2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3:1

D. King Jehoram (Joram) of Israel (Chap. 3)Jehoram the son of Ahab was king of Israel for twelve years (852-841 B.C.; 2 Kings 3:19:29). 3:1-3 When Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign as king over Israel, there was a co-regency in Judah (Jehoshaphat and his son Jehoram). That explains how Jehoram, king of Israel, began to reign in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat and in the second year of Jehoram, king of Judah (2Ki_1:17). Jehoram (same name as Joram) was not as evil as his parents; he put away the . . . pillar of Baal which Ahab had erected. However, he clung to the golden calf worship instituted by Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 3:4-9 Under Ahab’s reign, the king of Moab had been required to pay annual tribute to Israel. When Ahab died, King Mesha decided that it was a strategic time to rebel. The famous Moabite Stone, discovered by a German missionary in 1868, mentions Israel’s subjugation of Moab and Mesha’s successful rebellion. Ahaziah had done nothing about Moab’s rebellion. However, when his successor Jehoram came to power he immediately sought to bring Moab back under his control, not wanting to lose her sizable tribute. Jehoram asked Jehoshaphat to join with him in the battle, and once again Jehoshaphat foolishly agreed. (See 1 Kgs. 22, where Jehoshaphat almost lost his life by allying himself with Israel.) They decided to march down the west side of the Dead Sea, east through Edom, and north to Moab. Since the king of Edom was a vassal of Jehoshaphat at this time, his help was enlisted in the war. 3:10-12 As they approached Moab, the army ran out of water. The insolence of Jehoram in blaming the LORD was answered by Jehoshaphat’s suggestion that a prophet of the LORD be consulted. When it became known that Elisha, the servant of Elijah, was nearby, the three kings went down to him. 3:13-19 At first Elisha protested that he had nothing to do with the idolatrous king of Israel and suggested that he go to the idolatrous prophets of his father. Jehoram’s reply may have suggested that it wasn’t the idols but the LORD who was causing the problem. In deference to Jehoshaphat, Elisha agreed to seek the mind of the Lord. As a musician played, the power of God came upon Elisha and he predicted that the valley would be full of pools not caused by rain, and that the Moabites would be defeated. 3:20-25 The next morning, water flowed in the valley, coming from the direction of Edom. In the light of the sunrise, the water looked like blood to the Moabites, and they decided that the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom had fought among themselves. As they hurried to the camp of Israel for the spoil, they met a devastating attack. The Israelites filled the arable land with stones, stopped up the wells, and cut down all the good trees. 3:26, 27 The king of Moab, embittered at his former allies, the Edomites, and suspecting that their king would not fight as wholeheartedly as Israel and Judah, sought to break through the lines of Edom. When this strategem failed, he offered his eldest son as a sacrifice on the wall of the city to appease his gods, to incite his men to fiercer battle, and to frighten the enemy. Israel was stunned by this human sacrifice, which was, of course, an abomination. Smitten directly by God or by their own consciences, they withdrew without bringing Moab back into subjection. Harold Stigers comments: The author seems to be asking: If Israel was so deeply moved in this case, why was she not shocked enough to forsake her own idolatry? But idolatry continued in Israel and in Judah.