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CHURCH LETTER
'Lift it out, he, Elisha, said'
The title of this Letter will take the diligent reader to the stories of the prophet Elisha's ministry which are recorded in the Second Book of Kings, and to the event of the raising of the axe-head. However before we enter those waters we need to step back to the time of Samuel in order to find the ones Elisha was talking to. In chapter 6 we find them in the opening words: `And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha . . '. This then takes us back to chapter 10 of the First Book of Samuel where we find the first instance of those sons of the prophets (v5): `You will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place'. And moving to chapter 19 we read: (v 20)
" And when they (Saul's men) saw a group of prophets prophesying and
Samuel as appointed over them, the Spirit of God came upon them and
they also prophesied. "
It is accepted by Bible scholars that Samuel, understanding the times and seeing the depth of the apostacy of the priesthood who were called to teach and instruct the Israleites, had called young pious and intelligent men together into Schools (or communities) where they were taught the Law given by God and prepared to continue the work of the prophets raised up by God to bring His people back to Him. As such, these young men were called the Sons of the Prophets as they accepted the authority of a particular prophet, and after Samuel's time Elijah the prophet was seen to be in the same situation and re-established these Schools of Prophets. We learn of this when Elijah, in fear for his life, fled from Jezebel and left his servant or young man at Beer Sheba and journeyed to Mount Horeb to take shelter in a cave - the story of the wind and the earthquake and `the still small voice'. Elijah was most certainly terrified at the wrath of Jezebel but more concerned that his calling from God was not completed: (1 Kings 19:10)
" Your prophets are slain by the sword and I, even I, only am left, and they
seek my life to take it. (The `still small voice' reassures him). `I have
left to Me seven thousand in Israel whose knees have not knelt to Baal'. "
In re-establishing the Schools of Prophets the work of Elijah would therefore continue long after he was caught up to heaven. However he was left with three final tasks on his way back to `the Wilderness of Damascus': (1 Kings 19:15)
" Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu, son of Nimshi to be
king over Israel and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah to be
prophet in your place. "
The first two anointings were left for Elisha to undertake, for Elijah's greatest joy was in `finding Elisha son of Shaphat . . ' and now as Elijah `passed him by he cast his mantle on him'. His greatest joy? Now he knew that his work would continue through the LORD's choice!
We can read more of those Sons of the Prophets in chapter two of the Second Book of Kings: `The company of prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked . . . ' (v3) We see that Elisha was one of those Sons of the Prophets for verse 3 continues: `Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today'? As we continue to read into verse 15 we read that after those prophets had seen Elijah taken up to heaven they said:
" `The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha'. And they went to meet him and
bowed to the ground before him. "
And so on picking up Elijah's cloak Elisha received his sonship and the authority to continue the work of Elijah and a double portion of his spirit!
We see this School of Prophets appearing again in the Gospels. Jesus called His twelve disciples into His `School', and throughout His ministry to ` the lost sheep of Israel' He prepared those `Sons of the Prophet' to continue His work after His ascension into heaven:
" But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you
will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judah and in Samaria and
to the ends of the earth. " (Acts 1:8))
Once again the priesthood and the Leaders had failed, for the people could not understand the times! The times of Elijah had come in the person of John the Baptist and will come again as Malachi the prophet foretold: (Malachi 4:5)
" Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great
and dreadful Day of the LORD. "
Elijah appears on the pages of Scripture suddenly and if from nowhere, a man of the wilderness who alone and living in solitude could see more clearly the apostacy of Israel during the reign of Ahab. Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbeth in Gilead, came and said to Ahab: (1 Kings 17:1))
" As the LORD the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither rain
nor dew in the next four years except at my word. "
And with this dramatic entrance Elijah's work began! Without doubt Elijah's trust in God to outwork His message through himself was without question. His zeal for the God of Israel knew no bounds, as his words show: `I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Hosts'. No danger, no message he must deliver to the highest in the land would deter this man of God! A solitary man of the wilderness, he would appear to speak his message, see God confirming His word by miracles and then return to the wilderness. His work was to speak against great evil in high places, speak it in the Name of the LORD and then retire. We know that Elijah, on his way back from Horeb, `found Elisha son of Shaphet', and as he had been told by God `went up to him and threw his mantle around him', thereby showing his acceptance of Elisha as a son and passing his God-given authority to Elisha as his successor.
Little is known of Elisha's background, other than he was `a son of Shaphet' and that his zeal for God was equal to that of his `spiritual father'. We also know that he worked the land as a `ploughman of fields', and when Elijah called him into God's service he waited only long enough to say goodbye to his father and mother and to break up his ploughing equipment for fuel to cook the slaughtered animals to provide food for the people. He then set out to follow Elijah as his close companion, trusting fully in the LORD to protect and provide for him in his calling. Elisha's work was different to that of Elijah, although his zeal for God was equal to that of Elijah. Elisha's work would be one of judgement and provision - seen in the restoration of the Shunammite's son, the increasing of the widows oil, making the bitter water pure and the healing of Naaman, his prononcement against the Moabites and his word concerning the Arameans' siege of Samaria, as well as bringing down a curse on his mockers. Judgement and provision followed Elisha wherever he went on the LORD's work - concern for his friends, tears over Israel's spiritual condition whilst standing firm in speaking judgement against the LORD's enemies. A true prophet of God, Elisha rejected wealth and worldly acceptance, living and working with the Sons of the Prophets, teaching and training them for continuing the LORD's work.
And so we come to the `miracle' of the axe-head and his further instruction to the Sons of the Prophets against excessive carnal zeal. Chapter 6 of 2 Kings opens up with their words: `Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us'. These `sons', although disciples of the prophets, were beginning to slide away from their calling as prophets teaching the Scriptures to those who would listen in the midst of a deeply apostate Israel. No longer satisfied with their simple itinerant life-style of reaching out to the people, they were looking for a larger more elaborate place in which to meet. They had become settled and would have seen the life-style of the Court Prophets, those close to the king with all his royal opulent trappings - for no kings would last long without the religious regalia of their `divine approval'. It is in the nature of man to work towards influence and power, seen in the trappings of the world in wealth and splendid palaces and buildings. This has been seen throughout history in its kings and emperors with their suppliant priests and prophets to reassure them. Elisha didn't argue or disagree with them over their suggestion to `go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live'. He simply said, `I will come . . and he went with them'. It was there at the River Jordan so long ago that their forefathers had crossed over from their past life into the Land of Promise, and it was there that those `Sons of Prophets' needed to be reminded of their calling, for they too had crossed over from their past life into a God-given responsibility to convict the people of their apostacy: (2 Kings 6:4-5)
" And when they came to the Jordan they cut down wood. But as one was
felling a beam the axe-head fell into the water, and he cried out: `Alas,
my master, it was borrowed'. "
And so came the lesson, and through it the instruction was given. The handle into which the axe was fitted was the wrong shape, and furthermore the axe had been borrowed, which loss caused alarm. The alarm was not caused because of the wrong shape of the handle, nor was it because the axe was lost in the water. Anxiety came because it had been borrowed! `Alas', was his cry, the word showing the depth of his emotional anxiety. Now the lesson could be given by Elisha:
" You Sons of the Prophets have been called into God's service for His special purpose. It is not for you to cut down the trees you chose, let alone fix the axe-head onto a handle of your choice. The axe that you borrowed has now been lost in the water, for you intended to use the wood it cut down for building only your own house. The `axe' your master uses is for judgement and provision. Before you take his instructions or teaching to an apostate people you must ensure that you use the correctly shaped handle and apply the `axe' in the way he has taught you."
Now Elisha revealed not only his teaching, but as it was the twelfth miracle he had performed it showed the full Governance of God to the twelve tribes He had chosen and called for His purpose: (v 6-7)
"The man of God said, `Where did it fall?' And he (Elisha) was shown
the place, and he cut down a stick and cast it into the water and the iron
axe-head floated. "
We need to stop here to consider what seem to be simple words. Elisha cut down `a stick', using a different word to the one used in verse 4; also the word for `cut' in verse 6 is a different word - the earlier word in verse 4 shows an indifferent cutting down of any old convenient stick, whereas in verse 6 it speaks of a selected stick chosen for chipping, shaping something from that selected stick. An old-fashioned word would better decribe it - to cut `a helve' - to cut `a handle to fit into a tool'. Only when the corrctly shaped handle which would fit exactly into the axe-head was cast into the water did the axe float to the surface ready for use. Now, with the lesson learned by the Sons of the Prophets, they were instructed to `Lift it out, and the man reached out his hand and took it'. And so we come to Elisha's teaching to his `sons', his disciples.
We have seen earlier that the Sons of the Prophets had begun to slip away from the simple lifestyle of the itinerant prophet for they wanted to build something more comfortable and permanent! Elisha had also seen that the `slippping away' was now moving them from the prophetic teaching of their master - which was one of judgement and provision for an apostate Israel - into a `prophetic' teaching of provision and prosperity! Furthermore, they were using a `stick' cut down from any random `tree' they came across which would not fit into the axe-head they had borrowed, and so it fell off and was lost in the waters of the Jordan. The Sons' use of the (wood) Scriptures of their choice could not be used for the message of their master, and so the axe-head of judgement `fell into the water'. Elisha correctly chose the right `stick' of the Word of God in all its fulness, cut and fashioned by the LORD to fit securely into the `axe-head' of judgement and provision, which when fitted together and cast upon the waters of Israel brought its full message to an apostate Israel. The message was, judgement or full provision and protection if you return to the God of Israel. Elisha instructed his son, `Lift it out', and the man reached out his hand and took it'. The Sons of the Prophets together with their master were now ready to speak to the king concerning the danger facing Israel from the King of Aram!
We too need to look for the instruction seen in this very real and personal teaching given by Elisha to the Sons of Prophets, which really took such a short space in his ministry - just 10 or 12 lines of Scripture. Within the Western Church of this Age there are many `schools of prophets' firmly embedded in the `courts' of their particular denominations, both old and new. They too have taken their `poles or beams' and built large and secure places in which to meet. Indeed many could be said to have raised up their own authority to a high place in their `courts'. For too long they have cut their own `sticks', only to find they have not been shaped to hold the `axe-head' firmly in place, causing it to fall into the water. Such `schools of prophets' have borrowed the Axe Head of God, only to find that it will not remain on the stick of their imaginery word of God, and in many congregations of God's people the Axe Head of God is completely hidden in the waters.
The Axe Head of God will only remain firm and ready for use if it is fixed securely into the hewed Handle of the full Word of God. In 1967 there was a move of the Holy Spirit, releasing His people who for far too long had been shackled in a religious Church system overseen by an authoritative priesthood who could not see that Jerusalem, the capital of the LORD's Kingdom, had been retaken in order to prepare for the coming King. This was to be proclaimed and witnessed to by His people, now set free from dead denominationalism. And so the fourty years Probation Period, the testing of His people, has outworked itself, and as with every other Scriptural Probation Period God's people have failed Him and are back in captivity awaiting `revival' - which never seems to come. And so the new priesthood talks of `living victoriously in Babylon' rather than living victoriously in Christ Jesus! The time will come when `the Spirit of Elisha' will gather His `sons' into His School of Prophets, and as in the 1967 awakening He will call them into small groups for instruction and teaching until they too will be told to `Lift it out'. Then they will reach out and take it out, for they will have been taught well by the Full Word of God and will be ready to warn Israel of the danger from `the king of Aram' and of the judgement and provision of salvation.
That is the Axe Head of God. And beyond that?
" See, I will send you the Prophet Elijah before that great
and dreadful Day of the LORD comes. "
Selah
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