AXES, TREES & THE JORDAN RIVER

October 10, 2010 am
10-10-10
MF Blume


2 Kings 6:1-7 KJV  And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.  (2)  Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.  (3)  And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.  (4)  So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.  (5)  But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.  (6)  And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.  (7)  Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.


Matthew 3:5-11 KJV  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  (6)  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  (9)  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  (10)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (11)  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:





The bible teaches about not walking after the flesh but instead walking after the Spirit.

One story from the Old Testament helps us understand more about this principle.

The story in which Elisha caused the iron to swim.

Words related to John the Baptist help bring this story’s point together for us.

Things common to both accounts we read are the Jordan River, Axes and trees.

John the Baptist had come in the spirit of Elijah, much like Elisha carried on from Elijah’s ministry.

It seems Jordan is a demarcation point.

These sons of the prophets were students.

The disciples each had to cut down a tree.

John the Baptist preached and baptized at the Jordan.

John 1:29-31  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  (30)  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.  (31)  And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

Nobody can see Jesus in our lives until we get to the Jordan and see the carnality cut down so He can be manifested.

John demanded people only be baptized if they truly repented.

Matthew 3: (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Those sincere people who came to John’s baptism had truly repented and were living changed lives to prove it.

Matt 3: (10)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Notice the trees that bear bad fruit, not fruit meet for repentance, WILL BE CUT DOWN and BURNED.

1 Corinthians 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

If the bible teaches we can judge ourselves and deal with the wickedness and carnality in our lives, then God will not have to judge us and see us lost forever, then that means we can cut down the trees with bad fruit IN TRUE REPENTANCE so that He does not do it and cast us into the fire.

So when we see each student of Elisha cutting down a tree in order to do his part in membership in a dwellingplace with the prophet, we are seeing a picture of how each of us must DO OUR PARTS IN RIDDING OURSELVES OF CARNALITY BY TRUE REPENTANCE.

John 14:2-3  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Jesus was like Elisha – the disciples were supposed to be where He was, but a place had to be prepared for them to be able to be there.

John 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

The Father dwelled in Jesus, and that was said after Jesus spoke of the Father’s house.

The same word translated MANSION is translated ABODE as follows:

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The Father’s House had many ABODES in it, and Jesus went to prepare a place FOR US so that the Father could dwell in us as well!

HE WENT TO THE CROSS TO PREPARE THAT PLACE FOR US.

But while one student was cutting down his tree, representing his process of repentance and ridding himself of carnality, the axehead flew off into the Jordan, and he could not continue.

Ecclesiastes 10:10  COMPLETE APOSTLES BIBLE  If the ax-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength; and in that case skill is of no advantage to a man.

Interestingly enough this version of the bible gives the exact picture of Elisha’s predicament with his student.

The AXE HEAD was the means by which the tree was cut down.

Romans 8:11-13  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  (12)  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  (13)  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

It quickens our mortal bodies so that we do not live after the flesh.

(If you are not actively engaged in genuine Spiritual ministry, it is because the flesh has not been cut away adequately enough to give way for the Spirit within to minister through you.)

Elisha asked where the axe fell into the water.

When we fail and lose progress in cutting away our carnality, we must apply the cross to the situation.

When we lose progress in this, we have lost sight of the cross and slipped into the very carnality we are in need of cutting down.

2 Kings 6: (7)  Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

You have to personally GRASP this revelation.

Romans 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

We mortify the deeds of the body with the POWER OF THE SPIRIT.

Romans 8:11-13  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  (12)  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  (13)  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The Spirit that quickens our mortal bodies is that through which we mortify the deeds of the body.

The axehead is the POWER OF THE SPIRIT THAT MORTIFIES THE DEEDS OF THE BODY.

Romans 8 is written well after Romans 6 where we see the revelation of the CROSS deeply involved in getting us to the place we mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit.

So we have to go back to Romans 6 and renew the revelation of the cross in our hearts, in order to see the Spirit begin working again!

YOU CAN HAVE THE SPIRIT, BUT NOT ALLOW IT TO WORK.

So when Elisha threw the tree into the Jordan to return the axe head to his disciple, we see that we have to go back to the REVELATION OF THE CROSS in order to see this SPIRIT go to work in us again.

Let’s go back to Rom 6 and review the revelation.

Romans 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

KNOW, RECKON and YIELD.

THEN the axe head returned to the man supernaturally, and HE GRASPED IT.

We revert to walking after the flesh in fleshly religion after we begin to actually see the SPIRIT WORK IN OUR LIVES – and we cannot see our progress continue!

John said that instead of being cut down and burned in fire, we need baptism of the HOLY GHOST!

Matt 3: (10)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (11)  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Some think Holy Ghost and fire is a good thing.

And this brings us into PLACE Jesus prepared for us!

KINGDOM LIVING!