Jehoram, King of Israel

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Chapter 3 records two commendable things that Jehoram, King of Israel, did.

1. He put away all the idols of Baal and established the worship of the God for Israel.
2. He went after Moab and recovered the tribute that they had stopped paying during his brother's reign.

The combined forces of Israel, Judah and Edom assemble to mount an attack against Moab. They nearly die of thrust until Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, suggests that they take council with God. The prophet Elisha is called and he shows little respect for Jehoram, the evil King of Israel, but has great respect for Jehoshaphat. To test their faith, he tells them to dig many ditches to receive the water than he prays and the rains came and filled the ditches. The three armies were revived but the water deceived the Moabites. From a distance the water looked like blood and the Captains of Moab assumed that their enemies had turned on one another and they rushed carelessly into their encampment and were themselves destroyed.

In the close of the chapter we are told of a last ditch attempt by the King of Moab to defeat the armies of Israel, Judah and Edom. He took his son, that was to succeed him, and sacrificed him on the wall of the city to the god Chemosh. He hoped his act would gain him favor with Chemosh and also he hoped that when the combined armies of the three nations saw how desperate he was, they would become terrified. Neither, of course, was accomplished.

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