Moab Rebelled Against Israel

When Ahaziah passed, Jehoram his brother and son of Ahab became King of Israel. In the time of Ahab, Moab had paid tribute to Israel but with Ahab gone and Israel and its second king in two years, Moab rebelled and stopped paying Israel. As evidence of the relationship with Judah at that time, Jehoram was able to seek the support of Judah as well as Edom to form and alliance to war against Moab. Jehoshaphat was still King of Judah and he also had an alliance with Ahab previously.

When Israel, Judah and Edom ventured toward Moab, at one part of the journey they had no water to feed their horses and themselves. Like the all Kings of Israel, Jehoram sin and made Israel sin, even though he took down some idols. As a reflection of his heart toward God, in the middle of the situation, Jehoram exclaimed that perhaps the Lord had brought all three kings out hear to die. Jehoshaphat, as seen before, was always asking the LORD when he was in bad situations. Here he asked if there was any prophet and Elisha was mentioned. So the three kings went to find Elisha.

It is also interesting that the prophets of the LORD don't have high opinions of the Kings of Israel. When Elisha saw the 3 kings, he told Jehoram to go back to his false prophets. To which Jehoram again replied that the Lord had brought them together to destroy them. Elisha, knowing Jehoshaphats relationship with God, said if it were not for the presence of Jehoshaphat he would not have seen them. Elisha prophesied that there will be plenty of water flowing soon and they could be fed again. In addition the LORD had brought them together to defeat Moab and they were to destroy Moab completely.

The next morning the land was filled with water for them, ending their thirst. Moab seeing the reflection of water looked like blood thinking the armies had turned against themselves. So Moab went out on the attack. Instead the three armies easily defeated Moab and destroyed the Moabite cities. The final passage was very curious; when Moab was almost defeated the king of Moab sacrificed his crown prince as a burnt offering on a wall. This was such a great indignation against Israel that they returned to their own land. So it appeared that the 3 armies did not capture nor destroy the King of Moab. It could be that the King of Moab was satisfying his pagan gods and for whatever messages he wanted to send to his enemies. Israel, Judah at least would find this abominable because the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob do not involve his children in human sacrifices.



2 Kings 3

Moab Rebels Against Israel

 1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.
4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5 But it happened, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?”
And he answered, “By way of the Wilderness of Edom.”
9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?”
So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who 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 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”
But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
14 And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.”
Moabites into your hand. 19 Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
20 Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered; and they stood at the border. 22 Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on 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 have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”
24 So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites. 25 Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.