The field of ditches
2 Kings 3:16 “And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.”
This is an interesting story. Jehoshaphat ruled Judah. He was a godly king.
And Jehoram ruled Israel. He was an idolator. The only good thing he did was to put away Baal, a god of his mother and father. Yet he followed the false worship of the golden calves.
The situation is that when Jehoram began to reign, Moab who had given tribute to his father….rebelled and refused to pay.
So, the king of Israel gathered his men, and asked that the king of Judah come with him, and he agrees. The king of Edom (Esau’s descendants) also came…and let these armies go through their land.
(this is one of the few instances, since the kingdom split into the ten tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Judah, that they fight together…not against each other)
In this agreement, Jehoshaphat was wrong…..alliance with the wicked is never right….but it is noteworthy to see God’s mercy extended here.
The armies “go around”….coming round, to another way into the Moabite country….which neighbors Edom, which was less fortified.
This took seven days….and they ran out of water….for the men and animals.
2 KIngs 3:9-11 “So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
And the king of Israel said, Alas! That the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.”
Notice the attitude toward God…of these two kings: the wicked king of Israel blamed God.
The godly king of Judah sought to get help from God’s servant, the prophet….to know God’s Will.
The three kings go down to see Elisha….(now Elisha was a prophet to Israel, as Elijah had been. Though the wicked did not hear, yet there were righteous in the country which he ministered to.)
….and in faithfulness, Elisha rebukes them, for the wickedness of the king of Israel.
Yet in mercy, for the righteous acts of Jehoshaphat….he finds out what God wants done….and speaks it.
2 Kings 3:13-14 “And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother…..
And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.”
God’s ministers and pastors and teachers are to equally show the wicked…their wickedness…and to rebuke them in it. As well as to preach good tidings of peace to those who would seek God and righteousness.
2 Kings 3:15 “But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
(Some believe this to be to soothe Elisha, because of the knowledge of the sin of Israel’s king. And we should feel the awfulness of the vileness of the evil around us. It is against our loving Lord, and though we should not be angry….we should be faithful to His Word.
I believe, instead, that the minstrel and song was to make them wait. Certainly it would have been a psalm or song about God. Let them hear of mercy, before God gives it.)
2 Kings 3:16-17 “And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
For thus saith the Lord, 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.”
(This of course was a miracle…..but God does not stop there. His mercy is wonderful. They had come to put the Moabites back under tribute….so God gives them the victory! Then Jehoshaphat can go home, away from these men.
Mercy is God’s goodness to the sinner….those who do not deserve it.
There are temporal mercies to al (Matt. 5:45)l…..but spiritual mercies are for the elect.
2 Kings 3:18, 20 “And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: He will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.”
Notice that it was after the morning offering. Probably done in Jehosophat’s part of the camp, maybe even done by Elisha.
Water started to fill the ditches that had been dug the night before….from next to Edom’s land…throughout the whole valley.
2 KIngs 3:21-24 “And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor…and stood in the border.
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely salin…..now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
And when they came to the cap of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.”
The Victory was given….
But sadly, even though Jehosophat was a godly king….the last few years are silent.
We need to watch our alliances….our friendships.
God is merciful….yet many times, though He gives a victory, we will rebuke us for our choice of companions.
When I was a little girl, I heard a preacher say: Dig a ditch and God will fill it. That’s true if the ditches are dug by God’s Word.
The ditches that were dug here….were by God’s appointing. If we do indeed do what God appoints….even though it be digging ditches all night….then certainly God will fill them.
They did not see rain, nor hear the wind…..but the water was given, by the Word of the Lord….in mercy.
We may not see the way of deliverance…..but, be assured God’s mercy endureth forever.
We certainly do not deserve the least of HIs mercies (the first time mercy is used is in connection with Lot. Genesis 19:16, 2 Peter 2:7-9)…
….yet HIs Word assures us that “all the paths of the Lord are mercy” (Ps. 25:10)….and that “mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). His mercy shall “compass him about” (Ps. 32:10). God shall “send forth HIs mercy and His truth” (Ps 57:3)
And the greatest mercy to us is Christ Jesus….
Titus 3:4-6 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 