Page 10 - Potters Vessel - Vol 1, Jan 2018

FINAL 2 - Jan 18_Potters Vessel - First draft 13/01/2018 18:08 Page 10

Feature

here are some great little stories in the life of
Elisha. There really are. This study will focus on
say but one that has some pretty impressive results
Ttwo of them. It is, you could say, be a tale of two
for we read that he went out to the spring and threw
vessels, for the two stories are connected as we shall
the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says:
see. And as we look at the two stories, we shall hope- ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or
fully get some nice little glimpses into God’s work in make the land unproductive.” And the water has remained
our lives through the gift of His Holy Spirit. Well, that’s wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had
the plan anyway! The two stories that we will concern
spoken.”
ourselves with today can be found in 2 Kings
2:19-22 and 2 Kings 4:1-7. Let’s have a look at Ok, so what’s in it for me then aye?
the first text.
Obviously I’m not here to give any gardening tips
When towns go bad… for unproductive soil. Probably because I don’t
know any! But in this story we have a great little
2 Kings 2:19-22 The men of the city said to El- picture of humanity. You see, this city is repre-
isha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you sentative of humanity as a whole. On the outside,
can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproduc- things look quite nice, tranquil and pleasant.
tive.” “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put Inwardly, below the surface, it is a whole differ-
salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went ent story. All is not well with our planet. Instead
out to the spring and threw the salt into it, say- of the presence of God within the life of His
ing, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed creation, we have been born with a nature that
this water. Never again will it cause death or is proud, self dependant, jealous, coveting,
make the land unproductive. ’”And the water has lustful and greedy. It is self consumed, barren
remained wholesome to this day, according to and unfruitful. And all of humanities attempts at
the word Elisha had spoken. producing something worthwhile, fruitful, and
lasting end in the same situation that the city of
So the story begins with Elisha relaxing in Jericho did in the story presented before us – it
Jericho. Now Jericho (“place of fragrance”) as its a tale of two vessels miscarries and the results are bad.
name suggests, was a nice looking town. Even
the men of the town are quick to point this out So what did Elisha do for he knew the answer...
to Elisha for the first thing they say to him was
“the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord 1) He needed salt: Elisha knew that he needed
sees.” (NASB). Yep, everything looked very nice, salt for this problem. Salt, in the Bible, is often a
very pleasant. The kind of place that you might picture of the indwelling life of God. Salt, as you
want to holiday or retire in I would think! But… may be aware, was used as a preservative in
there is a ‘but’. ‘But’ the town folk said, “the water those days as refrigerators hadn’t been invented
is bad and the land is unproductive”. Now that is yet! They would place their meat and other food
a big ‘but’! Things are not what they seem down in layers of salt to prevent it from corruption. As
in Jericho. such, the Bible often uses salt as a type of God’s
life within man. It is God’s presence that pre-
Appearances can be deceptive and if you
serves us and keeps us from corruption! It was
scratched a little below the surface you would
salt that this city needed. It is salt (God’s life)
soon see that all is not well for the very springs
that we need.
of water that are meant to nourish and bring life
to the town. They are polluted and bring the 2) He needed a new vessel: As mentioned
opposite. Not a good situation. To be more exact, above, Salt was what was needed, but it could
the word that is translated ‘unproductive’ above only be contained within a new vessel! So it is
is often translated ‘unfruitful’ in other translations with humanities problems. It needs the salt of
and in the Hebrew, it contains the thought of ‘causes God’s indwelling presence once again – that which it
to miscarry’. In other words, it would look like there forfeited oh so long ago in the garden. But the life of
was going to be fruit. It would look like the land was God can only be contained in a new vessel. One that is
going to produce a crop… but it would miscarry, turn clean. The Bible doesn’t tell people to try to clean up
bad, and once again the hopes of the town would be their old lives. It tells them to be born again and
dashed. become a new creation, a new vessel indwelt by the
presence of God’s Holy Spirit. Only He can truly change
One strange solution… a person and make them “productive” again.

Now we see that Elisha doesn’t hesitate. He knows 3) He needed to go to the source of the problem:
exactly what has to be done. “Bring me a new bowl” he He didn’t look to the outward manifestation of the
yells, “and put salt in it.” A strange solution you may problem, nor did He try to just get each tree to be more
fruitful. He didn’t try to give the trees more fertiliser

The Potter’s Vessel 10