After its destruction as part of the Conquest, Joshua ordered that Jericho should never be rebuilt (Joshua 6:26). The city lay as a testimony to God’s power for a long time. However, in the time of Ahab, a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).

Jericho was a city rebuilt against the command of God, and a city that was part of a kingdom that worshipped Baal and the golden calves.

2 Kings 2:19-22 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

God as a last resort

The men of the city came to Elisha the prophet for help. This was not because they trusted the true God, or because they served a faithful city; it is likely because they had tried other gods and solutions and nothing had worked. Elisha is the last resort.

Elisha throws salt into the spring and it heals the water, not just then, but forever.

The Gospel in this story

The men of Jericho did not deserve God to help them, yet he did. Likewise, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We can only come to God and ask for help. The salvation shown to the people of Jericho and those who trust in Jesus is only due to God’s grace.

God saved those who came to him in faith through his representative. In 2 Kings 2, it was Elisha, and for us today, it is Jesus.

God saves people using unexpected means. Salt is an odd thing to use to purify water; it usually makes it unusable rather than usable! Similarly, a death is an odd way to secure a victory; it usually means defeat. God loves to save people through ways we cannot expect and would not have thought of ourselves.

The salvation given is permanent. Jericho’s water wasn’t healed for a day but forever. Likewise, Jesus’ payment for our sins is once for all, not just the sins we have committed to the point we believed.

We are the salt of the earth and God uses us to heal the world and produce living waters in all that believe.

None of us deserve what Jesus has won for us, any more than the men of Jericho deserved their water to be healed by a God they only came to in desperation.

Water represents purification, life in Christ

John 7: 37 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says: Rivers of living water will flow from within him

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