2 Kings 3:1-27
1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the imagea of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.
8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and marb every good piece of land with stones.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gatheredc all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain,d and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.
25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.
27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
JEHORAM, JEHOSHAPHAT AND MOAB
(vv.1-27)
Jehoram, Ahab's son, reigned, over Israel 12 years and followed the sinful example of Jereboam, though not doing so wickedly as Ahab, for he got rid of the idolatrous pillar of Baal that Ahab had made.
Moab had been put under tribute to Israel, the Israelites requiring from Moab 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams, regularly, no doubt every year (v.4). But when Ahab died the king of Moab rebelled against Israel, evidently refusing to render the yearly tribute (v.5).
Jehoram therefore prepared to attack Moab, but feeling some inadequacy, wanted the help of Judah, a stronger company. Just as Ahab had asked Jehoshaphat to help him in battle, so Jehoram asked him the same (v.7).
Why had Jehoshaphat not learned from his previous experience? But believers too easily allow their kindly feelings to lead them into wrong situations, and Jehoshaphat yielded, compromising himself, his people and his armies. The more prominent one is, the more harm he will do by his bad example. Israel was engaged in the false worship of idols, and Jehoshaphat's friendliness with Jehoram was unfaithfulness to God.
While Jehoshaphat's agreement to go with the king of Israel to fight against Moab was a serious compromise of any devotion to God, yet the Lord bears with much that is not according to His will. The question is asked, "Which way shall we go up," and the answer was "By way of the wilderness of Edom" (v.8). Edom is a type of the flesh, so they go up by way of the barrenness of the flesh, a contrast to being led by the Spirit of God. No wonder that, after seven days' march they found no water either for themselves or their animals. The flesh can provide no true refreshment. Having not been led by God, what else could they expect? Jehoram was stricken by apprehension. How could he say that the Lord had called these kings together? (v.10). He had not consulted the Lord, nor had Jehoshaphat.
But Jehoshaphat at least now recognised their need of the Lord, and asked if there was a prophet of the Lord available to be consulted (v.11). It so happened that Elisha was in the area, so Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and the king of Edom (who had evidently joined them) went to Elisha (v.12). That prophet had a biting message for Jehoram, asking him why he did not go to the idolatrous prophets of his father and mother (v.13). No doubt Jehoram realised that those prophets could do no good in a case of serious emergency, and he told Elisha these three kings were in imminent danger of being overcome by Moab.
Elisha responded by telling him that if Jehoshaphat had not been with him, Elisha would have no regard whatever for Jehoram (v.14). God does make a difference between believers and unbelievers, though at this time Elisha did not reprove Jehoshaphat for his friendliness with Jehoram. Yet Jehoshaphat should surely have had serious twinges of conscience when he heard Elisha's wards.
Because the whole situation was a compromising one, Elisha asked for a musician (v.18). A disturbed spirit need the soothing ministry of the Word of God (of which the music speaks) to find the quietness of the Lord's presence. As the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha, and he gave the Lord's message, "Make this valley full of ditches" (v.16). Though they would not observe wind or rain, yet those ditches would be filled with water for the men and animals to drink. More than this, the Lord said He would also deliver the Moabites into their hands (v.18). He would show His faithful care for Israel, His people, in spite of their low and disobedient condition.
Because Moab stands for what is opposed to the character of the God of Israel, Israel is told to attack every city of Moab, cut down every good tree, stop up every spring of water and ruin, every good piece of land with stones (v.19). Moab is typical of the principle of religious self indulgence. "Moab has been at ease from his youth; he has settled all his dregs, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed" (Jeremiah 48:11). This principle must be zealously destroyed by Israel.
But Israel ought to have learned by this not to be like Moab in any way. Indeed, Israel's practices had too sadly followed the practices of Moab, so that Moab was an object lesson. If the principle of evil should be judged, then certainly the practices should be also.
As the Lord had promised, the next morning the land was filled with water (v.20), coming at the time the meal offering was offered. Thus the thirst of men and animals also was relieved. But the water served a two-fold purpose. As the Moabites came to fight against Israel, the early morning sun shining on the water made it appear as red as blood (v.22). The Moabites knew that this was not an area where water was normally found, and concluded they were observing blood, thinking it was the blood of their enemies, apparently shed in fighting against one another (v.23). Thus, expecting no opposition, they approached to take the spoil.
What a surprise for them to find themselves attacked by the armies they thought were dead! Moab fled before Israel and many of their troops were killed. Israel entered the land of Moab and destroyed their cities. They covered every good piece of land with stones, stopped up the springs of water and cut down all the good trees (v.25). How effective this would prove in disturbing the smug self-satisfaction of Moab, having "been at ease from his youth"! Moab would be left with hard work rather than ease.
The king of Moab, being desperate, took 700 swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they were repulsed. Being thus frustrated, the king of Moab took his oldest son and offered him as a burnt offering to his idolatrous god, as though this foolish measure would change the tide of war! But such is the folly of unbelief. It is added, "there was great indignation against Israel" (v.27). Israel had gained the victory and had slaughtered many Moabites, but did this encourage the Moabites to again render tribute to Israel? Nothing is said about this, but if tribute was resumed, it would certainly be resumed grudgingly.