2. We too live in a sick society and a curse-ridden world. The barrenness caused by the streams of spiritual death and the blindness of man’s mind flowing throughout society are everywhere evident in the political, religious, and moral atmosphere of our times. Yet, this condition is not always as apparent as it might seem. For there is much that is deceptively pleasant and appealing to our society and our world, especially in our country. Materialistically there is a great deal of prosperity. There are majestic landscapes, magnificent buildings, gigantic malls of consumerism, educational facilities, electronic gadgets designed to make life easier, huge and wealthy religious organizations and structures, and on the list goes.

3. Still in the midst of all this the misery level is at an all-time high. Spiritual barrenness, like a giant shadow falls over our land. No matter how hard men try, by-in-large, they are turning to the wrong sources for happiness--the land remains barren. The streams that water the land are poisonous. The land is cursed.

4. Our passage for this lesson reminds us of this truth, but, thankfully, it also points us to God’s solution and to our responsibilities as believers who are left here as ambassadors to represent the Lord, the Sovereign Creator and God of the earth.

5. This historic passage illustrates spiritual truth found everywhere in Scripture. It employs symbolism which is ultimately the key to its meaning and application for us today. The symbolism is found in the following:

(1) The city which is Jericho (2:18-19). This city had been cursed (cf. Josh 6:26)

(2) The bad water which caused the land to be unfruitful (2:19).

(3) A new jar with salt which purified the water (2:20-21).

1. The story is short and simple, yet its truth is profound and far reaching. This was a city controlled by Israel and in which there was a small seminary (a school of the Prophets), but the water of the city was bad and caused unfruitfulness in the land. If you will notice, in 2:19 the men of the city of Jericho (cf. 2:15) reported, “the situation of this city is pleasant.” At first glance things looked prosperous in the city. There were beautiful buildings, trees, gardens, and much activity--but no actual fruitfulness. Literally the Hebrew says “the land causes barrenness.” This may indicate the water contained mineral deposits which hindered growth or fruitfulness. Things grew, but before they produced fruit, the fruit would drop off or the plants would wither.

2. Another suggestion is that the problem may have been related to human life. McNeely tells us John Gray reports that a recent study of the region showed that certain springs in the area have contacted radioactive strata. Combining these substances with water has polluted the water in such a way to cause sterility. This then produced barrenness and the barrenness related not to plant life as much as to human life.

4. The men recognized the authenticity of Elisha as a prophet of God who had walked across the Jordan, an evident token of the power of God in his life. So they came to Elisha and requested help for their problem. Elisha then requested a new jar filled with salt, casts it into the spring, and by a miracle of God the water was purified with permanent results. Evidently, the spring to this day is okay. Please note in 2:21, Elisha gives God the credit. It was not Elisha and it was not the salt--it was God. Elisha was only a representative agent of God and the salt a symbol.

1. Jericho had originally stood as a fortified city against the occupation of the land of Canaan by the people of God. Jericho is very prominent in Joshua. The destruction of Jericho stood as a kind of firstfruits of promise for the occupation of the rest of the land. As we have already seen, the city was cursed by Joshua and now has been rebuilt. It could be the problem of barrenness was a continuation of this curse generation after generation.

2. Jericho portrays the world which is under the curse of God. This is a curse which only God can lift by His plan of salvation as revealed in the Word of God. The world stands as a hindrance, indeed, as a satanic fortification against men occupying God’s plan of salvation and deliverance in Christ.

3. Mankind and the world system of Satan offers substitutes--human philosophies, religious systems, and materialistic solutions. These substitutes may be pleasant, but the world solutions always result in barrenness and are vain in fulfilling their promises. They may sound good, they may look appealing and they may satisfy the flesh for awhile, but the ills of man just continue to grow worse. Only God can remove the curse.

Water in Scripture is often a symbol of the Word, of the Spirit who cleanses and refreshes, and even of life. Water which is bad naturally portrays the opposite.

(1) In place of God’s Word, we have man’s futile viewpoint, humanism, idolatrous systems, and ideologies.

(2) In place of the Holy Spirit, there are evil spirits who promote these doctrines (doctrines of demons) (1 Tim. 4; 1 John 4).

(3) In place of cleansing, refreshment, and life there is pollution, weariness and death.

2. Note also that Elisha requested not just a jar, but a new jar (vs. 20), which perhaps portrays the believer, a regenerated, new person, a new creation of God, who is to represent the Lord in the world as an ambassador and priest of God who is to declare the excellencies of God and His salvation in Jesus Christ to a lost and cursed world (cf. 2 Cor 4:4-7; 5:20, 21; 1 Pet 2:9).

3. An old, used jar had most likely been polluted by the bad water of the place, and this symbolizes that God cannot use those who are polluted by the sin of this world.

The salt is the most significant of the symbols here. To see this let’s take a look at the actions of salt and its uses in Scripture.

(1) It is preservative. It retards spoilage and putrefaction.

(2) It seasons, gives flavor and makes food more palatable and enjoyable.

(3) It causes thirst. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Right? Not necessarily, you can feed him salt and then he will drink.

(4) It irritates. Did you ever get salt in a wound?

(5) It is a healing and purifying agent. It purifies.

(1) Salt was one of the most important staples and commodities of ancient times. It was viewed right along with wine and oil as a sign of prosperity.

(2) Because of the lack of refrigeration, meat would spoil almost immediately without salt.

(3) It was taken from the Dead Sea and dug up from marsh areas. This meant that sometimes it was impure and mingled with vegetable and earth substances. Salt from the Dead Sea was often mixed with gypsum and if in sufficient quantities, the salt would become alkaline and lose its salty character.

If we are correct in our analogy, and it certainly fits with the earthen vessel concept of 2 Corinthians 4:7 that I references earlier, it illustrates the principle of purpose. As instruments of God, we are to live with God’s purposes always in mind and as the goal of our lives. We are not simply here to please ourselves or to live for ourselves (cf. Phil 1:27 with 2:4-5). When believers live purposefully, with salt in their lives, they have the following effects in fulfilling their purposes.

(a) A preservative and healing force in society. This has both a negative and positive emphasis.

(b) An Irritating Force. Salt not only seasons, purifies, and preserves, it also irritates. Living the Christian life and fulfilling the will of God will always rub some people the wrong way (John 15:19). Godly living is a rebuke to many and they will criticize and hate believers for it. Remember the only salt that will not irritate is salt that has “lost its saltiness.” Unfortunately, this is what characterizes much of the church in America today. It has lost its distinctiveness. Most of us have heard about the polls taken in our country which reveal how the values and priorities of the typical Christian is very similar if not the same as those who make no claim to being Christian.

God worked a miracle in the life of Elisha to teach us the kind of effect and the purpose believers are to have in this world. Men came to Elisha from Jericho because of the authenticity of his life and ministry. Elisha demonstrated that God was real, that God alone had the answers to the barrenness of life, and that God alone could give meaning and fruitfulness to life.

(1) Are we living authentic Christianity, seasoned with the life of Christ, living purposefully, sacrificially, revealing the person and love of Christ to a sick and lost world?

(2) Are we involved in our society for good, or are we part of the problem?

(3) Are we a force for unity and harmony within the flock of God, or are we a force for disunity, a sower of discord among the brethren?

We each need to let our saltiness work - it can do much good.