The Sustaining Power of God In the Desert
Hope In the Midst of Desperation
The Desert as a Place of Desperation
"'By what route shall we attack?' he asked. 'Through the Desert of Edom,' he answered." - 2 Kings 3:8 (NIV)
There is a certain hard-wired response we have for moments of desperation: We cry out for help. This truth is seen both throughout biblical history and the experience of our own lives.
The Biblical Pattern: Desert and Deliverance
As we read Scripture, we will see this theme of desperation repeated by the Israelites. The people of God often found themselves desperate for the provision and deliverance of the Lord, especially in the desert or wilderness.
The desert and deliverance theme is repeated throughout Scripture and displays the faithfulness of God. Here are three examples:
God leads His people out of their desert wandering (Exodus 15-17) and into the Promised Land.
Jesus experiences temptation in the desert over a period of 40 days and remains faithful. (Luke 4:1-13)
Even Jesus feeding the multitude in the desert is another example of provision. (Mark 8:1-10)
Our reading today focuses on another one of these desperate desert situations. The kings of Israel, Judah and Edom had formed an alliance to deal with a rebellion. As they looked at their battle plan, they determined the best route was through the desert of Edom. Clearly these kings would have known the danger of desert travel, yet they believed it to be the best route.
Ultimately, they found themselves in a desperate situation. They had run out of water and Jehoram, the king of Israel, cried out:
"Has the LORD called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?"
In response to this, the king of Judah questions, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" (2 Kings 3:10-11).
Two Important Truths
Once again we see a desperate situation eliciting a direct cry for help from the Lord. This chapter teaches us two very important truths.
First, God is faithful to respond and react to the cries of His people even in the midst of their desert experience. The prophet Elisha entertains their request solely because he respects Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Clearly, Elisha was aware of the king's faithfulness. (1 Kings 22:43a)
Second, we don't have to wait until things get desperate to cry out to the Lord. 2 Kings 3 is almost a parallel story with what took place in 1 Kings 22. Except in 1 Kings 22, rather than charging into battle, Jehoshaphat consulted the Lord first. (1 Kings 22:5) Instead of finding himself in a desperate situation, Jehoshaphat is divinely protected and survives the fight.
Our Modern Desert Experiences
We may find ourselves in a very similar situation. We have made our own plans with our own human reasoning and rationale only to lead ourselves into the very desert that ensnares us. Instead of relying on human wisdom that leads to destruction, we can turn to the Lord for His wisdom and be guided by His purposes for our lives. While we may not always be spared the desert experience, we can be confident God is pleased with our faithfulness.
As we process through our lives, we can learn an important lesson from these three kings and their experiences hundreds of years ago. God is faithful and provides for His people in the midst of their desperate desert circumstances. God is also faithful and readily available prior to devastating circumstances. In fact, His presence, now given to us in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit, is our helper and leads us into all truth. (John 16:13-15) We no longer have to wait for a prophet of the Lord, because the Spirit of the Lord dwells within each believer.
Deeper Dive: The Consequences of Unrepentant Sin
If we read 2 Kings 3 closely, we see some things that may seem out of place. For example, up until this chapter, we've been going through the story of Elijah and Elisha, but in 2 Kings 3, that story is interrupted with what happens to these kings. Also, if you were reading Elisha's prophecy closely you noticed he said the order of events would be cities, trees, springs and fields. However, the actual sequence of events was cities, fields, springs and trees. Why would Elisha prophecy in one order when it actually happened differently? Why are these odd details present in this chapter?
Each one of these details has specific purpose. First, the reintroduction of the kings connects Jehoram to his wicked father, Ahab. Second Kings 3 is a fulfillment of the punishment of Ahab's house. The contrast of the wicked king to a king who does good in the sight of the Lord (Jehoshaphat) is an important distinction that plays itself out at the very end of this chapter.
Second, Elisha's prophecy coming to fulfillment out of order helps us to see another unexpected ending to this chapter. While the word of the Lord is fulfilled and the three kings achieve victory against Moab, their victory is partial. God will still enforce His justice for unrepentant sin, and as Jehoram has followed in the wicked ways of his father Ahab, that punishment would include him. Jehoram and Israel are unable to capture the city of Kir-hareseth, and in a stunning reversal, withdraw from the battle and return to their land. This setback would ultimately be the catalyst for a future defeat.
Seeped into small details within this chapter is the grave reality that unrepentant sin will have consequences.
The peace we long for begins with coming to the end of ourselves.
There are inescapable aspects of life we are all marked by. We have less control than we want, more anxiety than we're comfortable with and just enough insecurity to continually remind us of our shortcomings. To experience these things is to be human. We aren't superheroes and invincibility isn't an option.
But humility is.
Overcome the fear of being "found out" or looking like a fraud by realizing God's intent for shortcomings and weaknesses.
Walk through hurtful situations in the most God-honoring way by gaining a true understanding of biblical humility.
Answer the question "why do bad things happen to good people?" by learning a perspective shift that will change how you process suffering.
Know confidently that you're living with purpose and being used by God through seven ways to practically live like Him today.
Be led by the biblical definition of self-awareness so you can experience the unexpected ways it brings safety and security to your life.
Stop believing the lie that theology is out of touch or too difficult to comprehend as Joel shows you how to dig into scripture and study it yourself.
Weakness is not your enemy. Planted in the soil of humility, weakness becomes a means to gaining more strength and more peace.