Meaning of 2 Kings 2:20

This verse records a pivotal moment in the ministry of Elisha, following the miraculous ascension of his mentor, Elijah. The people of Jericho, experiencing a dire problem with their water source – it was "bad" and causing barrenness – appealed to Elisha to resolve it, acknowledging his prophetic authority. Elisha, in response, requested a new, clean bowl and salt, seemingly mundane items for such a significant miracle. This act demonstrates that divine intervention often operates through ordinary means, highlighting God's power to transform and redeem even the most corrupted or unfruitful situations through His chosen instruments and His Word. The salt, in this context, symbolizes purification and preservation, a fitting agent for healing a corrupted source of life.

Context and Background

The city of Jericho, situated in a fertile plain, was known for its abundant water, supplied by a spring. However, by the time of Elisha, this spring had become corrupted, rendering the water undrinkable and the land infertile. This was a serious ecological and economic crisis for the inhabitants. The people of Jericho recognized Elisha as Elijah's successor, a prophet with divine authority, and appealed to him for deliverance from this affliction. Their plea, "The water is bad and the land bears a destructive curse," underscores the severity of the problem, suggesting it was not merely unpleasant but actively harmful.

Key Themes and Messages

• Divine Authority and Intervention: Elisha, empowered by God, steps in to solve a crisis that is beyond human capacity. This reinforces the theme of God's active involvement in the lives of His people and His ability to bring about miraculous solutions.
• The Power of Ordinary Means: The use of a common bowl and salt to effect a supernatural healing is a significant message. It teaches that God does not always require elaborate rituals or exotic materials; He can work through the simple and the familiar to display His power.
• Purification and Restoration: Salt in ancient times was associated with purification and preservation. Its use here signifies Elisha's intent to cleanse and restore the corrupted water source, symbolizing a broader theme of spiritual cleansing and the restoration of life and fruitfulness.
• Faith and Obedience: The people of Jericho demonstrate faith by appealing to Elisha. Elisha, in turn, acts in obedience to the divine promptings, even when the instructions seem peculiar.

Spiritual Significance and Application

Spiritually, this event serves as a powerful metaphor for God's ability to purify and redeem corrupted aspects of our lives and the world. Just as Elisha threw salt into the spring to make it pure, God can cleanse our sin-stained hearts and restore us to spiritual fruitfulness. The "bad water" can represent the corrupting influences of sin, despair, or negative circumstances that affect our spiritual well-being and hinder our ability to bear good fruit. Elisha's action, empowered by God, offers hope that through divine intervention and the application of God's purifying power (symbolized by salt), even the most poisoned spiritual springs can be healed, leading to renewed life and spiritual productivity.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

This miracle fits within the broader narrative of God's redemptive work throughout Scripture. From the cleansing of the Red Sea waters by Moses to the ultimate cleansing of humanity through Christ's sacrifice, the Bible consistently portrays God as the one who purifies and restores. Elisha's act prefigures the redemptive work of Jesus, who came to heal the spiritual barrenness caused by sin and to make all things new. The purification of water also echoes the baptismal waters that signify cleansing from sin and new life in Christ.

Analogies

• A Contaminated Well: Imagine a community's only water source becoming polluted by a toxic spill. Local authorities and engineers try various methods to clean it, but nothing works. Then, a respected leader, guided by an unseen source of wisdom, simply adds a common, readily available substance, and miraculously, the water becomes pure and life-giving again.
• A Broken System: A complex and vital system, like a city's water purification plant, becomes so corrupted or damaged that it can no longer provide clean water. Despite all human efforts, the problem persists. Then, a simple, yet divinely inspired, adjustment or addition to the process restores the entire system to perfect working order.

Relation to Other Verses

• Leviticus 2:13: "Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not let the salt of the covenant of your God be missing from your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Here, salt is associated with a covenant and is a required element in offerings, signifying purity and acceptance before God.
• Matthew 5:13: Jesus tells his disciples, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." This verse uses the metaphor of salt to describe the disciples' role in preserving and influencing the world for good, linking back to the purifying and preserving qualities of salt.
• John 4:14: Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman about the living water He offers: "but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." This contrasts the temporary and corrupted water of Jericho with the eternal, life-giving water provided by Christ.
• Revelation 22:1-2: The vision of the new Jerusalem describes a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, with the tree of life on either side, bearing fruit each month, and its leaves for the healing of the nations. This ultimate restoration of a pure water source signifies complete redemption and unending life.