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Friday 22 November 2013

2 Kings 2:19-3:27 - Water, baldness, bears and more water

Elisha's position is then further vindicated by two incidents. First he heals the water at Jericho. The water had become bad, experiencing some of the effects of the curse of Deut 28:15-18.  He possibly used salt as a symbol of the Lord purifying the water. However, as v21 makes clear, it is the Lord who actually healed the water.
Elisha then goes on his way to Bethel, but is jeered by a group of boys along the way, and insulted for his baldness. This insult was indicative of them having no respect for the Lord's servant. Elisha called down a curse on them in the Lord's name and two bears came down and mauled many of them. We may find this reaction rather harsh, but in truth it is no less than they deserved.
Then in chapter 3 we return to the behaviour of a king. Joram was evil, but not as bad as Ahab had been. However, he "clung to the sins of Jeroboam", this related to consecrating priests at the high places.
As we read right at the start of the book, Moab rebelled against Israel. Israel called on Jehoshaphat to help them fight and Jehoshaphat agreed. Initially their strategy was not going well. Joram thought the Lord had just led them to disaster. Jehoshaphat was a more godly man and his response was to seek the Lord. Whatever happens to us we should always seek out the Lord.
Elisha is reluctant for help them, but does so only because of the presence of Jehoshaphat, a godly man.  He called on a harpist to help him prophecy. The combining and music and prophecy is actually a Biblical practice.
The Lord responded miraculously, both providing water for the troops and throwing the Moabites into confusion.
Finally we see the evil of the Moabites in the king offering his firstborn son as a sacrifice, this would be to Chemosh.

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