Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Body

As you’re well aware of the title, we’re going to look at the story of the floating Axe-Head and it is quiet interesting this story.

First off, and it’s quiet obvious, have you ever seen a axe-head that floats?

Try any thick solid metal the size of an axe-head and tell me if it floats?

It’s impossible correct?

So, what we’re seeing here is something supernatural; a miracle!

Secondly, when you read this story, what significance does this story share to help us in our understanding of God? Or, of Jesus?

Now, as we go through these 7 verses, we’re going to go through each verse one by one to shape the context of this message, once we have established the context, I am going to share my interpretation of these verses and how it is applicable with us.

I will also share a bit of my testimony to make it interesting.

We start with our first verse in 2 Kings 6:1

School of the Prophets

In the first verse we find Elisha and the sons of the prophets, some other translations says Elisha is with a ‘company’ or ‘group’ of prophets.

In Hebrew translation it says בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִים - benee ha navi’im (sons of the prophet), does that mean that they were children from a prophet/prophetess?

Were they a school of the prophets in training?

Why is it important if they were?

Well it is important as it will be essential to my interpretation of this message, it is believed that these sons of the prophet or group/company of prophets is in fact a school of the prophets.

Elisha clearly had such a group under his instruction (2 Kgs 6:1), and “sons of the prophets” (e.g., 2 Kgs 2:3, 5; Am 7:14) probably refers to “prophet in training” under the care of a master V 2, p 1782 p 1782 prophet.

The “sons of the prophets” were not necessarily direct recipients of the prophetic gift, but were divinely called, as are gospel ministers today, to instruct the people in the will and ways of God.

The schools of the prophets were a powerful force to restrain the tide of evil that often threatened to submerge the Hebrew people in a flood of idolatry, materialism, and injustice, and provided a barrier against the fast-spreading wave of corruption.

These schools provided for the mental and spiritual training of selected young men who were to become the teachers and leaders of the nation.

Who do you think was the founder of this school?

Moses?

Joshua?

Samuel?

It appears that Samuel may have founded the school of the prophets, as a prophet himself, he trained up people to guide and direct worship to the True God of Israel.

God saw it fit for this school to form to educate His people and prepare them for something very important.

Why else would they be called the school of the prophets?

But, keep that thought in mind.

It’ll come in handy later on in the sermon.

So returning back to 2 Kings 6, what were the sons of the prophets asking of Elisha?

So, who is in charge here?

Elisha is in charge of the prophets and they were asking to relocate their school and their home to the river Jordan using the wood there.

Elisha accepts and in verse 3-4 they ask Elisha to come with them and he agrees as they arrive and start work in cutting the trees down.

Inviting the leader

I want you to stop and think about that, these guys didn’t need the leaders help, I am sure the prophet Elisha had more important places to go to than travel and be around these prophets in training.

I mean, Elisha could have travelled to Samaria, the capitol of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), and counselled king Joram, the king of Israel.

But they invited Elisha to join them in their travel and Elisha agreed to join them and spend time with them building.

The Floating Axe-Head

We now come to the part where they are cutting down the trees and someone becomes overly dramatic in losing something borrowed.

If you were one of the people working with this guy, in our day and age, you would tell this guy to take a chill pill and go to the nearest Bunnings and get another one.

At least then it would be a new one that you can return to the guy.

Here you go, you can get a good axe at Bunnings for <$50.

Or, if you were in that period of time you could just go to any blacksmith and get one made easily.

Right?

But, it is not so simple, first off, these sons of the prophets had limited money (in most cases they would have shared the money together but that wouldn’t have been enough).

However, have a read of this, it comes from the law of Moses, one that this prophet in training should have been familiar with and should have been aware of.

So, the losing of an axe-head may seem like a common occurrence and it would appear that this prophet wasn’t paying attention to the axe-head (of which it was borrowed).

[Share a story about something borrowed]

This prophet should of been more aware with an axe-head that would have been dangerous if it flew off the handle, they could have seriously hurt other people nearby.

To add to that, although there may have had a blacksmith maybe nearby, most of these blacksmith would have been busy with the war effort against Syria or other neighbouring aggressive kingdoms that Israel had to prepare for.

So, getting a new axe-head would have been expensive and the waiting time for the a metal object to be completed would have to wait till after the conflict.

Understanding the situation.

So you can understand the dilemma this prophet in training, who being a keeper of the law of Moses, is experiencing.

This individual may have no money but is obliged to pay back what was lost.

How is this individual able to pay back?

They would be indebted to the person that they borrowed this item from.

We call this individual a prophet in training right?

Unfortunately, this prophet didn’t see this coming that’s for sure, some prophet hey?

The leader that saves the day.

When we see the next two verses we come to the climax of this story, the miracle that concludes this story.

Elisha comes and saves the day, but observe now how he proceeds in assisting the prophet in retrieving the lost item.

Elisha starts with a question, “where did it fall?”;

Elisha is then shown where it fell into, so he cuts off a stick and throws it in that same place and the axe-head floats.

Elisha then commands the prophet to get it and work resumes (I presume).

Application

So, that’s that story, does that conclude the message?

No, because I haven’t gotten started on the application of this message to ourselves, this message has a lot of applications especially for us as Seventh-day Adventists Christians in these last days.

Now bare with me as we return to the start of this story, but this time I am going to share this from my personal point of view and how it is important for you and me.

Adventists - School of the Prophets.

As Seventh-day Adventists, what distinguishes us is our interpretation of biblical prophecy, it is through prophecy and the expectation of the Lord’s soon return that we prepare and ready ourselves for that wonderful and awesome day.

In so doing, we also share this good news; the everlasting gospel, to prepare others for that wonderful day.

Let me reiterate what was mentioned regarding the School of the Prophets from the Adventist Bible Dictionary.

The “sons of the prophets” were not necessarily direct recipients of the prophetic gift, but were divinely called, as are gospel ministers today, to instruct the people in the will and ways of God.

The schools of the prophets were a powerful force to restrain the tide of evil that often threatened to submerge the Hebrew people in a flood of idolatry, materialism, and injustice, and provided a barrier against the fast-spreading wave of corruption.

These schools provided for the mental and spiritual training of selected young men who were to become the teachers and leaders of the nation.

Do you see a linkage to us as Seventh-day Adventist Christians?

We are divinely called as gospel ministers today!

We know about the soon return of Jesus, we know what He would want us to do, how are we directing people to Him? How are we becoming the teachers and leaders of the everlasting gospel message?

How are we doing that for Jesus?

Especially when it comes to COVID-19?

Should a pandemic stop the everlasting gospel message?

Should the pandemic stop us from preparing our neighbours and friends to learn more about Jesus?

The movement

Now the next part can involve the church or as an individual, but the school of the prophets decides to relocate and to the river Jordan because there is plenty of wood there for building.

But, before they made the move, who did they consult first?

Their leader, Elisha, the prophet of Israel, and the spokesman of God.

But who do we call for or pray to when we are making a decision in life?

Jesus, the Son of God and Author and Finisher of our faith.

[Share testimony on how you became a Pastor]

Strathfield Chinese church —> 3am

Work —> serve the Lord for 1 year

Pr Daniel Chong —> inspired me to pastor (declined because no future)

Dad passed away 2011 —> decision to go into ministry

Every step of my journey there have been countless of times I asked the Lord for His guidance, sometimes there I didn’t ask, but I know that there were people who were praying for me.

Where ever we go or whatever we do, how often do we consult our Leader?

Our Great Teacher?

How many of us pray for others?

Even though I faced opposition in choosing this path as a minister, in the end, I consulted with the Lord and He has lead and guided me to where I am.

Imagine where you could be if you consult the Lord in prayer?