2 Kings 3 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Kings 3 Short Summary:

The nation of Moab rebelled against Judah and stopped paying their taxes after the death of Ahab. Jehoram, Ahab’s son, rallied an allied force of Israel, Judah, and Edom to bring them back into subjection. They marched against Moab but ran out of water on the way. After meeting with the prophet Elisha, God miraculously provided the army with water, and they went on to defeat the Moabites in battle.

2 Kings 3 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• According to the timeline we are using for this study, the kingdom of Israel and Judah divided in 975 B.C. The period that followed, sometimes called the period of the “Divided Kingdom,” lasted the next few centuries. Israel remained a cohesive nation until 721 B.C. (Assyrian captivity), while Judah lasted until 607 B.C. (Babylonian exile).

• The events of 2 Kings 3 took place sometime between 900-885 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Elisha – The student of Elijah who replaced his master as the prophet of God.

• Jehoshaphat – King of Judah.

• Jehoram – King of Israel. He was the son of Ahab.

• King of Edom – He allied with Judah and Israel in their attack on Moab.  

• Mesha – King of Moab.

WHERE:

• The armies of Israel and Judah marched through the land of Edom, south of the Dead Sea, to attack the Moabite nation.

OUTLINE:

• MOAB’S REBELLION AGAINST ISRAEL (3:1-27):

  • In Jehoshaphat’s 18th year as king of Judah, Jehoram became king of Israel. He was a wicked king.

  • During the days of Ahab, the Moabites paid a tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams to Israel, but they rebelled after Ahab’s death.

  • Jehoram decided it was time to bring them back into subjection, so he gathered his army and called Jehoshaphat to help him.

  • Rather than crossing the Jordan River, which was the most direct route to Moab, they decided to march around the Dead Sea, through Edom’s land. The king of Edom allied with them and joined their company.

  • But on the 7th day of marching, they ran out of water.

  • Jehoshaphat recommended they visit the prophet Elisha for help.  

  • Elisha wasn’t happy to see wicked Jehoram, but he helped the army for the sake of Jehoshaphat.

  • He prophesied the Lord would fill the dry land with water, not by rain, but by a miracle.

  • Elisha also prophesied that the Lord would give the army victory over Moab.

  • Sure enough, the next morning, water came from the direction of Edom, filled the land, and refreshed the thirsty soldiers and their animals.

  • God used the water to perform another miracle. When the Moabit army, which was gathered at the border, saw the water, God made it appear as red as blood. The Moabites concluded that the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom were fighting amongst each other, so he rallied his army to attack and spoil them.

  • Their erroneous assumption led them straight to the army of Israel. The Israelites defeated them and sent them into retreat.

  • The allied forces overthrew the cities of Moab and ruined their land by plugging up their water sources and cutting down their trees.

  • The king of Moab rallied 700 swordsmen, but they were no match for the opposing force.

  • In despair, Mesha of Moab killed his son, the heir to the throne, and sacrificed him on the wall of the city.

  • At this horror, the armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom returned home.  

APPLICATION:

• Seek the Lord’s guidance before you make plans, not just when your self-devised plans hit a dead end.

• The text doesn’t mention Jehoshaphat or Jehoram asking for God’s help with their Moabite campaign until they ran into trouble along the way.

• They probably could have avoided their trouble if they had asked Him first.

• We’ve probably all gotten ourselves entangled in trouble we could have avoided if we had just asked God before taking our first steps. Times when our self-will moved too fast for us to ascertain God’s will.

• Hopefully those situations train us to ask God first before taking future action.