II Kings 3, Three Kings Against Moab

Ahab is dead and his nemesis, the prophet Elijah, has risen into heaven.  Now we have a new king of Samaria/Israel and a new prophet.

2 Kings 3: 1-3, Next, Joram

Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made.

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

Ahab's son, Joram/Jehoram, becomes king after Ahab's death.  He does not worship Baal in the same way but still does evil, probably promoting idolatry ("the sins of Jeroboam".)

2 Kings 3: 4-8, Rebellion

Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.

He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" 

"I will go with you," he replied. "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
 

"By what route shall we attack?" he asked. 

"Through the Desert of Edom," he answered.

Moab has been paying tribute to Israel but a new king refuses to pay the tribute. So Joram asks Jehoshaphat to join him in bring Moab back into compliance.

Few archaeological details of ancient Israelite history have survived the almost three millennia since that time. But this event is described in the  Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) where a Moabite king complains that Omri "oppressed Moab for many days", but eventually the Moabites fought back, defeating a son of Omri.

2 Kings 3: 9-12, Running out of water

So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.

"What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?"

But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?" 

An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."

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.

The army of the three kings (of Judah, Israel and Edom) are in trouble. They have marched through the desert of Edom and run out of water. They seek a solution through a prophet. Someone suggests that they meet with Elisha.  Hubbard notes that this time kings go to Elisha when previously King Ahaziah had order Elijah to come to him.

(NIV footnotes: "pouring water on Elijah's hands" is a phrase that means he served Elijah as a servant, helping Elijah with ritual washings.)

2 Kings 3: 13-15a, "Find me a harpist"

Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." 

"No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab."

Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. But now bring me a harpist." 

Elisha challenges Joram: Why does Joram come to him?  After all, Joram's father had attempted numerous times to kill his master Elijah.  Ahab's prophets had worshiped Baal; Jezebel's prophets had worshiped Ashteroth.  But out of respect for Jehoshaphat, Elisha asks for a harpist.  Apparently the harpist will lead to a word from YHWH.

2 Kings 3: 15b-19, A valley of ditches

While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.

This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."
 

The kings are to fill the valley with ditches. Shortly after that, the ditches will be filled with water.

2 Kings 3: 20-23, Valley of blood

The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was--water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red--like blood. "That's blood!" they said. "Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"

The Moabites call up every man who can bear arms (Hubbard: literally this is "who wear a belt".)  When they get up in the morning, not only have the ditches filled with water, but the optical illusion misleads the Moabites into attacking without preparation.

2 Kings 3: 24-27, Moab destroyed

But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.

When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

The Moabites are not prepared for a real army and are defeated.  The king of Moab even sacrifices his firstborn son on the city wall, to no avail.