Elisha & the Floating Axhead

1. HOOK

• Prepare a pail of water and some “IRON” household items (e.g. cutlery, coins etc).  Let the children drop them in the water. Then ask them if they can now make them FLOAT to the top of the water so, that you can get them out.
• Then toss a small stick in the water and ask them if they think that the STICK can make those heavy “IRON” items float to the top.  They may think it’s crazy. But in the Bible, we find a story where God’s prophet, Elisha, made an axe head float!

2. STORY: Elisha & the Floating Axhead (2 Kings 6:1-7)

• Tell the story of Elisha & the Floating Axhead (2 Kings 6:1-7); use props if necessary
• Some men were building a new home as Elisha stood by. As they chopped down trees, one builder lost grip of his axe, and the axe head flew into the Jordan River…seemingly lost forever. The axe head was borrowed and it was very valuable, as most iron tools were in those days. When Elisha was informed where the axe head fell, he took a stick (part of a tree), and threw it in the river. To everyone’s amazement the axe head came to the surface and floated. They recovered the axe head!

3. LESSON

A. Our Heavenly Father Cares (1 Peter 5:7)

• A missing axe head. Why would the God of heaven and earth bother about something as insignificant as a missing axe head? But our Heavenly Father cares about us. And He cares about the things that matter to us.
• The axe head was borrowed and expensive — the man who was using it probably could not repay it (else he would have his own axe). And God used Elisha to show His love and care by performing a miracle of making a heavy axe head float to the surface of the water!
• God cares for us. He cares for what matters to us. Just like the prophet called to Elisha for help, we can call to God for help in every little thing in our life!

B. Our Heavenly Father Loves us and Saves us

• This story is truly amazing for many reasons, but especially for the picture of redemption that it shows us. Just like that axe head, we are very valuable to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are precious to Him and He loves us very much.
• The axe head was caught in the unclean waters of the Jordan, caught in the depths of the muddy bottom as its weight and density caused it to sink deeper and deeper … seemingly lost forever. And just like that, we were lost in this world, our sin causing us to sink deeper and deeper into the miry mud from which we could not pull ourselves out. We needed someone to search for us, find us, and pull us out!
• Jesus came looking for us, searched for us, and sought to save that which was lost. As Elisha threw the tree into the Jordan, so did the cross of Christ save us, that tree on Calvary.
• Everyone knows iron does not float, but when Elisha threw the tree into the water, the iron took on a new nature. Its old nature caused it to sink, but its new nature caused it to rise and to float above the depths below it. We have a new nature through Jesus Christ because of the work of the cross and His great love for us. Just like that iron axe head became buoyant and was set free from its old nature, so do we become spiritually buoyant as we are lifted by Jesus Christ to our new identity.
• Jesus’ death on the cross gave us new life and new nature.
• Memory Verse: Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Source: The cross and the axe head 

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

• Father’s Day: Do a Father’s Day craft or write a note to our earthly Daddy who also cares and loves us very much.
  (If a kid doesn’t have an earthly Daddy, get them to write a note to their Heavenly Daddy instead; assure them of their Heavenly Father’s love for them)
  Close in prayer (and thank God for all the fathers)