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These past two Saturdays, we've been looking at important lessons from 2 Kings 3. We saw that if we wish to have God's guidance, we must be fully committed to Him. We also learned that even though the requests we make of God may reflect selfish intentions, and may even be insignificant in God's eyes, He is faithful to answer those requests. But in order to build our faith in His mighty power and to help us understand the bigger picture, He often will grant us bigger things as well. Why not just ask for the bigger things from the beginning?
Once again we invite you to read 2 Kings 3 in its entirety; and though there are potentially many other important lessons to be learned, this final part of "The Moabite Insurrection" mini-series will focus on just one...
Let's remember that God did promise victory over the rebelling Moabites, and as we read through 2 Kings 3:21-27, we see that God was faithful to His promise. The first thing God used in Israel's favor was actually the trenches that the army had dug the day before! God filled them with water, and the reflection of the rising sun made them look, in the eyes of the Moabites, like they were filled with blood! "Then they got up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. So they said, 'This is blood; the kings must have fought each other, and they have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoils!'” (Vs. 22,23 NASB). Imagine their surprise that when they, "...came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled from them; and the Israelites invaded the land, killing the Moabites." (Vs. 24 NASB)!
God was indeed true to His word through the prophet Elisha! God brought victory over the Moabite insurrection! "So they destroyed the cities; and each one threw a stone on every plot of good land and filled it. So they stopped up every spring of water and cut down every good tree, until in Kir-hareseth only they left its stones; however, the rock slingers surrounded it and struck it. When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not." (Vs 25, 26 NASB).
Unfortunately, however, things didn't continue to go well...
Seeing the writing on the wall for his country, the king of Moab decided to take matters into his own hands: "Then the king of Moab took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall." (Vs 27a NASB).
Why would he do such a thing?
Child offerings were a fairly common thing among the original inhabitants of Canaan, and Israel had been warned multiple times against such barbaric practice, for it was seen as an "abomination" to the Lord (See Deuteronomy 12:31, 18:10, 2 Kings 17:17, etc.). The interesting thing, however, was that the Moabite king actually achieved his desire purpose! "And great anger came upon Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land." (2 Kings 3:27b NASB)!
Wait. The people knew that child sacrifices were an abomination to the Lord. They also knew that the Lord is far stronger than the gods the Moabite king was serving when he sacrificed his own son. Why would Israel have, "...departed from him and returned to their own land."? And what was this "Great anger" that came upon them?
Let's remember that this was the army of the idol-worshipping Israel that got angry and returned. We actually aren't told where the armies of Judah and Edom were at this time. Had Israel already forgotten that God had promised, through the prophet Elisha, that they would win the battle? Could it be that their faith in God was so weak that they actually believed that there was power in this sacrifice that would nullify God's promise of victory?
Whether there was any demonic power released with the sacrifice or not is not actually the point here. The point is that the people believed there was power released that would render God's promised victory invalid! Their lack of Faith in the God of Heaven caused them to stop the battle before the insurrection was brought to an end!
What lie of the devil are you believing? Is your lack of faith in the God of Heaven causing you to back out of the fight before the batter is won? Are you missing out on the promise of God because of these lies?
Our lack of faith has consequences! Don't let your weak faith make you fall into the devil's traps! Let's recognize the devil's lies for what they are, and instead of turning and running at the first sign of conflict, let's: "...run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith..." (Hebrews 12:1b, 2a NASB). Let's remember that God is greater than anything the devil can throw our way, and He has already defeated the devil: "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4 NASB). Let's put our faith instead in the God who has already defeated the devil!
This is the final part of "The Moabite Insurrection" mini-series. If you have missed one of the earlier parts, you can find it by clicking here. God bless you as you let your faith overcome the lies of the devil!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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