2 Kings Chapter 3 in Simple English

Read 2 Kings Chapter 3

1Jehoram the son of Ahab began to rule over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he ruled for twelve years.

2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and his mother had done. He took away the image of Baal that his father had made.

3Even so, he held on to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin. He did not turn away from them.

4Mesha king of Moab kept great flocks of sheep. He paid the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams, with their wool.

5But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6So at that time king Jehoram went out from Samaria and counted all Israel.

7He sent this message to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" And he said, "I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

8Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way through the wilderness of Edom."

9So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom. They marched around for seven days, and there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.

10The king of Israel said, "This is a disaster. The LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."

11But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, so that we may ask the LORD through him?" One of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."

12Jehoshaphat 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.

13Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."

14Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, if I did not respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you or even see you."

15"But now bring me a musician." When the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha.

16He said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches."

17For this is what the LORD says: You will not see wind, and you will not see rain. Yet that valley will be filled with water, so that you may drink, you and your cattle and your animals.

18And this is only a small thing in the sight of the LORD. He will also hand the Moabites over to you.

19"You will strike down every walled city and every fine city. You will cut down every good tree, block up all the wells of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones."

20In the morning, at the time when the grain offering was offered, water came from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

21When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they called together everyone old enough to put on armour, and they took their stand at the border.

22They got up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water. The Moabites saw the water on the other side, red as blood.

23They said, "This is blood. The kings have certainly killed each other. They have struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the plunder."

24But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites got up and struck the Moabites down, so that they fled before them. The Israelites went on, striking the Moabites down even in their own country.

25They tore down the cities. On every good piece of land each man threw his stone, until it was covered. They blocked up all the wells of water and cut down all the good trees. Only in Kirharaseth did they leave the stones standing, but the men with slings went around it and attacked it.

26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who carried swords, to break through to the king of Edom. But they could not.

27Then he took his oldest son, who was to rule in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there was great anger against Israel. So they left him and went back to their own land.

Explanation

2 Kings 3

In short

King Jehoram of Israel, though less wicked than his parents, still follows old religious failures. When Moab rebels against Israel's rule, Jehoram forms an alliance with Judah's king to fight back. After nearly running out of water in the desert, the prophet Elisha promises God will provide water and victory, which happens, but the campaign ends strangely when Moab's king makes a shocking sacrifice.

Context

This story takes place during Jehoram's reign in the northern kingdom of Israel, which began in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat's rule in Judah. Jehoram is the son of Ahab and Jezebel, the famous pair who led Israel into Baal worship. The nation of Moab has stopped paying the tribute of wool and sheep it owed Israel since Ahab's time. Jehoram seeks help from Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah to the south, and together they plan to invade Moab with the king of Edom as a third ally.

What the text says

Verses 1 to 3 introduce Jehoram: he removed Baal's statue but kept the sins that Jeroboam introduced into Israel long before (1KI 12:25-33). Moab's king had paid a heavy tribute to Israel, but when Ahab died he stopped, so Jehoram gathers Israel's forces to fight (verses 4 to 5). Jehoram invites Judah's king to join him, and both agree (verses 6 to 7). The three kings take a seven-day desert route through Edom and run out of water (verses 8 to 9). Jehoram panics, blaming God (verse 10), but Jehoshaphat asks if a prophet of the LORD is nearby (verse 11). A servant mentions Elisha, who once served Elijah (verse 11). When they visit him, Elisha refuses to help Jehoram but agrees for Jehoshaphat's sake (verses 12 to 14). After calling for music, God's hand comes upon Elisha and he delivers three promises: the valley will fill with water without wind or rain; God will deliver the Moabites into their hands; and they must ruin Moab's cities, cut down trees, stop wells, and cover good land with stones (verses 15 to 19). Water arrives by morning (verse 20). The Moabites, seeing the sun reflected red in the water, mistake it for the blood of their enemies fighting each other and rush toward the camp to plunder (verses 21 to 23). Israel instead defeats them and fulfills Elisha's destructive orders (verses 24 to 25). The Moabite king tries to break through to Edom's king but fails, then offers his own eldest son as a burnt offering on the wall (verses 26 to 27). After this act, great anger comes upon Israel and the kings withdraw to their own lands (verse 27).

Takeaways

A king can abandon some sins of his parents but still cling to others, and this partial obedience brings partial results.
A prophet of God may refuse to help one person but answer because of another's faithful request.
An unexpected rescue from God can go suddenly wrong, not because God failed but because of what follows the victory.

2 Kings 3 - Simple English