2 Kings 3:20 - Meaning and Application

We have here God’s gift of both the things he promised through Elisha, water and victory. The water was not only a sign that victory would come, it also helped bring that victory about. God, who made and rules all the waters above and below the sky, suddenly sent them an abundance of water. It served them in two ways.

First, it refreshed their armies, which were close to dying of thirst (2 Kings 3:20). It is especially striking that this help came at the time of the morning sacrifice at Jerusalem, a fixed time that everyone knew. Elisha likely chose that hour for prayer, probably facing toward the temple, as people were to do when they prayed while away at war and far from Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:44). That showed his close connection with the temple service and his trust that success would come through the great sacrifice.

We no longer have one hour that is more acceptable to God than another, because our high priest is always appearing for us to present and plead his sacrifice. Yet God chose that time to show mercy and honor the daily sacrifice, which had been despised. He answered Daniel’s prayer at the time of the evening sacrifice as well (Daniel 9:21), because he gives weight to his own appointed worship.

Second, the water tricked their enemies and led them into ruin. The Moabites had been warned that the allied army was coming, so they sent all the men who could fight to the borders. There they waited, ready to give Israel a harsh welcome (verse 21). They thought it would be easy to deal with an army worn out from such a long march through the wilderness of Edom.

See how easily they fell into their own false hopes. They saw the water in the valley where Israel was camped and thought it was blood (2 Kings 3:22), because they knew the valley was dry and had not imagined rain could come. The sun was shining on it, and the sky may have looked red and heavy, like a warning of bad weather that day (Matthew 16:3). That made the water look even more like blood, and their own minds, eager to believe what suited them, led them astray. God allowed them to fool themselves.

Then they reasoned, “If that camp is full of blood, the kings must have fought among themselves and killed each other” (2 Kings 3:23). That is what allied kings with different interests often do, they thought. Finally, they said, “If the armies have destroyed each other, all we need to do is take the plunder. Now, Moab, to the spoil.” These were the hopeful guesses of some overconfident men, and the rest were quick to believe them because they wanted it to be true. We easily believe what we want to believe. Those who are to be destroyed are first deceived (Revelation 20:8), and no one is so thoroughly deceived as the person who deceives himself.

So they rushed carelessly into Israel’s camp to plunder it, and then they found out the truth when it was too late. The Israelites, encouraged by Elisha’s promise of victory, attacked with great force, defeated them, and chased them into their own land (2 Kings 3:24). There they destroyed it, ruined the cities, damaged the ground, stopped up the wells, cut down the trees, and left only the royal city standing. Even then they made large breaches in its walls with their war machines (2 Kings 3:25). This is what they gained by rebelling against Israel. Who has ever hardened his heart against God and prospered?

At the close of the chapter, we are told what the king of Moab did when he was driven to his last extreme and his capital seemed about to fall. First, he tried a bold and brave act. He gathered 700 chosen men and broke out against the fortifications of the king of Edom, who was only a hired ally in this campaign. The Moabite king hoped Edom would not resist strongly if attacked hard, and that he could escape that way. But it failed. Even the king of Edom was too strong for him and forced him back (2 Kings 3:26).

When that did not work, he did something savage and cruel. He took his own son, his oldest son, the one who was to rule after him, the one dearest to him and to his people, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall (2 Kings 3:27). He did this, first, to win the favor of Chemosh, his god, who was really a demon and loved blood, murder, and human ruin. Those idolaters thought the more precious a thing was, the more their gods would value it if they offered it in sacrifice. So they burned their children in the fire to honor their gods.

Second, he did it to frighten the besiegers and make them withdraw. He did it on the wall, in full view of them, so they would see how far he was willing to go rather than surrender, and how dearly they would have to pay to take his city and his life. He also meant to make them hated and to stir up his own people against them. It worked. There was great anger against Israel because they had driven him to such desperation, and for that reason they raised the siege and went home. Tender and generous people will not do, even what is just, if it will drive a man mad or push him into utter despair.