A Floating Ax Head (and More) Recovered

2 Kings 6:1-7
    1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. 2 Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell."  So he answered, "Go."
    3 Then one said, "Please consent to go with your servants."  And he answered, "I will go." 4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed."
    6 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. 7 Therefore he said, "Pick it up for yourself." So he reached out his hand and took it.

Here is a short story of God’s work through His messenger to restore what was lost that the man who lost a borrowed ax did not have to pay the owner for its loss (Exodus 22:14).  The man was one of the LORD’s prophets who was building a house for the group of them who were in need of a bigger place to stay apart from Elisha.  Elisha accompanied them to the place where they were constructing the house when the ax head broke loose and flew into the Jordan River.  The prophet who lost it was distressed most likely because he could not pay back the price of what he had lost that belonged to another while cutting down trees.  Elisha cut a small part of a tree, a mere branch, and tossed it in where the ax head went, and it miraculously stuck inside it where flew off the handle, and it floated to be recovered.  A small miracle perhaps, but what was lost was found, and have the one who owed a debt he could not pay such great relief and joy!  This loss of our relationship with God resulting in an infinitely greater debt which we could not pay is resolved in the greatest miracle of Christ sacrificing Himself on the cross in our place to pay our debt.  We each owed Him our life and were due to pay the sin debt with our own life, yet He was pierced (Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 53:5-6) and rose from the earthly grave (1 Thessalonians 1:10, Romans 4:24-25) just as the ax head came out of a watery grave, giving hope and relief from our more dire circumstance of the greatest debt owed to the greatest One who loaned our lives to us as His creations.  We who were lost have been found by His grace and wondrous working of His life, death, burial, and resurrection.  Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ for such atoning and reconciling grace (Colossians 1:19-22) to restore what was lost!  Amen and amen.