In 852 BC, Jehoram succeeds his brother Ahaziah to the throne of Israel. Elijah's departure came shortly after his prophecy to the dying Ahaziah, and Elisha now serves the same ministry as Jehoram reigns.
2 Kings 3:1-8 -- What kind of king was Jehoram? He did take down the sacred pillar his father had dedicated to Baal, but hardly departed from the politically oriented refusal to return the Jehovah. Recall that Moab had begun throwing off the yoke of Israel under Ahaziah. Under Jehoram, they were in full revolt. The King mustered his army. As this was shortly before the passing of Jehoshephat of Judah, Jehoram sent an envoy asking help to subdue Moab. They agreed to circle around from the south, passing through Edom. Recall that Edom had just previously joined Moab, Ammon and scattered host of others in attacking Judah. As the others had turned on and destroyed Edom's troops, so Edom no longer regarded Moab as a friend. On top of that, the military victory placed Edom firmly in the service of Judah. Edom had thus thrown her lot in with them against her neighbor to the north.
3:9-12 -- Their route was down the west shore of the Dead Sea and around the south end. While this area was generally dry all year round, it could be extremely so during the dry season. There are few springs, and they tend to be seasonal. By the time they joined up with Edom's troops after crossing the Rift Valley, they were in bad shape. This was the north end of Edom, and the southern border of Moab. They halted there at the mouth of the Wadi Zered. We have no idea how it was Elisha was with them, and it appears Jehoram was unaware of it. The King of Israel made some sarcastic remark how Jehovah had abandoned them all to die. It was a not-so-subtle way of reminding all who heard he felt justified in rejecting the Lord as God of his kingdom. Jehoshaphat's response was to insist they call on Jehovah via one of His prophets. One of Jehoram's servants mentioned Elisha was with them, referring to him as the closest disciple of Elijah. Taking that as a commendation, Jehoshaphat demanded they go see him.
3:13-19 -- When they confronted the Prophet, Elisha proved to have learned well from his master, and told Jehoram to go back to his family gods for consultation. The King of Israel retorted they had come to him because it was his God that got them in this mess. Elisha responded with a phrase that Jehovah was indeed the One Living God, and were it not for the faithful King of Judah's presence, Elisha would have ignored them in the first place. Since he was bound to honor Jehoshaphat's request, he would seek the Lord by way of music praising Jehovah. The musician came and began to play, and the Spirit of God gave him an answer to their request. Here where the mouth of the Wadi Zered was wide and flat, Elisha told them to start digging ditches to catch the rain that was about to fall. However, they would not see the storms, nor feel the wind, for it would be far to the east and south, beyond the range of hills through which the Zered cut its path. He reminded them this fulfillment of their request was a small task for God, and He would allow them to defeat Moab's army, as well. Further, He wanted the nation destroyed, leaving no fortified city standing, no useable trees left growing, every spring stopped with sand and rubble, and stones scattered over every arable stretch of land. This was no mere battle for political victory, but a command to press the campaign for weeks until the job was complete.
3:20-25 -- As a pointed reminder, the scribe mentions the dawn as the time of the morning grain offering. This was a free-will gift to God, most of which was used to feed the priests on duty in the Temple. By this time, the various offerings were presented in a specific sequence, and the moment folks in Jerusalem were presenting this grain offering, far away on the border of Moab, the allied armies of Israel, Judah and Edom watched water begin flooding the Wadi Zered. On the heights of the northern bank, Moab had massed every male capable of holding a weapon. The sun was rising in the east, filtered by the storm clouds just visible on the horizon from the heights, but not in the valley. Moab's troops on the high ground saw a red dawn, reflected off the pools of water in the dark valley below. Assuming a repeat of the recent battle they fought against Judah, but this time it was their enemies fighting each other, Moab's commanders urged the troops to seize the moment and plunder as they had been plundered the year before. They plunged down the slopes first into Israel's camp. We note that since this is primarily their war, Israel would have been in the vanguard of any battle. The troops camped in the valley had been gathering water, and had already been refreshed. When the Moabites flooded into the empty camps, it was like a baited trap. The headlong rush was brutally halted, and Moab fled a fierce army, intact and ready. On the heels of this battle, the entire allied force rolled up all resistance from the south and destroyed the Land of Moab as God had commanded. Pulling down the fortified cities supplied the stones for scattering in arable fields. The only city they couldn't destroy was Kir Haresheth. This city stood at the end of a narrow gorge on a hill. The best the allied forces could do was sling stones over the city walls from the surrounding heights.
3:26-27 -- Convinced Edom was the weak link, Mesha himself led a small force of professional warriors numbering 700. He was unable to approach their lines directly. This same King left an inscription called the Moabite Stone in Dibon, a major city of Moab just north of the River Arnon. This city was on land which was supposed to have been in the tribal grant to Reuben. On this stone, he confesses that Israel had been allowed by his god Chemosh to oppress Moab, due to the god's anger with his people. Under this apprehension, Mesha is facing the final end of his nation. Consistent with his pagan concepts, he goes up on the city wall in sight of the beseiging forces, and offers his heir in ritual slaughter. The troops of Israel, long under the sway of pagan superstition, find themselves unable to continue the war after seeing this. At their withdrawal, the war is over.
4:1-7 -- The following year, we find Elisha back running the Academies of the Prophets. One of his students died, leaving a widow and two sons deeply in debt. She approached Elisha seeking God's protection from the creditors, who had already presented her with a claim to confiscate her property and to enslave her sons. He asked what she had left in the house. She replied it was a mere jar of oil. He told her to go and borrow from her neighbors every empty container she could find. He cautioned her not to take this task lightly, but to fill her house with empty vessels. Then she was to retreat with her sons behind closed doors and begin pouring her one jar of oil into these vessels. With her sons bringing empties to her, they took away everything filled with oil. When the last was filled, the oil stopped flowing. Reporting the results to Elisha, he told her to sell the excess, pay her debts, and live on what was left. The abundance of God's provision in this case was limited only to her exercise of faith in collecting containers.
4:8-17 -- On his rounds about the Kingdom of Israel, Elisha passed often through Shunem, a city of Issachar near Jezreel. Recall, this was the place where the army of Philistia camped in preparation for the battle that ended King Saul's life. In this city was a noble woman, faithful to Jehovah, who presuaded Elisha to have lunch in her home when he passed. She even persuaded her husband to build on a room for him on the upper floor adjoining the wall of their large home. This was a choice accommodation, a real honor, and Elisha became comfortable with staying the night there on his travels. He felt obliged to offer some favor in return. With his servant Gahazi as go-between, he first offered to use his influence at the royal court on her behalf. Finding she was quite content with her life, he asked his servant's advice. Gehazi noticed she was childless and her husband aging. So Elijah announced to her that when he came again the same time next year, she would be holding a baby boy. She pleaded with Elisha not to tease her. Yet the promise came true.
4:18-31 -- A few years later, this same boy went out in the morning to where his father was managing the grain harvest. This was the warmest part of the year, and it may be the lad got over-heated. The boy suddenly grabbed his head and complained of pain. His father had a servant carry him home, where his mother held him until he died, around noontime. She laid the boy on Elisha's bed, then went out to her husband in the field and asked for a donkey to ride and a servant to lead it to Elisha. Her husband wondered at the errand, since it was not yet near any of the occasions for taking a special offering, but she insisted. Once mounted, she ordered her servant to drive hard and straight to Mount Carmel. This would have taken her until mid- afternoon.
Elisha spotted her from afar and knew something was up, so ordered Gehazi to meet her and inquire if all was well. She didn't bother to tell Gehazi her mission, so he reported all was well with the family. Then she arrived herself and ran to grab Elisha's feet in an emotional outburst. Gehazi was naturally concerned this would appear scandalous, but Elisha told him to give her time to compose herself and explain the cause of her sorrow. Whatever it was, Elisha had no word from God. When Elisha had promised her a son, it was no doubt a desperate longing she was sure she'd never see. She had just about gotten used to the situation when Elisha stirred that wild, improbable hope again. Once granted, it now seemed a cruel trick to lose him so young. Her question implied she would have been better off had Elisha not stirred things up. Immediately he knew her son was ill or dead. He ordered Gehazi to take his staff, his symbol of power as a shepherd of God's people, and ignore everyone and everything in his haste to lay the staff on the child's face. If the child were merely ill, this would suffice. She warned Elisha she would not leave his side. If he wanted to end this crisis, he would have to go himself. Before they arrived, Gehazi came out to meet them, relating that the staff brought no reaction from the boy.
4:32-37 -- Upon entering the house, Elisha went straight up to his room. Seeing the boy was already dead, he realized he underestimated things. He closed the door and began praying. As an extension of his prayer, he laid himself on the child symbolizing what he sought. When the flesh of the boy had warmed, Elisha went down to the main house and paced, awaiting God's answer. Then he went back up and repeated his symbolic prayer act. The boy sneezed, indicating he was alive, then opened his eyes. Elisha then called the woman via his servant, and told her to embrace her son. She bowed at Elisha's feet in gratitude, then took hold of her boy and left the room.
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Ed Hurst
12 February 2005
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