Elisha - Part 4

 Review

1. Moab rebels against Jehoram king of Israel. No more lamb/rams wool for you!

2. Jehoram asks Jehoshaphat king of Judah for aid. 

3. Also Jehoram asks Jehoshaphat for the best plan since he isn't sure.

4. Jehoshaphat tells Jehoram to go through the "wilderness of Edom". And attack Moab from the south.

5. Next thing we find is that the king of Edom (and his troops?) are part of this group heading towards Moab.

6. While on their 7 day journey thru the "wilderness of Moab" they realize that they don't have water (or run out). Oops, we forgot to bring water.

7. Jehoram king of Israel panics and says "God has brought us out here to deliver us into the hand of Moab".

8. Level headed Jehoshaphat, king of Judah asks if a prophet of God is with them. Elisha is indeed there! 

9. Jehoshaphat seems to know that Elisha is a true prophet of God. So all three kings go to Elisha to inquire of him.

10. Elisha, the double portion speaks and begins by saying he stands in the presence of God. Much like the overcomer does in Revelation 3:12.

Ellisha , the double portion, overcomer

11. Elisha acknowledges Jehoshaphat, but rips into Jehoram and his parents, Ahab and Jezebel for their idolatry. Telling them that he wouldn't look towards Jehoram or even see him if it wasn't for Jehoshaphat.

12. Elisha asks for a harpist. And the harpist harps. This phrase the harpist harps corresponds to Rev 14:2 where the 144,000 are standing on Mt Zion with the Lamb and the voice of harpers harping their harps. So…

Elisha - double portion - overcomers - 144,000

13. What does harpers harping seem to indicate? Prophecy or a prophet word.

14. Immediately Elisha begins to prophesy:

1. Make trenches 

2. This valley will be full of water for you, your cattle and beasts

3. I will deliver Moab into your hands

4. You will destroy every fortified city, every choice, every good tree

5. Stop all the fountains and mar every good piece of land

2 Kings 3:20-23

20 And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of offering the oblation, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. 21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border. 22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood: 23 and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. 

Summary

1. Vs20 2Ki And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of offering the oblation, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

1. In the morning, about the time of the offering of oblation? Day 7 rising of the sun.

2. There came water by way of Edom and the country was filled with water 

The pure water of the word.

2. Vs21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood on the border.

Metaphor of the events of day 7. Any ideas? 

1. Rev 16:13-16 "gather them together"

13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: 14 for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.) 16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon.

2. Rev 19:17-19 

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and he gathered together unto the great supper of God; 18 that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army.

3. Burden of Moab - Isaiah 15

Isa 15:1 

The burden of Moab. For in a night Ar (a city) of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for in a night Kir (wall) of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought.

Isa 15:9 

For the waters of Dimon (riverbed) are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon (riverbed), a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land.

4. Vs22-23 As the Moabites arose early that morning, the sun cast its rays on the water, and to the Moabites, the water across from them appeared to be red like blood. 23 So they concluded, “This must be blood! The kings must have had one mighty big fight and each man killed the other! So let’s go get the battle spoil, Moab!”

2 Kings 3:24-27

24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land smiting the Moabites. 25 And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. 26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through unto the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

Summary

1. Vs24 Israelites rush into Moab, smiting the land. The same way that the armies of God conquer in Rev 16.

Rev 16:16-19 

16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon. 17 And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came forth a great voice out of the temple, from the throne, saying, It is done: 18 and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

2. Vs25 

1. And they beat down the cities

2. on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it

3. and they stopped all the fountains of water

4. Cut down all the good trees

5. until in Kir-hareseth only they left the stones thereof; however the slingers went about it, and smote it.

Kir-hareseth - seems to be a stronghold in Moab which requires a little more sustained effort

Jer 48:36 

Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.

Maybe they trusted in riches.

Jer 48 has alot to say about the judgement of Moab

3. Vs26 When the king of Moab (Mesha) realized that the battle was going strongly against him, he took 700 expert swordsmen to attempt to break through to the king of Edom, but was unable to do so.

1. Desperate attempt to regain control?

2. Maybe he thought Edom was the weak link?

4. Vs27 as a last resource, Mesha took his first born son, and offered him as a burnt-offering to appease the manifest anger of his god Chemosh, and obtain his aid against his enemies. This act was thoroughly in accordance with Moabitish notions.

1. Why would Mesha do such a thing?

The Moabite Stone 

bears strong testimony to this religious zeal in the heart of Mesha: 

Moabite Stone, is a stone dated around 840 BCE containing a significant Canaanite inscription in the name of King Mesha of Moab. Found in 1868-1870.

The Moabite god was named Chemosh.

"I am Mesha, son of Chemosh, king of Moab, the Dibonite. My father was king over Moab thirty years and I became king after my father. And I made this sanc-

tuary for Chemosh at Qrchh, (a sanctuary of) salvation; for he saved me from all the kings and let me see my desire upon my adversaries. 

Num 21:29 

Woe to thee, Moab!  Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh:  He hath given his sons as fugitives,  And his daughters into captivity,  Unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

1Ki 11:7-8 

Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And so did he for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

2. Through this sudden retreat did Israel then lose the battle? Of course not! We have already witnessed the full fulfillment of Elisha's prophecy:

 (vs19 And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.)

and so let us not get so caught up in this turn of events that we leave with the impression of defeat. Rather, because the prophecy had already been fulfilled and there remained only the malicions and greedy aggression for the spoil and annihilation of the enemy, it was that much easier to retreat when the malice turned to fear. From the standpoint of 

what could have happened, it was incomplete, but from the standpoint of 

the prophecy, it was complete. 

3. And there was great wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

And there was great indignation against Israel - Either the Israelites were indignant with themselves, or the men of Judah and the Edomites were indignant at the Israelites for having caused the pollution of this sacrifice, and the siege was relinquished.

2Ki 4:1

1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear Jehovah: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen. 

1. This woman comes to Elisha for help. Her husband, a son of the prophets has recently died. Making her a widow.

2. Creditors have come to her desiring payback. Without anything else to give him, the creditor wants to take her two children.

3. Who is this widow?

Jer 15:8-11 

8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas; I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday: I have caused anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly. 9 She that hath borne seven languisheth; she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she khath been put to shame and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah. 10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me. 

1. Vs9 She that hath born seven?

2. Vs9 Her sun hath gone down while it is yet day?

3. Vs10 I have not lent, neither have men lent to me?

Jer 15:11 

Jehovah said, Verily I will strengthen thee for good; verily I will cause the enemy to make supplication unto thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

1. I will strengthen thee for good?

2. In the time of evil and in the time of affliction? Day 7

2 Kings 4:2-4

2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 

1. Elisha asks the widow what he can do for her. Do you have anything in your house to offer the creditor, instead of the children?

2. She says she only has a pot of oil.

3. Meaning of Oil? Annointing

4. Who else was saving up oil that we read about recently?

Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

5. So it seems the comparison we are to make is to compare the Elijah &the widow of Zarephath with Elisha & widow of the sons of the prophets. Maybe we should add Jesus ministry to this?

1. Elijah

1Ki 17:12-14 

12 And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.

By the way, when did God send rain upon the earth? Or which day might we expect rain??

1. 1Ki 18:1 

And it came to pass after many days, that the word of Jehovah came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

2. 1Ki 18:44-45 

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in a little while, that the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel:

What are some of the common phrases which God uses to describe a great pouring out of the spirit in some regard?

1. On the third day, after six days, the seventh day, the third year, the seventh year, on the seventh time, etc

2. Jesus

Joh 3:34  

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure.

3. Elisha

2Ki 4:3-4 

3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

2 Kings 4:5-7

5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons; they brought the vessels to her, and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy sons of the rest.