Moab's last stand
MOAB’S LAST STAND
Moab stops paying Israel
King Mesha of Moab bred sheep. When King Ahab was alive and Israel was powerful, Mesha had to pay him to live in peace. Mesha gave Ahab 100,000 lambs and wool from 100,000 sheep. But Ahab was dead now. So, Mesha was done with that. He declared his independence by refusing to make those payments.Israel declares war
King Joram mustered his army, pulling fighters in from all over Israel. They marched out of Samaria. Along the way, Joram sent a message to King Jehoshaphat in Judah: “Moab’s king has rebelled. Will you join the battle with me and fight Moab?” Jehoshaphat said, “I will. We are one. My people are your people. My horses are your horses. 8Which way should we go?” Joram said, “We’ll attack from the south, from Edom’s desert.” Israel, Judah, and Edom joined forces against Moab. Armies of Israel and Judah marched around the southern tip of the Dead Sea, into Edom territory. It was a seven-day march through badland territory, with no water to drink.Israel and Judah overrun Moab cities
Israel’s coalition army overran Moab’s cities, filled the plowed fields with rocks, plugged every spring of water they found, and cut down every tree worth the trouble. Only one city remained unconquered: Kir-hareseth. Israel surrounded that town with mobile artillery: slingers firing rocks at Moab’s defenders. Moab’s king saw he was losing the city. So, he took 700 swordsmen and tried to punch through Edom’s line and scatter the enemy. He failed and had to retreat. Then he killed his oldest son, who would have succeeded him as king. He burned the body on top of the city wall as a sacrifice for everyone to see. Israel saw it, too. Angry and disgusted, they went home.For more Bible features
Jordan River cure
Jordan River cure
Jordan River cure
Seven dips underwater
An Israelite slave girl of Syria's top military commander, Naaman, said he could get cured of his skin disease if he went to Israel an asked the prophet Elisha for help. He would not happy, however, when the prophet refused to meet him, but simply told him to go dip himself in the Jordan River seven times.His mysterious skin disease
The Hebrew word describing the disease, ṣāraʽ, can refer to any serious skin disease that would make an Israelite ritually unclean, and unfit to step foot on the sacred grounds of a worship center. Skin diseases reported in the Bible may often have been what we know today as a simple rash or perhaps eczema or psoriasis. The word is often translated as leprosy, but there’s no way of knowing if Naaman had what we today call Hansen’s disease. It’s caused by bacteria that grows slowly and damages nerves, skin, and eyes. It can produce light patches on the skin. Hansen’s disease is curable today with steroids and antibiotics. Without treatment, lepers sometimes get injured and don’t treat the injury because they can’t feel the pain. Infection sets in and body parts are amputated.Naaman refuses to wash in the Jordan
Naaman left, furious. He said, “I thought he would take me seriously. Why didn’t he come out to see me and to call on the power of his God, the LORD? He should have waved his hands over the spot on my skin to cure me. But no, he’s sends me to the Jordan. I could have washed in the rivers of Damascus—the Abana or the Pharpar. They have better water than anything we’re going to find down here in Israel.” Naaman was becoming livid.He calms down and dips
His servants tried to calm him down. “Please sir, you know that if the prophet asked you to do something huge and hard, you would do it. Why not do it even more so, since he told you to do something so small and easy? Wash and get well.” So Naaman did what Elisha said. He went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times into the water. Then he came up out of the water with skin as healthy and as clear as you’d find on a young boy. (2 Kings 5:11-14)For more Bible features
Elisha brings dead boy to life
Elisha brings dead boy to life
Emergency road trip to Elisha
The prophet brings a dead boy back to life
When a woman's young son died, she got her donkey made the all-day trip from her home in Shunem to Mount Carmel to find the prophet Elisha. He returns to her home and brings the dead boy to life. She had been infertile, when Elisha predicted she would have a child.Highlights from 2 Kings 4
When the boy grew older, he went out in the fields where his father was working. He told his father, “I have a terrible headache!” The father told one of his workers, “Carry this boy back to his mother right away.” The worker carried the child back. And the boy lay on his mother's lap until about noon, when he died. The woman took the boy up to Elisha’s guest room. She lay him on the bed, closed the door, and left.The mother races to Mount Carmel
She told her husband, “Send me one of the servants. I want a donkey. I'm going to visit the holy man, then I'll be back.” Her husband said, “Why would you go there today? This isn't the Sabbath or the New Moon Festival. ” She didn’t argue. All she said was “Shalom.”... But when she reached Elisha on the mountain, she grabbed him by his feet...She told Elisha, “As sure as you and the LORD are alive, I'm not leaving here without you.” Elisha got up and they all left...Elisha brings dead boy to boy
When Elisha reached the house, he saw the child lying dead on the bed. Elisha went in the room and shut the door on the other two. He prayed to the LORD. Then he climbed onto the bed and on top of the boy. Elisha put his mouth on the boy's mouth. And he lay with his eyes above the boy's eyes and his hands on the boy's hands. The boy grew warm again.Seven sneezes and alive again
Elisha got off the bed and walked around the room a bit. Then he lay on the boy once more. The child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha called in Gehazi and said, “Bring the woman from Shunem in here.” So Gehazi called her in. When she stepped into the room, Elisha said, “Here's your boy. You can take him." The woman dropped at Elisha’s feet and bowed, with her face to the ground. Then she got up and took her son and left.For more Bible features
Elijah’s chariot of fire
Elijah's chariot of fire
Elijah's walk into the wind
Elijah didn't die, according to Bible writers. He was carried away on the wind while his colleague, Elisha, watched as "horses of fire pulling a chariot of fire charged at the men—driving between them and separating them. Then a powerful wind knocked Elijah off his feet and carried him into the sky" (2 Kings 2:11). Elisha started screaming, “Father! Father! Israel’s chariots and calvary!” (2 Kings 2:12).Experts try to explain what happened
Scholars don’t agree about how to explain what just happened. Was it a theophany—a physical expression of a spiritual or celestial event? Or was it physical and literal—horses that could toast a hotdog? Was it physical and metaphorical—lightning and a tornado or maybe an intense thunderstorm associated with a powerful dust storm? Or was it a vision of heaven’s military carrying Elijah away.Did Elijah die?
What remains of the story is the teaching that Elijah never died. Jews today set a cup of wine out for Elijah at every annual Passover meal known as a seder. Some teach that Elijah will come before the Messiah comes, as one prophet seemed to predict (Malachi 4:5). Jesus later taught that John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy (Matthew 11:14).Elisha's request
Before the windstorm, while still on the walk, Elisha asked if he could take Elijah's role as the lead prophet: “Please, let me be the one to inherit the position you’re leaving behind" (2 Kings 2:9). And that's what happened. A group of prophets in Jericho said so: “The ministry of Elijah now rests on Elisha’s shoulders” ( 2 Kings 2:15).Elisha's ministry
The Hebrew word for “ministry” is ruah, which has many meanings: breath, wind, spiritual essence of a person, spirit being. In the context of the story, the prophets seemed to recognize that Elijah’s ministry as Israel’s leading prophet had just fallen to Elijah’s apprentice, Elisha.For more Bible features
Josiah’s Battle of Megiddo
Josiah's Battle of Megiddo
Josiah's Last Stand
Battle of Megiddo
There have been scores of battles in and around Megiddo in Israel's Jezreel Valley. Judah's King Josiah—one of the few good and godly Israelite kings, according to Bible writers—died there in the Battle of Megiddo. Unnecessarily, many scholars say.Fortress guarding mountain pass
This battle took place in about 609 BC at the Megiddo fortress. That’s where a mountain pass opens into the sprawling Jezreel Valley. Neco’s army came up from the south along the Mediterranean seacoast, apparently hoping to peacefully travel through the region and then reinforce Assyrians who had been run out of their own country (2 Chronicles 35:25).Babylon runs Assyria out of the empire
Coalition forces of Babylonians and Medes, from what are now southern Iraq and Iran, overran the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, today’s Mosul, in northern Iraq. Babylonians intended to finish off the Assyrians, which happened later, in the Battle of Carchemish (605 BC).Mystery of why Josiah fought Egypt
Why Josiah decided to turn his army into a speed bump is unknown. Perhaps he felt the Babylonian team needed his support. They didn’t. Neco ran over the speed bump and continued north, where they then attempted to help Assyrians capture the city of Haran. He went home disappointed. On his way home, through Judah, he stopped to settle the score by demanding wealth and the right to pick Judah’s next king.Jaw-dropping vistas
The battle took place on the southern rim of the Jezreel Valley, also known as the Valley of Megiddo. The valley has lush landscape covered in fields of crops, orchards, and quaint villages. Famous for its historical and biblical significance, the Jezreel Valley has witnessed countless pivotal events.Layers of history under Megiddo
It is often referred to as the site of the ancient city of Megiddo, an archaeological treasure trove showcasing layers of human civilization dating back thousands of years. The valley's strategic location made it a sought-after prize for conquerors and a stage for numerous ancient battles.For more Bible features
Jezreel Valley up close
Jezreel Valley up close
Israel's best farmland and frequent war zone
Josiah died here
A 3D-style map of Jezreel Valley up close gives us a better understanding of:- Why the valley is and always has been Israel's breadbasket
- Why Napoleon called it the perfect battlefield for his kind of warfare: stand, shoot, and die.
- Why King Josiah took his stand against the Egyptian army coming from the north. Think: Spartans at Thermopile.
- Why Judah's wounded King Ahaziah fled in his chariot to the Megiddo fortress to escape Jehu's coup
AI's view of the Jezreel Valley
"THE PERFECT BATTLEFIELD"
French General Napoleon saw this valley and declared it the perfect battlefield. Perhaps so, if you want two armies charging into each other with sharp objects. There's plenty of room to work up a speedy charge. it's the largest valley in Israel. It stretches out into a triangle about 20 miles by 20 by 12 (32km by 32 by 19).Bible-time battles
It rests at the foot of the Carmel mounts in the east and the Gilboa mountains in the southwest, where Saul and three of his sons died fighting an overwhelming force of Philistines. Gideon fought off seasonal invaders who made Jezreel they're staging center for raids on farms at harvesttime. Deborah, a prophetess with more courage than the nation's general, led the Israelite army to victory over an invading chariot corps. The general wouldn't go into battle unless she came, too. She took the Israelites up the steep slopes of Mount Tabor, where chariots couldn't go. She waited for a rainstorm, which seems to have trapped the chariots stuck in the mud by a flooding Kishon River. The invading army ran away, on foot.Jaw-dropping vistas
The Jezreel Valley, also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a breathtaking expanse nestled in northern Israel. Its lush landscape is adorned with fields of vibrant crops, orchards, and quaint villages. Famous for its historical and biblical significance, the Jezreel Valley has witnessed countless pivotal events. It is often referred to as the site of the ancient city of Megiddo, an archaeological treasure trove showcasing layers of human civilization dating back thousands of years. The valley's strategic location made it a sought-after prize for conquerors and a stage for numerous ancient battles. Written part by AI Edited by MillerFor more Bible features
Jezreel insurrection
Jezreel insurrection
Chariot commander leads insurrection at Jezreel
The is what happened when one of Israel's chariot corps commanders, on a mission to crown himself king, leads an insurrection in the city of Jezreel, the king's getaway palace."At Jezreel, a guard in the city tower saw a group of people coming. He said, 'We’re about to get company.' ...
Joram said, 'Get my ride.' They brought his chariot and he rode out to meet Jehu. Judah’s King Ahaziah came, too, in his own chariot. The kings met Jehu on the property of Naboth, who lived in Greater Jezreel, outside the walls. Joram asked Jehu, 'Is it going to be peace, Jehu?' And Jehu said, 'Peace? How can there be peace when our people worship idols and practice sorcery, which your mother Jezebel brought here?'
ISRAEL’S KING SHOT IN THE HEART
Joram turned his horses around and yelled, 'Traitors, Ahaziah!' Jehu raised his bow and shot an arrow into Joram’s heart. The king collapsed in his chariot.Jehu told an officer named Bidkar, 'ump his body here on Naboth’s land. Remember back when we rode with his father Ahab, and we heard that prophecy from the LORD against him? ‘The LORD says that for the murder of Naboth and his sons, Ahab would pay for it on this plot of land.’ So, roll him out of the chariot and leave him here, since the LORD said it would happen this way.'
JUDAH’S KING SHOT DEAD
Judah’s King Ahaziah saw what Jehu did, and he raced away in the direction of Beth Haggan. Jehu followed and told his men, 'Shoot him, too!' They shot him as his chariot started to make the climb to Gur, near the town of Ibleam. Wounded, he rode to Megiddo and died there. Some of his soldiers carried his body back to Jerusalem in a chariot. His people buried him in the City of David among his ancestors.Ahab’s son Joram was in the eleventh year of his reign in Israel when Ahaziah became king of Judah." 2 Kings 9:14, 7-22, Casual English Bible
For more Bible features
Jezreel Insurrection
Three battles of Ahab
Three battles of Ahab
Three battles of Ahab
Israel's King Ahab fought three battles with Syrian King Ben-Hadad. He won two and died in the third one. In the first battle, Syrians invaded and surrounded Israel's capital city, Samaria. Then they made a bold demand and got a little cocky and very drunk. The story of Ahab's three battles starts in 1 Kings 20:WE WANT YOUR WOMEN
Syrian King Ben-hadad mobilized all the armies in his region. He combined the infantry, cavalry, and chariot corps of 32 kings of kingdom territories and towns. Then he took them to Israel’s capital city of Samaria and attacked. He sent this message to King Ahab in the city: “Your silver and gold are mine. Your prettiest wives and children are mine.” Israel’s king sent this message: “You’re the king. You’re in charge. And you’re right. I am yours and everything I have belongs to you.” Ben-hadad’s messengers came back with a reply: “Okay then, get everything ready for us—your silver and gold and your wives and children. About this time tomorrow I’ll send in my people. They’ll search your palace and the houses in town and they’ll take whatever they want.”AHAB REJECTS THE SYRIAN DEMANDS
Ahab called in Israel’s leaders in town at the time and said, “Did you see that? This guy is looking for trouble. When he ordered me to give him my gold and silver and my wives and children, I said, ‘Sure. Done.’ But that wasn’t enough. He wants to take them.” 8Israel’s leaders told Ahab, “Don’t do it. Don’t give into him.” Ahab told Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the boss, my king, ‘I serve at your pleasure. Everything I have is yours. But they need to stay here.’ The messengers took Ahab’s words back to their king. Ben-Hadad had choice words for Ahab: “When I’m done pulverizing your town, there won’t be enough of it left to give each of my soldiers a little brag bag of Samaritan dust. If there is, may the gods do worse than that to me.” Ahab fired back his response: “A man armored for battle shouldn’t brag like the battle is over.” When Ben-Hadad got that message, he was drinking in the tents with the other kings. He gave the order: “Let’s go. Prep the attack.” So the army set up to launch the attack.AHAB DEFEATS BEN-HADAD
While Syrians prepared to attack, a prophet delivered a message to Ahab. “Here’s what the LORD says: ‘Do you see that overwhelming force out there? I’m giving it all to you today. It’s my way of reminding you of who I am.’” Ahab asked, “How?” The prophet delivered God’s battleplan. “Call up the elite warriors who guard governors of the provinces. They will win the battle for you.” Ahab said, “Who will engage the enemy first?” The prophet said, “That’ll be you.” Ahab called in all 232 elite soldiers from the provinces who were guarding the assembled governors in town. He also mustered an army of 7,000 regulars. 16It was noon when Ahab led his regulars outside the city walls. Ben-Hadad was in a tent, drinking himself into a deeper drunk, and relaxing with his 32 royal allies, each one a king. Israel’s elite corps of guards stepped forward, creating a first line of attack. Ben-Hadad’s scouts saw them coming and reported back, “Men from Samaria are advancing onto our position.” Ben-Hadad said, “Take them alive. It doesn’t matter if they come in peace or come to fight.” Ahab’s army of regulars followed behind the elite warriors. Each of the elites killed the first enemy he engaged. That was all it took to scatter the Syrians into a retreat at full speed. Israel ran many of them down. Ben-Hadad managed to climb on a horse and escape, with some of the cavalry. 21Ahab’s regular army charged the Syrians and inflicted heavy casualties on the cavalry and the chariot corps. 1 Kings 20:1-21For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelKing Ahab's 3 battles with Syria
Ahab’s palace at Jezreel
Ahab's palace at Jezreel
Jezebel kills for vegetables
AHAB TRIES TO BUY A VINEYARD
Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, next to King Ahab’s getaway palace. Ahab met with Naboth and told him, “I’d like to buy your vineyard and use it to grow vegetables, since it’s so close to my palace. I’ll give you a better vineyard for it, or I’ll pay you whatever it’s worth.”AHAB DEPRESSED OVER VEGETABLES
Naboth said, “Heavens no. I can’t give you the land that has been in my family for so many generations.” Ahab went home bummed, depressed, and mad because Naboth wouldn’t give up his inherited land. The king lay in bed and sulked. He refused to eat. His wife, Jezebel, came in and said, “What’s going on here? What has you pouting like this and refusing to eat?” He said, “Oh, it’s that Naboth. I offered to buy his vineyard outright or upgrade him to a better vineyard. He wouldn’t take either offer. He said, ‘No. You can’t have my vineyard.’” Jezebel said, “Is this how a king get things done here in Israel? Get out of bed, eat, and cheer up. I’ll get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”JEZEBEL ORDERS NABOTH STONED
Jezebel wrote letters to each of Jezreel’s city leaders. She sealed the messages closed by using the king’s royal seal. She told them, “Declare a time of fasting. I don’t want anyone to eat anything until you call a meeting and seat Naboth in front of everyone. 10Seat two men across from him—men who will do whatever you say. Tell them to say this: ‘Naboth curses God and the king. We’ve heard him do it.’ Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death.” 1 Kings 21:1-10For more Bible features
Stephen M. Miller's website , The Casual English Bible, and Bible YouTube channelAhab's palace at Jezreel