begged, the axe head was lost. And he could not replace it. When it fell into the river, with it went his only means. for completing his part of the project. With it went his only hope of being part of that new facility where the community of prophets would sit together around the word of God and be taught by his prophet, Elisha. It was for this that he was distressed. And we have to scratch our head. I think the car's worse. That's only because we don't share his passion for the Word of God. We have a place to gather every Lord's Day without persecution. We have the Word of God preached to us twice each Lord's Day and the sacraments administered for us regularly. We have the Word of God in our homes, in our own language, several editions and versions. We have it on our shelves and on our computer and in our car. It's so available that we take it for granted, quite honestly. This man did not. This company did not. As many in the world today do not take it for granted because they cannot get a hold of it and they cannot have it preached to them without fear of death. The word of God in this company of prophets who desired to learn it and to spread it among the people were being persecuted. Their plan of this company was to relocate themselves away from the danger so they could preserve their work and buy it the word of God for the people of Israel. This was more honorable than begging was shameful. And this was more enduring than any term of servitude required to pay his debt. It was the most important thing, and it was lost to him. He was in dire straits, and he cried out to the man of God for help. And we don't know if he said anything more, but we do know that Elisha understood the problem immediately, and without hesitation, he intervened. And as Elisha often did, he involved the man in the miracle itself. And he started with a rather mundane question. Where did it fall? In other words, how far out there is it? And when the man showed him the place, he pointed it out from the shore. Elisha acted with miraculous provision. He cut a stick and threw it there and made the iron float. Now there's another understatement. What's it mean that Elisha cut a stick? And how do they make that iron float? This is where everybody gets hung up in this passage. How is that possible? Well, there's three common interpretations, and it all depends on whether you believe in miracles or not. Rationalists, our scientists, our secular scientists today, deny miracles. So they understand the stick to be a long pole that Elisha used to somehow guide that axe head to the shore so the man could pick it up. You know, applied physics and patience, that's all that was required. If you conveniently forget that the River Jordan was rather muddy and dirty and fast. We still have magicians around today, you know, not just the ones we see on TV. Those that really do believe in magic, and they deny miracles as well. And so they understand the stick to be any stick, it doesn't matter, as long as it floats. Because with magic, that iron would imitate the wood and it would float to the surface by itself. That's a neat trick, if you forget there's gravity. Well, Bible-believing Christians believe in miracles. We believe that in the extraordinary and direct intervention of God on behalf of His people. This isn't a magic show. This is a miracle for the benefit of God's people. And therefore, knowing that that's where it's headed, we can appreciate Elisha's preparation for it. The Hebrew in verse 6 suggests that Elisha crafted from a piece of wood that he cut and he shaped a piece of wood that he then threw into the water. And I submit to you, I believe he cut and shaped a handle that he threw into the water. And not only did the iron axe head float, it floated up to be joined to a better fitting and perfectly fitting handle. Ready to work. And here's the point of the miracle, you see. The point of the miracle, of any miracle, is not the wow or the how. It's what does God provide through it. And here, the man of God miraculously provided this man with all that he needed to fulfill his part in building that place at the Jordan. Miracle accomplished. All that required now is for it to be applied. And so, Elisha says, lift it out. And the man reached out his hand and he took it. And the story ends. The story ends with the expected hope that now that this man has had his axe head restored, he can do his part and they can finish the place and the men of God can gather around his word in Israel. At the close of the story, as in every story of the Bible, we've got to ask, so what? I mean, we had a lot of application along the way, things we've observed that we can learn from for ourselves. But why is this story in the Bible? It's such a strange little story. Why was this event told from generation to generation and then recorded in the Bible that we have before us today? Why? Well, for the remnant of believers in Israel at the time that this took place, can you imagine hearing the news and what great encouragement it would be for those who were under the oppression of an idolatrous king and his idolatrous people? Because the company of prophets who served God's anointed and who preserved and proclaimed God's word had been delivered from dire straits. The remnant people knew that they need not fear or be discouraged. The God of their fathers was still with them and his promise of a Messiah was still sure. And for the remnant of believers who read this story some 400 years later in Babylon, The story was a source of great encouragement. In the dire straits of exile, they knew that the plans of the Lord for them were still intact, the promise to return them to the promised land. They too could look forward to be from dire straits delivered, delivered into the presence of God where he would dwell with them in his temple and they would be in the place where his Messiah would come to save them. And for us today, who trust in that Messiah who has since come, Jesus Christ, our Lord, we can be greatly encouraged by this story. Much more than the prophet was from dire straits delivered by the man of God's miraculous provision, much more have we been delivered from the most dire straits of all, from under the wrath of God against our sin. And we've been delivered not by God's prophet, but by God himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, by his miraculous provision. Not only did he come in the flesh to live and labor among his people, he died for our sins, and he rose for our justification. And in him we enjoy the presence of God even now. He is our God, and we are his people. And much more than the company of prophets was from dire straits delivered by the man of God's comforting presence, much more are we continually delivered from dire straits, the trials and the temptations in this life, by the comforting presence of Christ, by His Spirit. Because this is true, we can say with Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, we are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed. Reflexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not abandoned. Struck down, but not destroyed. And why can we say this, Paul answers? Because we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus. We share in his sufferings. So that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. That we might show to ourselves and to an unbelieving world that we belong to him. Jesus, the God-man who saves, promised that he will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. He is Emmanuel, God with us, who promised to be with us even to the end of this age. And he has gone before us to prepare a place. To prepare a place for us in glory where we will dwell with him. we will sit at His feet. And all we will know is the Word of God. And since He has done so, He assures us that He will come again to take us to Himself, so that where He is, we may be also. And as we wait for Him, we wait as members of His body, joined to Him by the Holy Spirit, who is at work in us to will and to do, according to His good pleasure, to fulfill our roles. and the building up of the church in this place that it may grow up into him who is the head that is Christ indeed we are from dire straits delivered by Jesus Christ our Lord let us pray our Father in heaven we thank you for your word this day that you have set down for us and for all your people of every age this story. The story that we think we know before we look into your word and we thank you, Father, that you have revealed to us today the greatness of the deliverance, not only that you provided for your company of prophets through Elisha the prophet, but now that points to the greater truth that we, as your children, adopted children and heirs, have been delivered from dire straits by Jesus Christ our Lord. Not only eternally having been delivered from the punishment that our sin deserves and from your wrath but that even now day by day, hour by hour moment by moment you sustain us by your spirit and you continue to accompany us along the way that we might enjoy your presence as we wait upon Christ's return to bring us to glory to the place that He is preparing now for us. We thank You for this encouraging word. In Christ's name, Amen.