Beech Tree News Network

Floating Ax heads; Talking Donkeys, and Cool Furnaces…
    The Bible prophets, Elisha was in Gilgal.  Some of the sons of the prophets told Elisha they wanted to go to the Jordan and enough timber there for them to build a new dwelling: “The place where we dwell with you is too small,” they complained. They asked if Elisha would go with them.  He agreed.
As one of the young men was chopping, his ax head flew off and went into a body of water nearby.  The boy was upset.  He cried out and said the ax was borrowed.  “Show me where it fell”, Elisha told him.  And the young man showed him the place.  So, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water; the iron ax head came to the surface and floated on the water.  “Pick it up for yourself”, Elisha told him.  Then the young man reached into the water and took it. (2 Kings 6, 1-7).  
    When the children of Israel were camped in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jerico, the king of Moab was much afraid of the children of Israel; the king had seen what the children of the Hebrews had done to the Amoriter. 
    Long story short; the Moab king hired this guy Balaam to come and put a curse on the Israelites. God told Balaam not to.  But, God told Balaam, “When the Moab king’s men come to call you, wait until I tell you what you say and do. Then go with them.”  Well, Balaam jumped the gun, saddled his donkey and went with the Moab king’s men, without waiting on the word from God.  This angered God, so God sent His Angel to stand in the road; the Angel had a drawn sword.  The donkey ran off the road into a field.  Balaam whipped the donkey to turn her back on the road. 
    Then the Angel stood in a narrow path between the two walls.  The donkey saw the Angel and pushed herself against a wall and crushed Balaam’s foot.  He struck the donkey with his stick.  Then the donkey again saw the Angel of God, she lay down in the road with Balaam.  He struck her again and said had he a sword he would kill her.  The donkey, after the Lord opened her mouth, said to Balaam, “what have I done to you that you would strike me three times; am I not your donkey, was I ever disposed to so this to you?”  Balaam answered “No.” (Numbers 22:1-30) 
    When Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon (Today, Iraq), word came to him that three Hebrew young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Refused to serve the King’s god, bowing to a golden image.  Nebuchadnezzar was furious.  He demanded three be thrown into a furnace and be burned alive.  They were bound in their garments and cast into the midst of the fire. The King looked into the furnace and said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men into the midst of the fire?” “True, O King, they answered.” “Look! He answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt.  And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Jesus) (Daniel 3:25)
It was plum’ cool in the furnace!
                        Kindest regards….