Chapter 13
Ditches in the Desert
The Reading: 2 Kings 3:1-25
The Problem:
Joram (also known as Jehoram) ruled in the northern kingdom of Israel from 852 to 841 BC. His parents were King Ahab and Jezebel, who established the worship of the Phoenician gods, especially Baal-Melcarth, and had temples built to them. Under King Ahab and Jezebel’s rule, idolatry spread throughout the kingdom of Israel, and Joram was raised to have no respect for Jehovah.
Consequences from King Ahab’s choices spilled over into his son’s reign. King Ahab had previously taken control of Moab and forced the people to pay tribute – 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams every year. But when Joram took the throne, Moab decided he was done. He rebelled and refused to pay the tribute any longer, forcing Joram into war (2 Kings 3:4–5).
First King Joram asked Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, for help in the battle. Now Jehoshaphat was a believer in the one true God, but he consented to the evil alliance because the war seemed just, and because Joram’s sister, Athaliah, was married to Jehoshaphat’s son. Unlike when King David went to war, the Bible doesn’t speak of Jehoshaphat checking with God first, to see if this war was something in which he should engage. Also, note that he did not check with God first before choosing the route they should take to Moab.
King Joram also asked for support from the King of Edom, and the combined armies set out on a march through the wilderness toward Moab (2 Kings 3:8).
The Turning Point:
They traveled around the foot of the Dead Sea in the blazing hot desert. But after seven days, these three powerful armies were brought to a complete standstill because there was no water for the men and the cattle that followed them. They were in effect defeated without even lifting a sword because, without a miracle, most of them would die of thirst.
But Jehoshaphat checked around and found out that Elisha, a prophet of God and Elijah’s successor, was nearby. So finally Jehoshaphat did what they should have done before starting out. He brought Elisa before the kings to inquire of the Lord about their situation (vs. 11). Elisha wanted to refuse because Joram had been blaming Jehovah for their downfall (vs. 10), and Elisha was very direct with King Joram. He let him know in no uncertain terms that if it weren’t for King Jehoshaphat, he wouldn’t even be there.
Elisha asked a harpist to play music to help calm him down, so he would be able to focus and hear from the Lord. And Elisha received very unusual instructions from the Lord. God wanted the men to dig ditches all over the valley and, even though they wouldn’t see any rain, Elisha promised there would soon be plenty of water for both the men and animals. I love verse 18 where Elisha says that this would be an easy thing for the Lord to accomplish. In addition, Elisha said God told him that He would deliver Moab into their hands (vs. 15–18).
The Miracle That Followed:
The men obeyed Elisha’s directions, although I would have liked to have heard what they must have been saying among themselves. They probably thought all that work of digging trenches in the hot desert sun would come to nothing, a wasted effort. But the next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was - water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the ditches were filled with so much water that both the men and the cattle had more than enough to drink.
In addition, God used the ditches of water to help defeat the enemy. From a distance, the sparkling water looked like pools of blood, and the Moabites assumed the three armies had been fighting among themselves and were weakened. They rushed out boldly, but when the Moabites arrived at the Israeli campground, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. The second part of the prophecy was thereby fulfilled.
The Bottom Line:
Here we have a great example of men depending on their own wisdom and their own strength to accomplish something important. Three mighty kings, with three mighty armies well trained in war, were gathered to subdue Moab, and they were brought to a complete stop by the lack of water. Jehoshaphat had selected the route right through the desert, but I think if he had remembered to check with the Lord first, God would have told him to direct the armies around a different way.
We also see in this account how men, in times of difficulty which they have brought upon themselves, will so quickly blame their problems on someone else (even God, as Joram did), rather than honestly admit that it was the result of their own foolish actions. Always check with the Lord first before taking action.
Finally, note that Elisha would not speak until he felt God had spoken to him. He didn’t just say something, anything, to appear spiritual before the three kings. He listened to the music and waited until his mind was in a fit state to receive a word from God. Similarly, think about the disciples who tarried at Jerusalem until they had received power from on high (Acts 1:4). When you are waiting on a word from the Lord, don’t get in a hurry. Be willing to wait on Him as long as it takes.
