2 Kings 3:1-27
Q.1. What kind of king was Jehoram? Why was Elisha prepared to help the king of Israel when the army was dying of thirst? – (2 Kgs.3:1-14)
Jehoram was marginally better than his father Ahab. However, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam rather than to the Lord God. When he began to lose ground against the king of Moab, he formed an alliance with the kings of Judah and Edom order to reclaim the ascendency. To help carry their weapons and supplies, they took beasts of burden and animals for food (2 Kgs.3:17). The journey they took to ambush the Moabite army backfired when they ran out of water for the army and the cattle (2 Kgs.3:9). Therefore, the three kings went to pay the prophet Elisha a visit. The godly prophet was insulted by Jehoram’s presence. He told him to consult his phony gods. He added – “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you (2Kgs.3:14). God will not be mocked by idolaters. However, He will not turn against His own children.
Q.2. What made the kings seek out Elisha the prophet? How did the miracle save the alliance and bring defeat to the enemy? – (2 Kgs.3:9-27)
The alliance of Israel, Judah, and Edom were in desperate trouble. The faithless Jehoram saw this as a judgment from God. By contrast, Jehoshaphat expressed his trust in God – Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, ‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah’ (2 Kgs.3:11). As a consequence, Jehoshaphat was greatly encouraged, since he recognized that – the word of the Lord is with him (2 Kgs.3:12). Elisha told them that God would do a miracle and provide water without rain, which would more than quench their thirst. In an escape from disaster, the Moabite army would be given into their hands. Elisha detailed God’s amazing grace even given to the ungodly kings and their armies – This is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand (2 Kgs.3:18). Not surprisingly the miracle – happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice (2 Kgs.3:20). Just as the Cross saves the redeemed and damns the arrogant, so God used the miracle that brought life to the armies of Israel, to bring destruction to the enemy – 22 They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 Then they said, ‘This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil’ (2 Kgs.3:22-23). One moment the enemy was jubilant, the next they were soundly defeated as the prophet had foretold. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom.8:39).