Old Testament - 2 Kings 2 & 3 - July 7, 2022

7/7/2022 - 2 Kings 2

2 Kings 2

This chapter focuses on the Northern Kingdom. Elijah’s work is finally done. Elisha, and the prophets, know that Elijah is to be translated.  Elijah and Elisha went to the Jordan river, and “fifty men of the sons of the prophets [those who still followed the Lord]  went and stood to view afar off.” (v 7). 

Elijah went into the Jordan, took his mantle, and smote the waters, and they were divided to that Elijah and Elisha walked on dry ground. (v 8)

Elijah turned to Elisha asking what he could do for Elisha before his translation. Elisha responded “I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.” (v 9-10). 

This is such a lovely reminder that all things are possible according to our faith. The Lord gives authority and power to those whom He calls. 

Elisha did see a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and saw Elijah going up into the heavens. (v 11) He then picked up the mantle that had fallen from Elijah. And he parted the waters of the Jordan river just as Elijah had. 

Elisha went forward helping the people, and performing miracles.


2 Kings 3

In this chapter we see the Kings of Israel and Judah as they unit against Moab. 

Jehoram, the son of Ahab, was now the king of Israel—he was not a righteous king, but he HAD “put away the image of ‘Baal that his father had made”. The Moabites, who had been paying tribute to Israel, rebelled against Jehoram, who then sought help from Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. These two kings, along with the king of Edom, united to stop the Moabite rebellion. After their armies had traveled together for seven days, there was not enough water for the soldiers or for their cattle. The worried kings got together and asked one another: “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?” (v 11) And one of their servants told them Elisha was near. So the kings when down to him. 

I find it interesting that the 3 kings took themselves to Elisha—they may not have been completely converted to the Lord, but they did recognize, and desire to have, the Lord’s help.

“The word of the Lord is with him.” (v 12)

Elisha acknowledged their lack of deep believe in Heavenly Father, but he tells them he will help them as the Lord has told him to “Make this alley full of ditches….ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.” (v’s 16-18)

This miracle did not happen immediately, but in the morning when the Moabites were coming close, and when the three kings and their soldiers were putting on their amour that they looked into the valley “and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood” (v 23) They thought the three armies of the kings had turned upon each other and were now weakened or destroyed. So the Moabites rushed into the Israelite camp so they could take any valuable possessions, but instead the Moabites were ambushed and defeated.

When we seek the Lord’s help with faith—we may not be helped in the way we had imagined, or in the timeline we had imagined, but we will be helped …and often in a way that brings more help than we had ever thought of.





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