Three Kings to War II Kings 3

II Kings 3:5 "But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel."

The king of Moab was paying tribute to the king of Israel. He stopped paying when Ahab was killed and his son Jehoram took over. Jehoram asked the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to help him attack Moab. They agreed.

Their journey took them through the wilderness of Edom. They soon ran out of water for themselves and their cattle. Two of the kings decided God had brought them out there to die but Jehoshaphat sought God's help.

v11 "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 ands of Elijah. v12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him..."

Elisha told them to dig ditches in the valley and although there would be no signs of rain or wind the ditches would be filled. It was so.

Elisha also told them he had nothing to do with the king of Israel and Edom but would help because of Jehoshaphat. v14

The enemy saw the water as blood and thought the three kings were destroyed and so went for the spoil.

v24 "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."

Moab was devastated by the war. The wells were filled in, the good trees were cut down and rocks were dumped in the fields.

A terrible thing happened in Moab. The king in desperation placed his son, who was to take his place, on the wall and killed him. Because of the great indignation toward Israel they went home.

Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."

Keywords: Bible Study, Old Testament, Old Old Story, Israel, Judah, Edom, Moab, Elisha. Three kings go to war against Moab because they stopped paying tribute to Israel.