Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 3
God had told Elisha that he would hand over Moab to Israel (3:18). God himself would defeat Moab’s army.
The king of Moab had ordered all of Moab’s men who could fight, to join his army. The armies of Judah, Israel and Edom had camped together in a valley in the desert. The army of Moab was in the hills that looked over that valley.
It was not unusual for different nations to join their armies for a war, as Israel did with Judah and Edom here. Sometimes those different armies quarrelled and fought against each other (for example 2 Chronicles 20:23). Moab’s soldiers saw what they believed to be pools of blood in the valley. They thought that a terrible fight had happened between the different armies that night. So, Moab’s soldiers ran into the valley to steal the possessions of Israel’s dead and dying soldiers.
However, the armies had not quarrelled and Israel’s soldiers were ready to fight fiercely against them. Moab’s soldiers had merely seen the sun’s light at dawn on the pools of water that God had provided. Moab’s men knew that this valley in the desert had been dry on the previous day. They also knew that rain had not fallen during the night. They used all their energy to run into the valley, so they were too weak to fight. Instead, those men who could manage to escape, had to run away.
King Joram of Israel had heard Elisha’s words on the previous day. He saw all this, but he did not truly turn to God. Instead, his attention was upon the defeat of his enemy, Moab. Joram wanted Moab to suffer a truly terrible defeat.
Next part: Joram cruelly shows his power over Moab (2 Kings 3:25)
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