The God of Broken Axes

Second Kings chapter number six will be where we will be this evening for just a few moments and again to our graduates. I do congratulate you and parents.

Thank you for the privilege of being able to invest in them. They are a very special group and my wife and I have grown to love them and they are precious and that they know the word of God. But even more precious is that they profess to know the God of the word and for that we glorify the Lord and thank him for for them. Everyone has read a story or watched a show where there is a young boy or girl who is sitting alone on the steps or perhaps underneath some tree watching the sun go down as they're thinking of their crush and holding a daisy in their hand and picking off the pedals and thinking to themselves, he loves me, he loves me not. And while this may make for a cute scene concerning this heartfelt affection of this young boy and his crush, it does not make for good Christian living.

Yet there we are, here we are, as we go through life riding the roller coaster that awaits us, we find ourselves thinking, God loves me, he loves me not, as we go up and down the roller coaster which is this life. This evening as we examine Second Kings chapter six, we will see the story of a young student who grew tired of his cramped dorm room and decided to start what turns out to be an extremely stressful building project. We will also go forward to find ourselves in the midst of a great conflict where we find Israel's intelligence agency on full display and we find arguably this same college student in shock as he is rubbing the dust out of his eyes to behold an army encompassing him. And as we look at this passage together, it is my desire that we would keep our eyes open to behold the God of broken axes and battle cries. As we take a look at this text, I would like for us to highlight and learn three things. First, that there will be the presence of troubles. Second, that we may rest in the providence of God. And third, from the behavior of the man of God as scripture would define him, some practical implications from this man who definitely rests in the providence of God.

And so I would first like for us to dive in and behold this story of the axe head. Hear it with me one more time in verse number one. And the sons of the prophet said to Elisha, see now the place where we dwell with you is too small for us.

Please let us go to the Jordan and let every man take a beam from a beam from there and let us make there a place where we may dwell. So we answered, go. Then one said, please consent to go with your servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them.

And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron axe fell into the water and he cried out and said, alas, master, for it was borrowed. So the man of God said, where did it fall? And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick and threw it in there and he made the iron float. Therefore, he said, pick it up for yourself.

So he reached out his hand and took it. First, let's notice the presence of troubles here with the broken axe. As we look here at verses one through seven, we read the story of one of Elisha's prophets in training who decides to speak up to address the issue of the cramped living arrangements that they have at Elisha's school of Yahweh.

And it seems that Elisha accepts both his proposal to break ground on the new project, as well as the invitation to join them down by the Jordan River. So the student borrows an axe and this would be student prophet now becomes a lumberjack. But it seems that as he is chipping away at the tree, this axe head flies off the handle and into the Jordan. And as we look in verse number five, fill with me the trembling in his voice, alas, master, for it was borrowed. Now, in this day, that would not be a big deal. We will simply make our trip to the nearest Lowe's or Home Depot and we will buy ourselves a replacement.

But that's not simply an option for this young man at this time. Some scholars would speculate that the cost of this axe head at this time would have been priced similarly to a vehicle today. Now, my first vehicle was a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe with a 350 small block V8. And the only money that I made when I first got that was cutting my grandparents grass once a week.

And at that time, gas was about the same price that it is now. And so as I would hit the accelerator to get onto the interstate, I would I would watch the handle go down on that gas gauge, as so would my heart go with it. And as I was running late to school one day, I decided that I was going to take a shortcut. But as I was taking that shortcut a little bit too speedily, I found myself kissing the front end of a Mustang. And so as I got out of the vehicle and examined the destruction of that beauty, I called my dad and said, I got an accident. And as he came out there, he was most gracious to me. Think about your first accident or your first mess up or the time that you find yourselves in the shoes of someone like this young man.

Let's step into his shoes in our modern day lenses. You're a young, broke college student who's borrowed your buddy's car for the day and you're driving down the road as you rear end a guy and you total his car. Could you imagine the worry of having not only to call and to tell said friend that your car is gone, but also to try and figure out how you, a broke college student, are going to afford to reimburse him for this? Can you feel the worry that is in this young man's shoes? See, that's where we find ourselves here in this passage of Scripture. Exodus chapter number 22 verse 14 says, If a man borrows anything from his neighbor and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. So this college student is going to have to pay the price for this, which isn't likely.

He's either going to have to pay the price or he is going to sentence himself to servitude until he can pay it off. Can you feel him? Can you can you feel the worry in his tired little arms as it is banging away on that tree? And there goes the accent into the river as his voice begins to tremble and he shouts, Master, it was borrowed as Elijah comes to his aid. Here comes Elijah as he throws a stick into the water and up comes this iron axe head floating to the top. And the once terrified student is now in awe of this miracle. As we hear this story, we sit here and we can sympathize with this anxiety, but we also scratch our heads and wonder what is the point of this story?

And that's a question that I asked myself. And I believe that if we were going to understand the point of the broken axe story, we're going to have to move forward to read the story of the battle cry, which leads us into the story of verses eight through twenty three, which is the battle cry. See, as we look at this passage here, we see ourselves observing the conversations within the bedrooms of the Syrian and Israelite armies, where it seems that every single strategy that Syria comes up with is quickly thwarted by Israel. And this leads the king of Syria to begin to investigate whether or not there's a traitor in the camp. Upon investigation in verse number 12, we read here, the king says to one of his servants, excuse me, verse number 11. Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing. And he called his servants and said to them, Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king.

But Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. So we find the king in all of his rage here, learning of this, rallying up the troops and sending them out to find the prophet. And this leads us up to verse number 15. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots, and his servant said to him, Alas, master, what do we do? We find him walking out in the morning, rubbing the dust out of his eyes, enjoying the rising sun, as his once swollen and sleepy eyes are now the size of saucers as they behold the enemies of Israel round about his camp.

And he cries out similarly to the story of the lost axe head, Alas, master, alas, master, what shall we do? And as we look at this text, the seasoned prophet who rests in the God of Israel, prays that this young student may see what he sees and that the army of Syria may be blinded. That's exactly what happens as the army of Syria is blinded. Elisha does the unthinkable. Instead of his like his leader before him, Elijah, who executes God's wrath upon the enemies of God. Here we find Elisha taking the enemies of Israel by their hand and leading them out. And as the king of Israel is flabbergasted by this story, the king looks at him and says, Father, should we kill them?

Should we kill them? To which the command of the prophet is no, but you make provisions for them and you feed them. Where we find Elijah executing the wrath of God, the justice of God, we find Elisha bringing forth the mercy of God. So what?

So what? If the story of the broken axe may be greatly interpreted in light of the story of the battle cry, we read both of the stories and we see one of the aid of an elderly prophet to his student. And then we see the story of God's deliverance of them from the hands of the enemy. But what does this mean?

How does this fit together and what exactly is going on here? Well, in both scenarios, we read the stories of crises resolved. One seeming to be minor in the grand scheme of things.

If I were to tell you the story of two thousand years ago, six thousand years ago, that there was a young man who lost an axe head and it worried him to death, you would think that is a relatively small story in the comparison of history. But then if I turn and tell you the story of a crises averted, as there are two nations going to war and the battle is averted because of that sign of grace given forth to the enemy, that is a little bit bigger, isn't it? And I believe what we see here is history declaring the reality that God is most certainly aware of the troubles that you and I face, regardless of their significance, regardless of the varying degrees of the troubles in your life. There is a God who sits in heaven who is aware and who is not a detached father, but who is present within the conflicts that ill your life. I have a two year old and it is not uncommon as I spend my day either in the office or making plans as we're trying to get some things together for the summer that I will come home and my brain is still in office mode as I'm reading all day.

And it's not unusual as I unlock the door that there is a screeching of daddy running down the hallway to wrap her legs around my dress pants and to get them stained and it's glorious. But there are some days that I can't find the off switch quite as quickly as I would like to and as my child finds her father, her deliverer home, the greatest issue that is plaguing her beloved mind is the fact that her toys, batteries, have finally exhausted themselves. And as I am beginning to study, to stand up and hopefully not to embarrass myself, we seem to kind of want to overlook the issue that is plaguing said child's mind. See, as we find ourselves within this life, we do not want to think of God as that detached father figure who does not care about the varying degrees of worry that plague your mind and life. As we look within this passage of scripture, the first thing we notice is there is the presence of troubles within our lives. But in the midst of those troubles, there is the providence of God.

Beloved, it is my desire today that the cries of our anxieties may be hushed by the cradling arms of God's providence. You see, our God is not an uncaring father who is detached and unconcerned for those for whom he died. In the midst of the issues of life that plague you, it is not a burden for you to cradle yourselves up into the arms of Christ. You are not burdening he for whom he has died. He has died for you.

You are not burdening him by running unto him. Rather, Psalm 121 verse 4 tells us that this father is our sleepless watchman. Behold, he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. He is the pilgrim's companion. In Genesis 28 15, behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.

And will bring you back to this land for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you. Beloved, he is our refuge in the storm. Isaiah 25 4, for you have been a strength to the poor. A strength to the needy in distress. A refuge in the storm. A shade from the heat for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Our father is the one who guides all things.

And as he who wrote the Proverbs is trying to think of exactly how involved the father is within our lives, he thinks of the most random thing possible and writes down in Proverbs 16 33, The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord. That event in your life that seems most random and insignificant is not one that has escaped itself from the hand of providence. As you go home tonight and you rest and you open your eyes in the morning as the beams of light are making their way through the window in the morning, you may see little bits of dust particles that are floating in the air.

And you may think to yourself, I can't believe I breathe that. But that's not significant to this illustration. Beloved, there is not a single one of those dust particles that is rogue and out of the will of God. There is not a single car that drives by your house as you make your way to and from the church that has escaped itself from Providence. In Matthew 14 18 through 21, we find that this very God who controls the cosmos and even the dust particles in your room and even in here, he is the very God who cares about specifics. In Matthew 14, we read the story of the Lord feeding the 5000. Now, it would have been nothing for the Lord to turn them all away. After all, this simply is one meal for them out of the thousands that they will enjoy over the long course of their existence on this planet.

But I think that's the point here. Indeed, Christ can make multiplicities out of small things. But I believe that also we understand that he is a God that cares about the matters of life, both big and small, that the God who has formed the cosmos would come down and dare to treat you to enjoy this heavenly banquet before him. He is a God that cares about those issues and that he has chosen you as his elect before the foundations of the world.

But he is also that God that orders the particles that fly around you and I right now. In 2 Kings 617, the student whose perspective was once one of fear and dread, now he has a new perspective since the Lord has opened his eyes. We never hear him complaining or fearing again.

We never hear from him again. And I find that quite interesting as he has had himself no issue with crying out to his master whenever there has been problem before. And just as his perspective on life was changed by the opening of his eyes to behold the mighty hand of providence around him, we too should live in an altered perspective of life as we open our eyes to behold the promises of God within his book to us, his people. Spurgeon said our king would have his subjects to give their hearts to his love and service and not worry themselves with anxieties. It is well for us that we have these daily wants because they lead us to our Heavenly Father. But if we grow anxious, they are turned from their design and made into barriers to shut us off from the Lord. If he is the one, the Lord tells us in Matthew 6, who feeds the sparrow, if he is the one, the Lord tells us, who clothes the lily, that even Solomon and all of his array could not match. If he cares enough to clothe that lily, which will be soon burnt in an oven, if he will clothe it with matchless beauty, how much more does he care and how much more invested is he in the life of those for whom he died? Church, I say it again, let the cries of your anxieties be hushed in the cradling arms of divine providence. For he works all things for your good. So as we look at these stories, one seemingly small, once more severe, let us be reminded that the Lord gives us gospel reorientation in the times of our trials to rest in his watch care. And we can rest assured today, beloved, he cares for you and for me. There is not one enemy, one trial, one army that can pluck us from the hand of our most beloved sovereign.

He cares for you and I. And as you find yourself played with a series of events that approach you, whether great or small, you may rest knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Beloved, there is providence that is lacing every event that comes before you yesterday, today and tomorrow. Whatever makes its way before us, God has placed it there to draw us closer to him that our eyes may be open to behold his work regardless of the fear that we have. If we allow the troubles and trials of this life to divide us from resting in the Lord, we have surely robbed them of their most precious treasure.

It was Spurgeon who says, I have learned to kiss that rock or that wave that throws me against the rock of ages. As we find ourselves in the midst of a life that has the presence of troubles, let us rest in the province of God. And this leads us to a few practical implications here today. Just as the Father is caring over the issues over our lives, we should be that way towards others.

As we look within the life of Elisha, the life of a man who is the prophet of God in the time at which it is not popular, we find that as his servant has just the mistake of losing an axe head, we find the immediate response of the prophet. And just as our Father is caring over the issues of our lives, I believe that we should also be that way towards others. So Father, as you make your way home from a long day of work, indeed we may reorient the mind of our children as indeed the issues of batteries and toys is not that severe. But if it matters to them what a great opportunity it is to minister to them and show them the gospel in that the Father cares over the minuscule events in our life and so too should their fathers care over the issues of theirs.

We have found ourselves in a nation that is ripped apart and that finds itself plagued with mental health crises. Indeed, if there is a Father who is caring over the minuscule events of life, may we too find ourselves to be a warm welcoming hand to speak with those who are burdened and plagued with the issues that they face. Not only may we care over the small things as he cares for us, but I believe that we may rest in providence and that in that rest we should aim to comfort our brethren, our plagued weaker brethren in word and in prayer. For as we find this most distraught student, the prophet does not bemoan the situation.

He does not grow weary with the screeching of the student and he does not lose his mind either. But his aim as one who keeps his eyes on the hand of providence is to comfort this young man with word and in prayer, that his eyes may be open and his perspective may be changed. As you and I are walking through life and those who we are building relationships with approach us with a mind that is plagued and with a heart that is burdened, may we too be so careful to aim to comfort them with the ministry of word and with prayer. For indeed it is easy for you and I to begin to say rest in providence as the trials of life are not drowning us out. But may we put ourselves in their shoes and show them the grace that God the Father has shown us and as he has illuminated our eyes to his providence and has granted us a pillow to rest in with that.

May we also run after to provide the same nourishment and care to those around us. And lastly, seeing that we are surrounded by the mighty hand of God's care, we may also show mercy even to our enemies. For just as providence has brought us to mercy with God, it has also called us to show that same mercy to others around us.

Just as God cared to call Elisha and to make him that most beloved prophet whose stories we enjoy, just as he called him to be one who is tasted of mercy, Elisha goes forth to show mercy to those around him. And as the Father has been pleased to guide us into himself that we might taste and see that the Lord is good, may we too be trophies to this world around us that they may also taste and see that the Lord is good. We are trophies of grace.

Trophies of grace. And so, students who are going to school, those whose issues may have been derailed by injury, or those who are about to move away from home for the first time, rest knowing that every issue that will plague you as you move away from home, or as you graduate and move on from ACS, know that everything that finds itself within your past has been placed there by the loving hand of providence. And that where there is the presence of troubles, there is the caring hand of your most beloved Father.

Amen. Let us go to the Lord in a word of prayer. Lord, you have been most caring, gentle, and kind with us this day. May we be overwhelmed with your kindness to us. Lord, what a beloved thing it is to know that before eternity even began, you set your love upon us.

And that each of the events that plagues our life or brightens our life is an event that has been placed there to draw us closer to Thee. And Lord, as we rest, indeed as we make our bed within the arms of your care, may we also go out to encourage those who are plagued around us. Lord, I love this, your church, and I love your word, and I pray that you would not allow it to return void as you have promised it will not.

I rest that this is the word of God for the people of God at this time. Lord, I ask that you would bless this evening and that you would continue to work in our hearts to make this biblical truth a reality that should find itself not merely lodging within our ears, but seeping forth from every aspect of our lives. You are a Lord who cares most intimately for us.

And how much more can it be known in that you knew everything about me, yet you set your love upon me. And you have adopted my sin, and you have laid it upon yourself as you bore all of my shame upon Calvary's tree. May that invigorate us. May that invigorate us. We love you, Lord. And may you bless us as we depart. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.