We return to the kings in this chapter (v1-3) Jehoram the son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned twelve years. You will remember that Ahab his father was one of the most wicked kings, aided and abetted by his evil mother Jezebel. Jehoram did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and mother. One good thing which he did was to put away the sacred pillar of Baal, but he was still a bad man because he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam who caused Israel to sin, nor did he depart from them. Those were the sins of worshipping the calf images which Jeroboam which he set up in Dan and Bethel. One writer suggests he was the type who were undecided and didn’t know where they stood in religious matters. Elijah was unimpressed by his actions and didn’t consider him to be a follower of the true God (see v13)
Mesha the king of Moab was a sheep breeder who regularly paid one hundred thousand lambs and the wool from a similar number of rams, but when Ahab died, he rebelled against Israel (v4,5). This was a tribute but on the death of Ahab he saw a way of escaping from this tax liability. As a result, Jehoram, gathered all israel and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah to see if he would go with him against Moab (v6-8). Jehoshaphat, who had made peace with Israel (1 Kings 22) was a godly king, said he would go with Jehoram to fight against Moab. Jehoshaphat was more experienced in battle, so, Jehoram asked advice as to which way to go, and he advised to go from the south, through the Wilderness of Edom.
The army of Edom joined them and the three, together with their armies marched for seven days but ran out of water, and it was desert (v9,10). The king of Israel began to panic and said that the LORD was judging him, and they were going to perish at the hands of Moab.
Jehoshaphat did right and asked was there not a prophet of the LORD to ask for direction (v11,12). The servants of the king of Israel told him of Elisha. Interestingly, the three leaders went to see Elisha, when normally, a king would ask for Elisha to be brought to him. Jehoshaphat wanted to seek the LORD, and he knew that Elisha was a man of God.
Elisha was dismissive of the king of Israel, Jehoram, and asked him why he hadn’t gone to the prophets of his mother and father. However, Jehoram pleaded that he had joined with the others. Elisha said that it was only because of Jehoshaphat’s presence that he would even look at Jehoram, he wouldn’t have given him the time of day. Like his predecessor Elijah, Elisha didn’t mince his words and said that he would only help because of the godly king Jehoshaphat.
Elisha asked for a musician and when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him (v13-15).
Let me remind you of King Saul who often suffered periods of mood swings and his advisers brought in David to play his harp to calm him. (See 1 Samuel 16:18)
Music is a powerful thing. Tests have shown that music (sometimes, in my opinion, quite infuriating) can help people in their employment, in shopping and other things. That’s why you hear music in supermarkets and other workplaces as well as those who come to do repairs at your house. How many times do you make phone calls, to be told that you are in a queue and you hear constant, repetitive music, as it is often described! On the other hand, some music can be quite soothing and inspirational. I suppose the type of music people find beneficial is very subjective. Some music can be damaging to one’s health and can even be satanic. How often have you heard the perpetual drumbeats, with hardly any perceptible music at all.
Sadly, much of what is called ‘Christian music’, leaves much to be desired and is very subjective, and as I have said many times, wouldn’t have been recognised as Christian music, thirty years ago. Christian music should glorify God and should be uplifting to the hearer, and if there are any words, it is vital that they are not drowned out by the rhythmic beats of the percussion or the volume of the music.
I continue on the theme of music, Christian music, so called. One has said that a moral failure can be found in fame and fortune. Paul writing to Timothy (6:9,10) said to beware of riches which can tempt and trap people into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. One writer said that many enter into Christian music, initially out of their love for God, but when fame comes along and the possibility of producing lots of money, they change. They love fame and fortune, and this will have an effect on their Christian Walk unless they re very careful.
Another has said that those who seek to be prominent have the wrong motives – money, attention and significance, and aren’t necessarily mature disciples of Jesus. The artist/fan relationship is codependent.
We need to remember that Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters. Of course, we want people to hear the gospel, but many companies are only there to make money. We also need to be very careful of the songs we sing and listen to. Much of it is gaining royalties for organisations which, on the face appear to be Christian, but are not, and many of the most popular Christian songs are owned and produced by religious or church organisations which preach error. It is big business today and we need to tread carefully. Let us be very wary of putting songs and performers on pedestals. I have met many hymn/songwriters, singers and musicians, almost all of them were humble followers of The Lord Jesus Christ and sought to uplift Him and lead others to do the same.
For Elisha, when the music played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. The music and the musician showed the spiritual power of music. I recall Billy Graham saying that the music in his services opened the heart like the petals of a flower to receive the word of God.
Ephesians 5:19 says that we should be filled with the Spirit, “Speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD.”
Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
One writer has said that “This nameless musician was endowed with God-given talents, and he used them for the good of others. Surely it never occurred to him that by his music he would help win a military victory and have a dramatic effect on history. But when he shared his God-given ability, the power of God came upon the prophet.”
Elijah told them what the LORD had told him (v16-19). “Thus says the LORD….” Not Elisha’s words, but the words of the LORD. “Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 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.”
God was going to provide water without rain, and this would be a simple matter for the LORD! They had to believe and dig ditches to receive this miraculous supply of water.
In Genesis 7:10-12 we have the great flood, and we read that the fountains of the deep were opened as well as the rain coming down from the heavens. Thus, it is clear that water came from beneath as well as from above. Just as Noah had to believe God by building the ark and going into it before the water came, and not knowing where it was to come from, these leaders had to believe Elisha’s words from God and dig the ditches before the waters came, and not knowing where the waters were coming from. They had to trust God’s words through Elisha. It was necessary that they dig however difficult considering they were in a desert and desperately short of water.
God said they would not see wind nor rain, but the valley would be filled with water, and most importantly, they must prepare by digging ditches.
We must prepare for God’s blessings.
They came asking for water, but God gave them far more, and it was a simple matter for Him. He gave them victory over their enemies. Nothing is too hard for God.
Suddenly in the morning water came by way of Edom (v20). Seemed that a flash flood came from the mountains and filled the valley where they had dug ditches. They were prepared for God’s miraculous intervention. We need to obey even when things do not seem to make sense.
How often do we use the words of Malachi 3:10 – “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.” But we don’t always believe that God will answer, and answer in a greater way than we may ask. We must prepare to receive it.
If they had not dug the ditches the water would have had nowhere to go. Notice that it came suddenly, so, they had to be prepared for it.
The Moabites heard about the attack from the three kings, all who were able to bear arms and older gathered together at the border and prepared to fight (v21-25). They rose up early the morning, and they saw the sun shining on the water in the ditches and to them it appeared to be blood. They assumed that the three armies had turned on each other and killed one another, so the moabites commanders told his men to go for the spoil, so that, when they arrived the Israelite armies attacked them and defeated them.
Who would have thought that digging ditches to receive God’s provision of water would have led to such a victory?
Digging ditches is hard work and normally would have nothing to show for it, but, how vital it was when God told them to do it. Whatever God commands us is always important, there is always a purpose, even though at the time, we may not see it. We need to trust God’s word and obey.
It may seem to be unspectacular work, and insignificant in God’s service but it is necessary, and much may depend on it. In this case it was preparation for victory in battle under God’s control. The ditches weren’t the miracle but were there to receive it.
When the king of Moab realised the battle was too fierce, he took 700 swordsmen to break through into Edom, but they couldn’t. In desperation, he took his eldest son, the heir to his throne, and offered him as a burnt offering to his pagan god (v26,27) in an effort to show his determination to avoid defeat. This caused the armies of Israel and its allies despair, and they couldn’t complete the victory in view of this senseless spectacle.
