Ditches In Dry Places (2 Kin. 3:4-20) (Part 1)

Background:

• Jehoram is the King of Israel (10 northern tribes).
• Jehoshaphat is the King of Judah (2 southern tribes – Judah and Benjamin)
• Mesha is the King of Moab (neighboring territory).
• The King of Edom was a “puppet,” installed by Jehoshaphat.
• The reason Jehoram and Jehoshaphat took the route they did was to include the King of Edom in their expedition.

Introduction:

• Have you seen the Disney movie “Pocahontas?”
• Did things really happen that way?
• In case you're unfamiliar with the movie, this summary by Anarya Andir tells it all.
• “The story in the film: Pocahontas is the feisty daughter of a Native American Chief and is the female protagonist. At the time when ‘White Men’ search for the ‘New World’, she is put face-to-face with the dashing explorer John Smith, and they fall in love. What ensues is a war between the ‘pale faces’ and the Red Indians, but the love of Pocahontas and John Smith makes both sides realize that war is not the answer. In the end, John Smith goes back to England and Pocahontas remains with her people and retains her cultural identity.”¹
• Nice story, but that's not really how it happened.
• “What the real story is: Pocahontas surely was the daughter of a Native American Chief. She met John Smith when she was ten (according to Smith’s accounts). However, recorded history never suggests that they were lovers. John Smith had mentioned that she had saved him during an instance when the natives were trying to kill him, but there are various interpretations in regard to this account of his. Pocahontas later married John Rolfe (not John Smith) and went to England with him and converted to Christianity.”¹
• Would you agree with me that someone forgot to do his history homework?
• A little consultation with the history books would have gone a long way.
• This week's Bible story is about three kings who forgot to do their homework.
• They failed to consult God before embarking on a military mission.
• Their failure to do their homework by consulting God nearly cost them their lives.
• The story is found in Second Kings chapter three, verses three through twenty.

1 http://manishamishra.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/animated-films-that-forgot-to-do-their-history-homework/ (Accessed 1-11-14)