2 Kings 3
Israel, Judah, and Edom attack Moab
3:1
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.
3:2
And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and
like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
3:3
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which
made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
3:4
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.
Ahab and Jezebel's son Jehoram became king of Israel after his father died.
He did evil in God's sight, but he removed the immage of Baal that Ahab had made.
3:5
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled
against the king of Israel.
3:6
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all
Israel.
3:7
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.
3:8
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through
the wilderness of Edom.
Jehoram sent a message to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying,
The king of Moab has rebelled against me.
Would you fight with me against Moab?
Jehoshaphat said,
Sure, I'll fight with you against Moab.
My people are your people and my horses are your horses.
3:9
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.
3:10
And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three
kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
The king of Edom also joined them in their fight against Moab.
But they had no water.
Jehoram said,
Shoot! Has God called us together to deliver us to Moab?
3:11
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.
3:12
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.
Jehoshaphat said,
Is there a prophet who can ask God for help?
An Israelite servant said,
Sure. We have Elisha.
He poured water on Elijah's hands.
3:13
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.
Elisha said,
Why ask me?
Go ask the prophets of your parents, Ahab and Jezebel.
3:14
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.
But since Jehoshaphat the king of Judah is here, I'll help you.
3:15
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel
played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
Bring me a minstrel.
When the minstrel played, the hand of God came upon him.
3:16
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
3:17
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.
3:18
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver
the Moabites also into your hand.
3:19
And ye shall smite
every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good
tree, and stop all wells of water,
and mar every good piece of land with stones.
The minstrel said,
This is what God says:
Fill the valley with ditches, because the valley will be filled with water.
This is no big deal to God.
Oh, and God will deliver the Moabites into your hand. [1]
And you will smite every city, chop down every good tree [2], destroy wells and land.
3:20
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.
3:21
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.
3:22
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:
3:23
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have
smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
The next morning the valley was filled with water.
3:24
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.
3:25
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.
3:26
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
The Israelites smote the Moabites, destroying their cities, land, and wells.
And they chopped down all the good trees.
3:27
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.
In an attempt to stop the Israelites from destroying Moab, the king offered his eldest son as a burnt offering on
the wall. [
3]
And the Israelites went back to their own land.
Notes
- The LORD ... will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. (v.18)
God tells the Israelites, through Elisha's minstrel, to implement a scorched earth policy on the Moabites.
And they carry out their instructions.
DWB: The Lord delivered the Moabites
- Ye shall ... fell every good tree. (v.19)
Were the Israelites to spare the trees in the countries they invaded?
- Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead,
and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. (v.27)
In a desperate attempt to halt the slaughter
of his people by the Israelites, the king of Moab sacrifices his oldest son as a
burnt offering.
And it seems to have worked, since the Israelites went home.
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