2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3:6-19

Here is, 1. The character of Jehoram king of Israel, ver. 1—3.

2. His new wish Moab, ver. 4—8. 3. He and his allies reduced to great distress, english Elijah, who pronged them relief, ver. 9—10. 4. The glorious issue of this campaign, ver. 20—12. 5. The barbarous method the king of Moab took to oblige them to retire, ver. 26, 27.

3. 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 fight of the LORD, but not like his father, and ’like his mother; for he put away the image 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 Mefta king of Moab was a sheep-matter, 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.

4. 1—5. Jehoram, the left of Ahab’s posterity, was the best, yet prevented not the descending judgments; for though not so vast as his productives, he still trod in their hope.

5. He removed the image of Baal, deterred from the worship by the threatened judgments, and in hopes to avert them; or, perhaps, from his complacency with Jehoshaphat, whose assistance he needed, and with whom he was allied. But he persevered in the worship of the golden calves, a flare-engine, which he might think it dangerous to give up. Note, (2.) Partial reformation often is without real connection. (2.) To leave the sins we no longer love, whilst we still indulge those that are pleasing or profitable, shows the infatuity of pretended repentance.

6. He attempts to recover Moab, which had rebelled against his brother, and by which a vast revenue was lost to the crown, v. 4.

7. ¶ 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: ‘will 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 feucht a compass of seven days journey: and there was no water for the holt, 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 had 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, May: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. 14. And Elisha said, ‘In the LORD of both lives, 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 minfirel. And it came to pass when the minfirel 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 fee wind, neither shall ye fee 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 far a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. 19. And ‘ye shall finite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall ‘fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.

War being resolved, Jehoram muffres his forces, and, to strengthen himself the more.

1. Sollicits and obvians the assistance of Jehoshaphat. On a council held, Jehoshaphat advises to fall upon the Moabites, not by the nearest way over Jordan, where they might be prepared, but through the wilderness of Edom, whole king, as his tributary, he took with him, in order to surprise them. Policy is as needful in war as power.

2. The advice was followed, but it had like to have proved fatal to their army; and no wonder, when they had not consulted God about their way. The want of water purchased them with thrift; and Jehoram, with murmurs against Providence, is ready to despair, their fear of being attacked by the king of Moab in this dispirited and weakened situation. Note, (1.) If we keep company with sinners, we shall be in danger of smarting under their rod. (2.) They who will not consult God to direct their way, will yet quarrel at his providence, when involved in difficulties, into which their own imprudence hath brought them.

3. Jehoshaphat now reflects on his error, and, to amend it before it is too late, enquiries after a prophet. In a camp he was little to be razed; but so God ordered it, who furclow these difficulties, that Elisha should attend the army; and tho’ the kings knew not of him, a godly Israelite of their servants had been favoured with his company, and could give them information concerning him, v. 11. Hereupon, the kings immediately wait on him in his tent, to spread their deplorable cafe, and to beg his prayers and direction. Note, (1.) Adictions drive those to God, who in their prosperity neglected him. (2.) God’s mercy towards us is not only beyond our desire, but often prevents our desires.

4. Elisha, with just indignation at Jehoram’s idolatry, sends him to his father’s prophets for direction: but their Jehoram knew were unable to help; therefore he humbles himself, and begs him, for the sake at least of the kings his confederates, to intercede for them. Hereunto Elisha confents; yet, testifying his high disposition against him, and that but for Jehoshaphat’s sake he would not deign to look upon or answer him. A minfirel is called for to death his ruffled spirit, pretended with Jehoram’s presence, and to prepare his mind for prophetic inspiration; and when with sounds of heavenly melody the sweet musician sang, shout his recaptured spirit to the present Deity. He bids them dig trenches, and without wind or rain God should fill them with water, and there sure he not only thus preferred, but victory succeed, and Moab be made desolate by them, v. 18, 19. Note, (1.) The greatest are not too high his rebuke. (2.) The wicked fare the better for their convalescents with God’s people. (3.) God will not leave his prophetic distress, when they cry to him, tho’ their own folly have brought them into it. (4.) When God gives, he gives like himself, more than we dare ask or think.

5. 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 gathered 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, 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 thopped all the wells of water, and defied all the good trees; g only in Kin-hardish left they the stones thereof: howbeit the slingers went about

it, and denote it. 26. ¶ And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew fwords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. 27. Then the 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.

2 Kings 3:20-27

The event answers the prediction.

1. The water came in a torrent by the way of Edom, at the time of the morning sacrifice. Probably then Elisha prayed openly, with his face towards the temple, that they might be adored from whence this relief was lost. Note, (1.) Every mercy we receive is owing to the efficacy of the blood of the Lamb which was slain. (2.) Every prayer must proceed on that foundation.

2. The Moabites beholding the water as the morning sun arose, and persuaded there could be no water there, probably conclude the confederates had quarrelled, and this was the blood of the slain: therefore they march as to certain victory, every man who was able to bear arms having been fomented to oppose the invasion. But how terrible their disappointment, when tumultuously rushing on the spoil, the confederate army fell upon them with terrible slaughter, routed them, wafted their country, ruined their cities, and left only the metropolis standing, and that was soon befegged, and the breaches ready to be stormed. Note, (1.) Whom God will destroy, he often first infatuates. (2.) Rebellion may not hope to prosper.

3. In this extremity, the king of Moab attempts, with a selected band, to break through the quarters of Edom, where he expected draft resistance, but is repulsed, v. 26. When rendered desperate by his danger, by the inhuman and most precious sacrifice of his eldest son, as his last effort, he seeks to appease his idol god Chemoh; or by such a shocking scene on the walls, would move the compassion of the bedgers; or perhaps to intimate his determined resolution, to die with all his family, rather than yield. To see their king reduced to such defects, routed the indignation of the remainder of the Moabites; and when the Israelites saw them thus made resolute by despair, they raised the siege, and retired. Also, (1.) Despair sometimes does more than the most determined courage. (2.) Let us bless God for deliverance from idolatry. Our God delights not in the blood of the slain, but the living sacrifices of the heart devoted to his will.