Outline
Jehoram, king of Israel. (Verse 1-5.)
War with Moab, The intercession of Elisha. (Verse 6-19.)
Water supplied, Moab overcome. (Verse 20-27.)
1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.
8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
“Israel…Judah…Edom” – this is an unholy alliance; Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, had a real weakness for
compromise and joining with those that God hated. Jehoshaphat was for the most part a righteous king, but he insisted on
joining up with those who were against God. He joined with Ahab for a battle that almost ended disastrously (I Kings 22)
and here did the same with Ahab’s grandson. Note that only Jehoshaphat was sincerely interested in finding out what God
had to say about the matter at hand (vs. 11; I Kings 22:7) and it was only because of his presence that God intervened (vs.
14). Jehoshaphat illustrates for us the dangers of the modern ecumenical movement – the joining together of all the various
religions and/or denominations at the expense of Bible doctrine. The World Council of Churches and the modern
Charismatic movement have been the most powerful forces behind this false religious unity. In the name of “love,”
“unity,” and “the Holy Spirit,” groups of people who differ in the most basic of doctrines (for example, salvation!) join
together and in doing so toss out the scriptures – the catch phrase is “doctrine divides but love unites.” Such a movement is
totally contrary to the word of God as sound Bible doctrine MUST ALWAYS be the basis of unity and fellowship. God is
not pleased when believers join together with unbelievers for ANY reason, regardless of how righteous or apparently good
the goals may be (Jehoshaphat is the case in point). The book of Revelation points out that the part of the Antichrist’s
work during the tribulation will involve a one-world, super religion composed of all religions that will serve the devil
rather than the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the established religion that opposed Christ at his first coming (Pharisees,
Sadducees, etc.) and the same crowd with new names will oppose him during the tribulation. In the days preceding the
rapture and tribulation (i.e. today!) we are merely seeing the groundwork being laid for this superchurch as the Anglicans
and Catholics try to reunite and as the good religious (and probably unsaved) folks in your town hold their ecumenical
praise & worship meetings. Don’t join up! If your church sympathises with the ecumenical movement, you need to GET
OUT and find a church that sticks to sound doctrine, biblical separation, and desires to please God rather than men!
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And 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.
13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
music, without the words, does indeed have a profound impact on the soul. This is discussed in the notes over I
Sam. 16:23. Beat, rhythm, etc. are in many cases much more important than any words that accompany the music. Thus
we can understand why teenagers who listen to heavy rock music with unintelligible words can still feel depressed,
suicidal, and rebellious; we can also understand why “Christian” rock music, such as that often heard on the Radio Rhema
network, has utterly failed to produce more soulwinning, Spirit-filled believers who love God and desire to serve him. It
instead produces “Christian” teenagers who are often just as rebellious, worldly and fleshly as their unsaved counterparts.
The beat of the music played by the Beatles, the heavy metal groups and the “Christian” rock “artists” is identical to the
music pagans from Africa to New Guinea have used for hundreds of years to call up their demons and unclean spirits.
16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
“fell every good tree” – under normal circumstances of war, fruit trees were not to be cut down (Deut. 20:19-20);
however, God could have wanted all of the trees cut down in this instance because of the wickedness of the Moabites.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.
25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.
27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710
Verse 1-5 – Jehoram took warning by God’s judgment, and put away the image of Baal, yet he maintained the worship of the calves. Those do not truly repent or reform, who only part with the sins they lose by, but continue to love the sins that they think to gain by.
Verse 6-19 – The king of Israel laments their distress, and the danger they were in. He called these kings together, yet he charges it upon Providence. Thus the foolishness of man perverteth his way, and then his heart fretteth against the Lord, Proverbs 19:3. It was well that Jehoshaphat inquired of the Lord now, but it had been much better if he had done it before he engaged in this war. Good men sometimes neglect their duty, till necessity and affliction drive them to it. Wicked people often fare the better for the friendship and society of the godly. To try their faith and obedience, Elisha bids them make the valley full of pits to receive water. Those who expect God’s blessings, must dig pools for the rain to fill, as in the valley of Baca, and thus make even that a well, Psalms 84:6. We need not inquire whence the water came. God is not tied to second causes. They that sincerely seek for the dew of God’s grace, shall have it, and by it be made more than conquerors.
Verse 20-27 – It is a blessing to be favoured with the company of those who have power with God, and can prevail by their prayers. A kingdom may be upheld and prosper, in consequence of the fervent prayers of those who are dear to God. May we place our highest regard upon such as are most precious in his account. When sinners are saying Peace, peace, destruction comes upon them: despair will follow their mad presumption. In Satan’s service and at his suggestion, such horrid deeds have been done, as cause the natural feelings of the heart to shudder; like the king of Moab’s sacrificing his son. It is well not to urge the worst of men to extremities; we should rather leave them to the judgment of God.