Joram, also known as Jehoram, reigned from around 852 to 841 B.C. in the northern kingdom of Israel. While he was reigning in the north, Jehoshaphat was reigning in the southern kingdom of Judah, 2 Kings 3:1.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning the date.
‘This date agrees exactly with the statements that Jehoshaphat began to reign in the fourth year of Ahab, 1 Kings 22:41, and Ahaziah in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat, 1 Kings 22:51.’
The good news concerning Joram is that he didn’t follow in his parents’, Ahab, and Jezebel’s footsteps; he didn’t get involved and promote the worship of Baal, 2 Kings 3:2 / 1 Kings 16:30-34.
He actually removed the sacred stone of Baal from the temple, 2 Kings 3:2. The bad news is he continued in the sins of Jeroboam, 2 Kings 3:3, that is, he encouraged the two kingdoms to stay separate, he demanded that those in the north should sacrifice to the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Mesha is the monarch who wrote the inscription on the ‘Moabite stone’, 2 Kings 1:1. The points established by the Inscription are as follows.
1. That Moab recovered from the blow dealt by David, 2 Samuel 8:2 / 2 Samuel 8:12, and became an independent state again in the interval between David’s conquest and the accession of Omri.
2. That Omri reconquered the country, and that it then became subject to the northern kingdom, and remained so throughout his reign and that of his son Ahab, and into the reign of Ahab’s son and successor, Ahaziah.
3. That the independence was regained by means of a war, in which Mesha took town after town from the Israelites, including in his conquests many of the towns which, at the original occupation of the holy land, had passed into the possession of the Reubenites or the Gadites, as Baal-Meon, Numbers 32:38, Kirjathaim, Numbers 32:37, Ataroth, Numbers 32:34, Nebo, Numbers 32:38, Jahaz, Joshua 13:18, etc.’
4. That the name of Yahweh was well known to the Moabites as that of the God of the Israelites.
5. That there was a sanctuary of Yahweh at Nebo, in the Trans-Jordanic territory, where ‘vessels’ were used in His service.’
When we read what Mesha, the king of Moab, had to pay Joram, 2 Kings 3:4, it’s understandable that Moab wanted to revolt against him, 2 Kings 3:5. It appears that there was some confusion in the northern kingdom of Israel when Ahab died, 2 Kings 3:5, because Ahaziah’s reign was relatively short in the southern kingdom.
Mesha tried to take advantage of this by getting rid of the burden that the house of Omri had placed on them. Joram sets out from Samaria and mobilises all Israel, and he sends a message to Jehoshaphat informing him that the king of Moab has rebelled against him and asks if he will go with him to fight against Moab? 2 Kings 3:5-6.
Because there was still some kind of alliance between Joram and Jehoshaphat, Joram asks him to help take control of Mesha. Jehoshaphat is ready and willing to help Joram out, which is a little surprising because earlier when Ahab asked him to join him, he received a rebuke from Jehu, God’s prophet, 2 Chronicles 19:2.
Jehoshaphat agrees to go and says, ‘I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses, and then he asks by what route shall we attack? And Jehoshaphat tells him through the Desert of Edom, 2 Kings 3:7-8 / 2 Chronicles 20:22.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘We find that Jehoshaphat maintained the same friendly intercourse with the son, as he did with the father, 1 Kings 22:4.’
It appears that Edom was in subjection to Judah, because they are enrolled to join in, to help Joram take control of Mesha. The kings now go to war against Moab, but a drought had removed their water supply, 2 Kings 3:9.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The kings had probably expected to find sufficient water for both men and baggage animals in the Wady-El-Ashy, which divides Edom from Moab, and which has a stream that is now regarded as perennial. But it was dried up, quite a possible occurrence with any of the streams of this region.’
Joram is shocked and asked, has God called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab? 2 Kings 3:10. After Jehoshaphat inquires if there was a prophet in the land, his officer tells him that Elisha is there and ‘he used to pour water in the hands of Elijah’, 2 Kings 3:11.
This basically means Elisha was a servant of Elijah who met his needs. Jehoshaphat says that the word of God is with him, and so, all three kings go together to meet in battle with the king of Moab.
When Joram met Elisha, Elisha asked them, ‘Why do they want to involve him?’ 2 Kings 3:13. By asking this question, Elisha was showing great contempt towards Joram because Joram had turned away from God, and he tolerated the false prophets that his forefathers had put in place years before, 2 Kings 3:13.
Joram says he’s not going to do that because it was God who called the three kings together to deliver them into the hands of Moab, 2 Kings 3:13. Elisha agrees to inquire of the Lord concerning this upcoming battle with Moab, but only for Judah’s sake, 2 Kings 3:14. Elisha requests a harpist and while the harpist was playing, Exodus 15:20, the hand of God came on Elisha, 2 Kings 3:15.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘A person who played on the harp. The rabbis and many Christians suppose that Elisha’s mind was considerably irritated and grieved by the bad behaviour of the young men at Beth-el, and their tragical end, and by the presence of the idolatrous king of Israel; and therefore called for Divine psalmody, that it might calm his spirits, and render him more susceptible of the prophetic influence. To be able to discern the voice of God, and the operation of his hand, it is necessary that the mind be calm, and the passions all in harmony, under the direction of reason; that reason may be under the influence of the Divine Spirit.’
God, through Elisha, says, He will fill this valley with pools of water, 2 Kings 3:16. God says they will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and they and their livestock will drink, 2 Kings 3:17.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘No rain was to fall where the Israelites and their enemies were encamped, there was not even to be that all but universal accompaniment of rain in the East, a sudden rise of wind, 1 Kings 18:45 / Psalms 147:18 / Matthew 7:25.
Elisha says that this is an easy thing in the eyes of God, and God will also deliver Moab into their hands, and they will overthrow every fortified city and every major town, cut down every good tree, Deuteronomy 20:19-20, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones, 2 Kings 3:18-19 / Genesis 26:15-18.
The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, 1 Kings 18:29, water flowed from the direction of Edom and the land was filled with water, 2 Kings 3:20.
The answer to Elisha’s prophecy of rain was miraculous in nature, and once again because of the miraculous answer to his prayer, this again would let everyone know that Elisha was God’s prophet, and God was working through him, 2 Kings 2:19-22. The fulfilment of this prophecy would also reassure Jehoshaphat that God would bring about the victory over Moab.
The news got back to the Moabites that war had begun, 2 Kings 3:21, but notice that ‘the sun was shining on the water’, 2 Kings 3:22. Because east of the Jordan was known as being desert land, the sun’s reflection off the water gave the impression that it was red in colour, 2 Kings 3:22.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This might have been an optical deception; I have seen the like sight when there was no reason to suspect supernatural agency. The Moabites had never seen that valley full of water, and therefore did not suspect that their eyes deceived them, but took it for the blood of the confederate hosts, who they thought might have fallen into confusion in the darkness of night and destroyed each other, as the Midianites had formerly done, Judges 7:22, and the Philistines lately, 1 Samuel 14:20.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sun had risen with a ruddy light, as is frequently the case after a storm, compare Matthew 16:3, nearly over the Israelite camp, and the pits, deep but with small mouths, gleaming redly through the haze which would lie along the newly moistened valley, seemed to the Moabites like pools of blood. The preceding year, they and their allies had mutually destroyed each other, 2 Chronicles 20:23.’
Because the Moabites thought there was no water in this area, they mistook the reflection for blood and came to the conclusion that war had already broken out between the three kings, who came to make war against them, 2 Kings 3:23. It’s clear that Joram wants to put Moab under Israelite control once again, and he succeeds, 2 Kings 3:24.
He defeated Mesha’s army and destroyed a number of the Moabite cities. However, he was not able to take Kir Hareseth, 2 Kings 3:25, the capital city of Moab, Isaiah 16:7 / Isaiah 16:11. Because Joram didn’t take this city, this meant that Mesha could keep his independence from Israel.
Although Mesha now knew that he couldn’t defeat the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom, 2 Kings 3:26, and after the Israelites destroyed most of the towns of Moab, Mesha had become so furious with Israel, that he offered and sacrificed his own firstborn son on the city wall, 2 Kings 3:27. This shows us how far morally away from God, the people of this time had become.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When the king of Moab found himself so harassed, and the royal city on the point of being taken, he called a council of his servants, and asked them how it was these Israelites could perform such prodigies, and that such miracles were wrought for them? His servants answered that it was owing to their progenitor Abraham, who, having an only son, was commanded by Jehovah to offer him in sacrifice. Abraham instantly obeyed and offered his only son for a burnt-offering; and the Israelites, being his descendants, through his merits, the holy blessed God wrought such miracles on their behalf. The king of Moab answered, I also have an only son, and I will go and offer him to my God. Then he offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall.’
As a result of Mesha sacrificing his own son on the city wall, the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land in total disgust of what he did, 2 Kings 3:27 / Leviticus 18:21 / Leviticus 20:3.