Today God has given me a beautiful insight while I was on my daily meditation. It is from the book of 2Kings.3:7-27. The king of Israel Jehoram, the king of Judah Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom wanted to make war with Moabites who rebelled against king of Israel (v5). The way they travelled to make war was through the wilderness of Edom i.e. making them to attack Moab from south side (v8). After travelling a week, they and their cattle were in much need of water (v9). So they all went to Prophet Elisha with an expectation that God would show them some way in this much needed hour. So, Elisha, under the guidance of the Lord, told to make ditches in the valley of Edom, and by the time of morning sacrifice the water came from the south side and filled all the ditches that were already dug (v15,16,17). However, the army has to return back with an incomplete invasion of the Moabites, because of the Lords' anger against Jehoram for not completely putting away with the idolatry. The key word that has struck me is the word 'ditches'. The word ditches is "gëb", in hebrew, which means, ditch, well, cistern and also an other meaning beam, which is used in the construction. The word 'gëb', here has an universal meaning, 'to support' or 'which can support', because a ditch can support to handle the water and a beam can support a roof in construction. Gods' idea of bringing up a deluge by the next day morning without any wind or rain (v17) which is not at all possible in that part of area unless it rains (v20). Edom is an area of 'red stuff with reddish sandstone', which by the deluge has filled all the ditches, to which this seemed as blood to the Moabites from far off north. While the Moabites, including the young and old, who were all ready to defend themselves, by seeing the blood like water that has filled in the ditches far from north, thought off that the kings have killed one another, casually walked to plunder the dead bodies, but a sudden attack by the armies of Israel and Judah made the Moabites rush back towards their capital city Kir-haraseth (v25). This is an implication of Christ on the Cross. The Moabite King Mesha (v4) who has to pay the taxes to the king of Israel; so is satan, who has plundered our life from us from the day of our father Adam ate the forbidden fruit (v23). To our support came Christ as a beam, who can support our life (construction) from not going to hell which is our destiny. On the beam of Cross poured out all His precious blood as a morning sacrifice gave his life for us and gave back our life from second death. Poor satan as like the Moabites came for the spoil happily seeing the blood coloured water in the ditches, so also satan, seeing the blood drained Jesus on the Cross of Calvary, was dead and kept in tomb was so happy that it was his time to plunder. But as the army of the Israel and Judah made a sudden war against the Moabites so is on the third day Jesus rose from the dead defeating satan once for all, like stopping his resources, temptation (blocking up the springs and wells) taking away the generations, his crop from his hand (filled every good field with full of stones making it not useful for cultivation) and waging war on his kingdom (smote with stones by slingers on their capital walled city) (v25). Thank you Lord Jesus for your unmatched sacrifice for our sake.
Picture: Wilderness of Edom from BAS Library.
