2 Kings 3:1-12Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 3:1-12. Let’s go!
2 Kings 3:1-3 (NIV)
1 Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.
2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
On verses 1-3: Joram becomes king of Israel and gets rid of the sacred stone of Baal, which his father Ahab and mother Jezebel had used to worship the idol Baal. But Joram “clung to the sins of Jeroboam” (v3), suggesting that Joram continues to worship the idols that Jeroboam had set up. As such, “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (v2)
What can we learn from this? Partial idolatry is still idolatry. When you stand before God, God will not accept you or reject you based on how you compared to your parents or your peers, but on how you compared to God’s perfect and holy standards. Even if you think you are much better than your parents or your peers, the fact is that we are not blameless in God’s sight until there is no sin or idolatry in our lives at all. That’s why we need Jesus, whose blood alone is able to cleanse and pay for our sins.
2 Kings 3:10-11 (NLT)
10 “What should we do?” the king of Israel cried out. “The LORD has brought the three of us here to let the king of Moab defeat us.”
11 But King Jehoshaphat of Judah asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD with us? If there is, we can ask the LORD what to do through him.”
On verses 4-11: Mesha king of Moab refuses to pay the 100,000 rams and 100,000 lambs he owes Joram king of Israel. So Joram king of Israel, together with Jehoshaphat king of Judah and the king of Edom, launches an attack against Mesha king of Moab. Evidently without consulting the Lord, Joram king of Israel leads all three kings in a roundabout, confused route when they run out of water. Joram then blames the Lord for their plight: “The LORD has brought the three of us here to let the king of Moab defeat us.” (v10) However, Jehoshaphat does not panic and suggests that they consult a prophet of the Lord for guidance (v11).
On verses 4-11: Have you ever done what Joram king of Israel did? Without consulting God, you unilaterally decide that you’re going to do something, and then when things don’t work out or you run out of resources, you panic and blame God for your mistake. That’s what Joram did. Instead of playing the blame game, when you’re in a bind, keep calm, be like Jehoshaphat and inquire of the Lord for guidance.
2 Kings 3:11-12 (NIV)
11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
On verses 11b-12: When Jehoshaphat king of Judah asks if there is a prophet of the Lord they can consult, one of King Joram’s officials says, “Elisha is here. He used to pour water on Elijah’s hands.” (v11) Recognizing Elisha, Jehoshaphat says, “The word of the Lord is with him” and so the three kings (Jehoshaphat, Joram and the king of Edom) go to consult Elisha.
What can we learn from this? Elisha started his ministry as a servant to Elijah. He went from pouring water on Elijah’s hands to eventually becoming a great prophet himself, armed with the word of God and whom kings would consult. Humility leads to exaltation. If you will serve God and people humbly, God will lift you up in the end.
Also, just as Elisha was known for two things — 1. serving others humbly and 2. demonstrating God’s Word to others effectively — may you be known for those same two things as well.
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to pay the price for all of my idolatry and to cleanse me from my sins. When I’m in a bind, may I not blame You like Joram, but consult You like Jehoshaphat. And may I be someone who is known for humbly, faithfully and consistently serving others, and someone who shows others Your Word through my actions, words and example. Thank You that in due time You will lift up those who humble themselves before You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
