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Necessary- It’s hard to imagine such a project today without a chainsaw, or even large earth moving equipment. They would have felt the same way about metal axes then. Before such tools existed, men would search for trees that had already fallen or strip the bark away from them and wait for them to die. Over time, flint and stone axes were developed, which were used for millennia. Copper-bladed axes appeared in Egypt around 4000 B.C., followed by blades of bronze and eventually iron. Lost- Worst of all, the ax head disappeared, stuck somewhere in a muddy river bottom. Not only would it cost a lot to replace, the project would have probably been put on hold. Even in those days, time was critical.These men needed to be trained and put in place to help improve Israel’s spiritual well being. Thankfully, this was a faith-filled group who knew where to turn for help–their master Elisha, setting the stage for divine intervention. Once approached, “The man of God asked,‘Where did it fall?’When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.‘Lift it out,’ he said,‘Then the man reached out his hand and took it” (2 Kings 6:7, emphasis added). So, there you have it, another miracle in the ministry of Elisha. Just like salt made the water drinkable and flour made the food safe to eat, a stick thrown in the water caused the iron ax head to float. Rational thinking people often struggle with such occur rences, yet the Bible is full of them. “Jonah swallowed by a fish? I’d believe it if Scripture said Jonah swallowed the fish! It’s not difficult to believe if you believe in a God of miracles,” said Billy Graham. 1 That said, we should never take miracles for granted or use them as a license to withhold human effort.As Saint Augustine

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