2 Kings 6:1 - Meaning and Application

Several things may be noticed here.

First, consider the sons of the prophets, and their condition and character. This school was probably the one at Gilgal, where Elisha was staying (2 Kings 4:38), near the Jordan River. It seems that wherever Elisha lived, as many of the sons of the prophets as could gather around him did so, because they wanted the benefit of his teaching, counsel, and prayers. Anyone who hoped to teach others should work hard to gain the best chance to learn first.

Their number had grown so much that they needed more room: “The place where we meet with you is too small for us” (2 Kings 6:1). That was a good sign, because it showed that many were being added to them. Elisha’s miracles likely drew many in, and perhaps they grew even more after Gehazi was removed and a more honest man was put in his place to manage their supplies. It seems Gehazi had not been the only one who resented his master’s generosity, as shown in the earlier account (2 Kings 4:43).

These men were humble, and they did not care for anything showy or grand. When they needed more space, they did not talk about cedar beams, marble, or skilled builders. They only wanted to get a beam apiece so they could build a simple hut or cottage. It is fitting for the sons of the prophets, who look for great things in the life to come, to be content with modest things in this life.

They were also poor, and they had no influence with important people. This was the time of Joram, king of Israel, and Jezebel still ruled through her evil influence, so if the sons of the prophets had needed help from the government, they would have had to ask for it. But God’s prophets have rarely been the world’s favorites. They were so poor that they could not hire workers. They had to leave their studies and do the work themselves, and they even had to borrow tools from their neighbors. Poverty is no barrier to serving as a prophet.

They were hardworking men, willing to put in effort. They did not want to live like idle drones, or like idle monks, off the labor of others. They only asked permission from their leader to work for themselves. The sons of the prophets should not be so focused on study and prayer that they become unfit for action, and they should be even less willing to grow lazy and avoid work. A person who must eat must work, as Paul says (2 Thessalonians 3:8, 10). No one should think honest work is a burden or a shame.

They also had deep respect for Elisha. Though they were prophets themselves, they still honored him greatly. They would not begin building without his permission (2 Kings 6:2). It is wise for all of us to distrust our own judgment, even when we think we have strong reasons to trust it, and to seek the advice of those who are wiser and more experienced. It is especially fitting for the sons of the prophets to keep their spiritual father with them and to act in important matters under his direction, with the permission of their superiors.

They also did not want to go out and cut timber without him present. “Please go with your servants” (2 Kings 6:3). They wanted him not only to advise them if anything went wrong, but also to keep good order among them, so that, being under his eye, they might behave properly. Good disciples want to stay under good discipline.

They were honest men, careful to give every person what belonged to him. When one of them accidentally struck too hard and sent the iron axehead into the water, he did not excuse himself by saying it was only an accident, or blame the handle, or shrug off the loss. Instead, he cried out in distress, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed” (2 Kings 6:5). If the axe had been his own, he would have been upset that he could no longer help his brothers. But since it was borrowed, he was troubled also because he could not be fair to the owner, to whom he owed not only fairness but gratitude. We should take as much care of borrowed things as of our own, so that we do no harm to them. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves and do to others what we would want done to us. This prophet was likely poor and could not afford to replace the axe, which made the loss even harder. For honest people, the worst part of poverty is often not their own lack or shame, but being unable to pay what they rightly owe.

Now consider Elisha, the father of the prophets. He showed great humility and compassion, because he went with the sons of the prophets into the woods when they asked for his company (2 Kings 6:3). No one, especially no minister, should think himself too important to stoop to do good. He was also a man of great power, because he made iron float, which is against its natural tendency (2 Kings 6:6). The God who made nature is not bound by nature’s ordinary laws. Elisha did not repeat the loss by throwing in the handle too, but cut a fresh stick and cast it into the river. We do not need to imagine the stick sank and brought up the iron. It was enough that it marked God’s command for the iron to rise.

In the same way, God’s grace can raise a heart that has become like heavy iron, sunk in the mud of this world. It can also lift our natural thoughts and desires upward, to heavenly things.