UNROLL
Dawn in a wide, dry desert valley: a pale gravel floor winds between bare red sandstone ridges, a few acacia trees and white broom bushes, first gold light on the ridge tops, under a clear pale sky.

The Book of

2 Kings 3

Three kings, one army, seven days into the desert and no water. Then a prophet asks for a musician.

27 verses≈ 6 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–8ElishaThe prophet's double portionChapter 3
  2. 9–12JehuThe house of Ahab falls
  3. 13–17Last kings of IsraelSamaria falls
  4. 18–20HezekiahTrust in the LORD
  5. 21–23JosiahThe Book found
  6. 24–25ExileJerusalem falls

Moab’s Rebellion

Late afternoon: Samaria finished, a walled city crowning its rounded hill, the royal palace of fine pale stone on the summit inside an inner wall, terraced olive slopes below and roads winding up from the green valleys.

Israel

Joram of Israel · 12 years

  1. Jehoshaphat’s 18th

    Joram son of Ahab, king in Samaria

    In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.

  2. did evil

    Evil, but not like his parents

    And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done.

  3. Baal’s pillar removed

    He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

  4. Clinging to Jeroboam’s sins

    Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Late afternoon on a high, rolling grassland: great flocks of cream and brown fat-tailed sheep pour toward a stone fold, shepherds with staffs among them, a walled stone town on a far rise and a hazy sea far below.

Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after the death of Ahab, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

So at that time King Jehoram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.

Joram

And he sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”

Jehoshaphat

“I will go,” replied Jehoshaphat. “I am as you are, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”

Then he asked, “Which way shall we go up?”

Joram

“By way of the Desert of Edom,” replied Joram.

Dead SeaSeir (Edom)Zered ValleyMoabSamariaJerusalemKir-haraseth

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Through the Desert of Edom

Joram set out from Samaria, joined Jehoshaphat of Judah, and marched south around the Dead Sea through the Desert of Edom, where the king of Edom joined them, to strike Moab from the south. The valley where they dug ditches is not named; it may be the Zered, Moab’s border with Edom. Kir-haraseth, Moab’s stronghold, is probably Kerak, high on a ridge east of the Dead Sea.

Question

Quick question

Joram did evil, “but not as his father and mother had done.”

Joram removed something his father Ahab had made. What was it?

Midday in a wide, dry desert valley: a great army halted along the gravel floor, men slumped in the thin shade of acacias and packs, flat empty waterskins hanging from tent poles, animals standing with heads low, red sandstone ridges on both sides.

So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.

0:09

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Joram

“Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”

Jehoshaphat

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.”

A servant of the king

And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

Jehoshaphat

Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the LORD is with him.”

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

Elisha

Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!”

Joram

“No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

Elisha

Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or acknowledge you. But now, bring me a harpist.”

Late afternoon in a dry desert camp: a young musician on a rock plays a small wooden lyre while a bald, bearded prophet in a dark goat-hair cloak sits very still before him, eyes closed, three kings standing back and waiting.

And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha

and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’

For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’

2 Kings 3:17

Evening in a dry desert valley: lines of soldiers in short tunics dig long trenches across the gravel floor with wooden-handled picks and baskets, the spoil heaped in low banks, the trenches running off into the distance under a cloudless sky.

This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”

Reflect

God first, or God last?

Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here?” only after seven days and no water. When trouble comes, is God your first call or your last? Write down one decision this week that you could bring to Him before you set out, not after you are stuck.

“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites. They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.

When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail. So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall.

Dusk on a high plateau: a long column of soldiers, donkeys and cattle, small with distance, winds west down a track; far behind, a walled town stands dark and quiet on a steep height between ravines.

And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.

Pray

A simple matter

Elisha said, “This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD.” Thank God that nothing is too hard for Him, and that He kept His word to the letter: “You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water.” Ask Him for the humility to seek Him first, not last. Pray for people who live in despair without knowing Him, that they would find the true and living God.

You’ve experienced

2 Kings 3

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A verse to carry with you

You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.

2 Kings 3:17

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