Who is this man Elisha? Part 3

Elisha's story continues in 2 Kings 3

So the king of Judah, Israel, and Edom join forces against the shepherd king of Moab, they decide to take the route through the desert to confront the Moabite king who refuses to pay tribute to the son king they way he did to the father king. The entourage wanders around for 7 days and they run out of water which seems a little odd for kings from an area full of deserts. Maybe it just confirms what the Moabite king realized - that the younger wasn't the leader his father had been.

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, asks if there is a prophet nearby that they can inquire of. An officer of the king of Israel suggests Elisha who " . . . used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."So Jehoshaphat acknowledges that "The Word of the Lord is with him," and the three kings ride off to find him.

from 2 Kings 3: 13- 27 (NIV)

Elisha says to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother."

The king of Israel [Ahab's son] answers, "...it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab."

Elisha says, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. ¹⁵ But now bring me a harpist." [does it make you think of King David?] Elisha has principles.

He delivers the Word of the Lord. "While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha ¹⁶ and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. ¹⁷ For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. ¹⁸ This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. ¹⁹ You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."Water again. Land again. And the King that the Kings came for.

God did what He said He would do. He confirmed the Word He spoke to Elisha.

And you can read about the battle and how God did what he said He would do. And how the Moabite king sacrifices his firstborn-next-in-line-for-king son. Or not.