Mesha, king of Moab, rises up against Israel. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Joram, king of Israel and son of Ahab, vow to crush the revolt. The Edomites soon join the alliance and agree to encroach Moab from the south. Along the way, the three armies struggle with thirst and grow desperate. Jehoshaphat suggests consulting a prophet. When they turn to Elisha for help, he tells them that although there will be no rain on that night, they will wake up to see the neighboring valley filled with pools of water. He also foresees that they will emerge victorious. The next morning, Elisha’s prophecy comes true. The spirit of God overcomes Elisha, thanks to the uplifting music emitted by a harp.
The three kings launch a well-coordinated attack against Moab. Cooperation and comradery gave these nations the power to overcome their common enemy. Their harmonious coexistence empowers the prophet and enables the divine inspiration necessary for eliciting a miracle. At sunrise, the Moabites mistake the red-tinted water pools for blood. They decide to attack the armies with the intention of looting them, but are ultimately defeated by the three armies. Moab is crushed and the uprising suppressed.
“And they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them” (2 Kings 3:9)
“This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil” (2 Kings 3:23)
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