#493 Strum

Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2 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. 3 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.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 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.”

8 “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.

“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.

9 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.

10 “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”

11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”

An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.[b]”

12 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 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? 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 deliver us into the hands of Moab.”

14 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 pay any attention to you. 15 But now bring me a harpist.”

While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha16 and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 17 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. 18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19 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.”

20 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.

21 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. 22 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. 23 “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

24 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. 25 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.

26 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. 27 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. 2 Kings 3 NIV

The other brother, another son, and it notes that he does evil yet not to the extent of his father and mother. He removes one idol, though it does not say he destroyed it, but hopefully he has not just saved it away for a rainy day. The idols that were the start of this, the falling away that began with the intent to worship the true God, but not in truth, those calves still oppose God's commandments. There is a church likes this, more than one, where how God says to worship Him, Who He says He is, who He says you are and where you stand, is removed from Him and placed in the hands of man, an idol of the human will. It is more of a concern that you are comfortable in this place, that you are engaged, having a good time, more than that you are honoring the Creator, you are being honored. The Son of God said, if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me, and yet He also said, I only do what I see the Father doing. How arrogant are we, that we should think to have salvation on our terms, that we should be the definers of religion. 

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. John 4:24-26

After the death of Ahab, the king of Moab decided to test the new king. Joram, unlike his brother, has decided to do some part of his job, maybe to save face, or to advance the kingdom, for better than gold is the meat of lambs and the warmth of wool. You may live your whole life without gold, but everyone has to eat, and I would give up my gold for a fleece to cover me from the cold. He enlists the king of Judah, who in turn brings his ally, the king of Edom. They go out but do not take enough water or had expected to find water where they did not, but they are in the desert. Of course, he, who is so close to God, suggests that it is not poor planning but rather God's determination against them. God has brought us out here to die, talk about a guilty conscience. They are growing weaker without water, and their animals are suffering for thirst as well. Jehoshaphat has an idea though, what if we consult someone who actually knows and fears God, who talks to God and says what God is saying? They go to see Elisha, the guy who use to pour water on Elijah's hands, the servant of the man who walked with God, who called down fire. The one who served now carries that Spirit, as no one who has ever refused to be last should ever be first. The greatest starts out as the least, and keeps that so close to him that he cannot fall too far. Elisha is visited by three kings, and he ask Joram, why bring me into this, go to the prophets of your father and mother, but no, says the king, because it was the Lord who brought us into this problem. Fortunately, Joram has Jehoshaphat, who Elisha has respect for, and though it is irritating to hear the king of apostasy's take on the situation, Elisha calls for some music. As the harp plays, the hand of the Lord comes upon the prophet and it is a good outcome that he speaks. You will not see rain, there will be no wind, but you will have your water. 

A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.  Proverbs 22: 1-2

The end of this is sad, so much did the king of Moab put upon his plight, and some say that his god, being Chemosh ( the destroyer ), makes this end fitting, that he offers up his son. Chemosh sends no angel to grab his hand, no goat is caught in the brush nearby, but this is done atop the wall in the sight of everyone. The abomination ignites a rage and anger towards Israel, while not well founded or sane, emotions may run high. Israel has seen enough, it is sad enough on its own. 

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.