Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 239
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SAMUEL–KINGS
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One of King Joram’s officers replied, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He
used to be Elijah’s personal assistant.”
Jehoshaphat said, “Yes, the Lord speaks through him.” So the king of
Israel, King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the king of Edom went to consult
with Elisha.
“Why are you coming to me?” Elisha asked the king of Israel. “Go to the
pagan prophets of your father and mother!”
But King Joram of Israel said, “No! For it was the Lord who called us
three kings h ere—only to be defeated by the king of Moab!”
Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I
wouldn’t even bother with you except for my respect for King Jehoshaphat
of Judah. Now bring me someone who can play the harp.”
While the harp was being played, the power of the Lord came upon Eli
sha, and he said, “This is what the Lord says: This dry valley will be filled
with pools of water! You will see neither wind nor rain, says the Lord,
but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves
and your cattle and other animals. But this is only a simple thing for the
Lord, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab! You will
conquer the best of their towns, even the fortified ones. You will cut down
all their good trees, stop up all their springs, and ruin all their good land
with stones.”
The next day at about the time when the morning sacrifice was offered,
water suddenly appeared! It was flowing from the direction of Edom, and
soon there was water everywhere.
Meanwhile, when the people of Moab heard about the three armies
marching against them, they mobilized every man who was old enough
to strap on a sword, and they stationed themselves along their border.
But when they got up the next morning, the sun was shining across the
water, making it appear red to the Moabites—like blood. “It’s blood!” the
Moabites exclaimed. “The three armies must have attacked and killed each
other! Let’s go, men of Moab, and collect the plunder!”
But when the Moabites arrived at the Israelite camp, the army of Israel
rushed out and attacked them until they turned and ran. The army of Is
rael chased them into the land of Moab, destroying everything as they
went. They destroyed the towns, covered their good land with stones,
stopped up all the springs, and cut down all the good trees. Finally, only
Kir-hareseth and its stone walls were left, but men with slings surrounded
and attacked it.
When the king of Moab saw that he was losing the battle, he led 700 of
his swordsmen in a desperate attempt to break through the enemy lines
near the king of Edom, but they failed. Then the king of Moab took his
oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a