“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.”
– 2 Kings 3:14
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you conciliatory kids? Are you patient kids? Are you compassionate kids? Do you think that peace should always be pursued through verbal dialoguing or do you think that peace can only take place through engaging in proactive intervention? Do you think that one more chance should always be given for redemption or do you think that the only way to deal with disobedience is with enforced punishment? Do you think that love should always be the driver for an interpersonal relationship or do you think that the only way that caring can be communicated is through pragmatic acceptance? The Kings Book author – who your grandpaa believes was Jeremiah, recorded in what is now 2 Kings 3 an intriguing report that involves Joram, Jehoshaphat, a governor, Mesha and Elisha. Joram was king for 12 years over the Israelite people group guys and gals who were living in Israel’s northern kingdom. Isreal’s northern kingdom was called Israel. When Joram became Israel’s king, Jehoshaphat had been king for eighteen years over the Israelite people group guys and gals who were living in Israel’s southern kingdom. Israel’s southern kingdom was called Judah. The governor governed the guys and gals who were living in Edom’s land area. Edom was under Judah’s control. Mesha was Moab’s land area king. Moab was under Israel’s dominance. Elisha was mentored by Elijah. The details of what took place took place not long after Joram became king. When Joram became Israel’s northern kingdom king, Meshad stopped sending to Israel the annual tribute that Ahab – who was Joram’s dad, imposed on Moab when he was Israel’s northern kingdom king – which was each year 100,000 lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams. Mesha not complying with turning over to Joram the annual levy that his dad had imposed on Mesha and on the guys and gals who were living in Moab’s land area had Joram mobilizing an army of Israelite people group guys to do a number on Mesha and Moab’s land area.
Jehoshaphat was brought into the picture when Joram decided to attack Mesha and his Moabite people group army by going around the southern end of the Dead Sea versus going directly east, crossing the Jordan River and doing what he wanted to do. To get around the Dead Sea’s southern end, Joram and his Israelite people group army had to cross through Judah’s and Edom’s land areas – which meant that Joram needed to get Jehoshaphat’s okay to cross through the land areas that he was ruling over. In his letter to Jehoshaphat asking him for his approval to go through Judah’s and Edom’s land areas, Joram asked Jehoshaphat to fight with him against Mesha and Mesha’s Moabite people group army. Edom’s governor joined Joram and Jehoshaphat – and their people group armies, as they marched through the Desert of Edom. After 7 days of doing a roundabout march through the Desert of Edom, the water supply that was being carried was depleted – leaving everyone in a desperate strait. When Jehoshaphat asked if anyone knew a guy who had a direct line with God – who would be willing to ask God what His plans were in regards to the Moabite people group guys and gals, one of Jehoshaphat’s officers told him that Elisha was the guy to go to for help. When Joram, Jehoshaphat and Edom’s governor caught up with Elisha, Elisha told the guys that they needed to go to the prophets of their dad and mas instead of going to him. Joram tried to convince Elisha that God had called him, Jehoshaphat and Edom’s governor to punish the Moabite people group guys and gals for their seditious, rebellious attitude. Elisha’s response to Joram in verse 14 makes your grandpaa’s day, ‘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.” Elisha is essentially telling Joram that he really does not want to give him the time of day but because of Jehoshaphat . . . Elisha then asked for a harpist to play harp chords for him while He waited for God to tell him what the three odd amigos were to do next.
God’s directive through Elisha for the three bumbling leaders was to dig ditches in the Arabah Valley – which was where their armies were encamped. God told the three inept chiefs – through Elisha, that He was going to send torrents of water through the valley – even though they would not see any rain or wind, for them, their soldiers and the animals to drink. After Elisha told the three hapless guys that for God to supply them with water was easy for Him to do, Elisha told them that God was going to hand Moab’s land area over to them to totally ravage. When the sun came up the morning after the night that God filled with water the ditches that Joram, Jehoshaphat and Edom’s governor had seen to the being dug in the Arabah Valley, the Moabite people group army – from where they were camped on their side of the valley, were fooled into thinking that the water that they saw was blood from the Judah and Israelite people group armies having fought against each other and . . . because of Mesha’s intentional mutiny, all the guys and gals who were living in Moab’s land area lost everything – including many losing their lives. What happened to Mesha and the guys and gals who he ruled over as Moab’s land area king happened 120 years later to the king and the guys and gals were living in Israel’s northern kingdom and then 255 years later to the king and the guys and gals who were living in Israel’s southern kingdom. God does not tolerate insolence that confronts Him.
2 Kings 3 (1014)