My husband and I left our house at 7.30am to get a jumpstart at a Covid testing drive through which was to open at 8.00am. It was only 10 minutes from our house so we assumed we’d be at the head of the line.
By the time we got there, the queue had already snaked around the block.
I had packed two books for emergencies like this, estimating it would only take an hour or so before we’d have our PCR tests done. In my hand, I held a slim copy of The God-Focused School by Frank Hamrick—a book I love to revisit every summer holiday. And in my bag was a cloth bound classic, John Halifax, Gentleman by Mrs Craik, a lovely vintage edition complete with yellowed pages and the scent of old ink.
So I dived in, alternating between two books and making conversation with my husband.
I knew we were in trouble when in the first half hour we’d only moved up the line four car spaces. We had a bottle of water on hand, but I resisted the urge to drink up, as there was not a single portaloo set up along the footpath.
I couldn’t imagine relieving myself by some obliging bushes. So, I determined that I’d simply fortify my bladder, squeeze surrounding musculature and keep the liquid contents of my body to myself. (Busting or not.)
Resigned to our plight, we hunkered down like tics on a dog’s back. We had aircon and music. I had my books. Hubby had his chess and war game apps on his phone, and we had each other—drippy noses and scratchy throats, persistent coughs and all. Ain’t love grand?
The experience became a fascinating sociological study on the impact of waiting in long queues. After the second hour, it wasn’t uncommon to see car doors flung open with passengers climbing outside to stretch their legs. Deep vein thrombosis is a real thing, guys.
By the third hour, I watched a car pull up beside another car. With windows rolled down, a large brown bag of takeaway was handed over—a friendly wave goodbye and the exchange was done. Now why hadn’t I thought to ring my daughter for a food drop?
Perhaps the most annoying observation was when a woman pushed in line just two cars ahead of us. We’d been in the queue for an eternity and she was behaving selfishly. Like the urine in my body, I held all of my rage deep inside. It wasn’t worth losing my temper because we’d have a Covid PCR test soon . . .
Naturally, my husband and I clucked our tongues, wagged our heads in disapproval at the queue jumper, and got on with crawling up the line.
By the fourth hour, I was beginning to feel a little faint. My stomach was roaring—I hadn’t eaten any breakfast. Hope filled my chest when I could see the white canvas tent flapping in the breeze. It was the tent which sheltered those ragged nurses, expert nasal and throat swabbers, sweltering in full-bodied Personal Protective Equipment. It was the tabernacle of testing.
Did I want to be tested? Yes. Was I tested? Yes, but not in the way you would be thinking right now.
We’d reached the four and half hour mark. A man in a high vis orange vest casually walked his way to the sixth car ahead of us, tapping the window nearest the driver’s seat.
A few brief words, and the driver pulled out of the line. The next car did the same, and so did the one after that. My heart sank.
Remember the queue jumper that was two cars in front of us? Well, she had some choice words to the poor man simply doing his job. After verbally abusing him, she sped away with tyres shrieking in protest.
So we were waved away, the gates were shut, and we missed out on having our Covid PCR tests. At least I could finally get my hands on the water bottle that was taunting me the entire time we were waiting in the line.
When I think of the word dehydration, my mind turns to the bleached bones of animals lying on desert plains, of Nat Geo clips of shriveled human carcasses and shrunken heads. And with fondness, the time hubby and I were waved away just as we were approaching the tabernacle of testing.
A dry spell
Take a look at 2 Kings 3: 17, 18, 22
Imagine being part of this military campaign, marching through the inhospitable desert of Edom for a week, only to run out of water. Natural sources to quench the thirst of both man and beast are scant. This triune army faces impending disaster of death before the clash of swords and spears has even begun—death by dehydration.
Would the Lord allow his name to be tarnished by a skeptical Israelite king who only blamed Him when things heated up?
The key characters in this narrative include:
King Jehoram of Israel (Northern tribes), son of the wicked King Ahab
King Jehoshaphat of Judah (Southern tribe)
King of Edom, allied with King Jehoshaphat
Elisha the prophet, successor to the great prophet, Elijah
King Mesha of Moab
Who instigates this war?
With the death of King Ahab in 853 B.C, King Mesha of Moab decides that it is the perfect time to break free from the yoke of Israel. His declaration of rebellion is in the form of a refusal to pay the annual payment to Israel of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.
Incensed, King Jehoram of Israel’s northern kingdom musters his soldiers to collect the payment from the rebel Moabite king. On the way, King Jehoram forms an alliance with King Jehoshaphat of the southern kingdom in Judah. Edom must join them, for it is under Judah’s control.
A roundabout route
Instead of advancing against Moab from the north, the Israelites take a long circuitous route down past the southern end of the Dead Sea through the desert of Edom with the purpose of blindsiding King Mesha. He would never suspect troops attacking from this direction.
This initiative is sound until water supplies run dry.
The pressure is too much.
King Jehoram turns to blaming God for their dire circumstances, “Alas, that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”, but King Jehoshaphat will not join in the blame game.
King Jehoshaphat wants clarity and the guidance from a prophet of the Lord.
God’s unconventional plan
The three kings pay Elisha a visit, who reserves stern and sarcastic words for evil and faithless King Jehoram.
And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, “What have I do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father (Ahab), and to the prophets of thy mother (Jezebel). 2 Kings 3:13a
Elisha is not backward in coming forward concerning these false messengers of God. Ahab and Jezebel’s prophets were mere puppets to the crown and tailored their messages to suit and their hearers.
With reluctance, Elisha only agrees to consult God on behalf of the three kings because of King Jehoshaphat’s good character.
While a musician plays on a lyre, God’s Spirit descends upon Elisha and he voices God’s plan. They must dig ditches throughout the dry valley and God would miraculously quench their thirst.
For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet the valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. 2 Kings 3:17
God’s provision – (start digging for your lives, lads)
With no rain clouds in the sky, tongues cleaving to the roofs of their mouths, animals collapsing, and men within an inch of heat stroke, the soldiers to carry out the order of digging trenches in the parched ground.
In the distance, God commands the rain to fall on the elevated regions beyond their sight. However, as they laboured down in the valley, not a single rain cloud appeared in the blue expanse above them.
Bone weary from hours of shoveling dirt, they pause in awe of the sight of life-giving water gushing down from the upper hills of Edom.
Their trenches capture the runoff in satisfying pools. Were it not for the ditches, the rushing water would have surged right past them. Again, God’s timing proves impeccable.
God’s power to deliver
. . . but wait, there’s more. God not only saves his army from dying of thirst, but He also promises something else.
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into thy hand. 2 Kings 3:18
The water God provided would save them twice. Firstly, to quench their thirst and secondly, to win the battle in a strange way.
The break of dawn calls every able-bodied Moabite soldier to arm himself by the border to fight. The sun’s rays bounce and reflect off the water in the ditches below. In the eyes of the Moabites, the valley is awash with pools of red blood. Since it had not rained in the valley they had no reason to think that it was water collected in the pits.
The optical illusion of water appearing as pools of blood directs the Moabites to conclude that their enemies have turned on each other. King against King; army against army; brother against brother.
And they said, This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. 2 Kings 3:23
When the Moabites reach the Israelite camp, the Israelites strike in a surprise ambush. They implement a campaign that cripples the Moabite economy for years to come. It is a thorough conquest.
Moabite cities are crushed, their springs are dammed up with stones, fields are ruined, and trees felled for complete agricultural destruction.
God’s Truth
God displayed His might and unconventional war stratagem to prove to His people that He is the LORD and their deliverer.
The prophetic words of the Lord are fulfilled exactly as He said they would. Rest assured, we may have confidence that God always keeps His word.
Bibliography
Henry, M. 1961, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Zondervan, Michigan.
Pfeiffer C,F. 1990, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Moody Publishers, Illinois.
The Quest Study Bible, 1994, Zondervan Publishing House, Michigan.
Tucker, R. 2013, The Biographical Bible, Baker Books, Michigan.
Walton, J. 2000, The IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament, IVP Academic, Illinois.
Keener, C.1993, The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament, IVP Academic, Illinois.
Hi Shirley, I really enjoyed reading your recent blog. I could really relate your experience of waiting in line and how frustrating that can be! I started to ponder about what you were writing about in regard to the Israelites and the Moabites. During some seasons in our lives we feel as though we are going through drought and often, like the Isralites we feel defeated. Life seems to be full of seasons, some longer than others. However, there seems to be a time and a place for everything in God’s great plan for our lives. Like the Isralites, who felt defeated, we often are trapped by the circimstances and often feel powerless. The great news is that even in our feelings of powerlessness, it leads us to a place where we can depend and draw our strength from the Lord. Today I read a verse, “He said to me, My grace is suffucuent for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness”.
I love this verse so much because often hardship and suffering brings us into a closer and more intimate relationship with our Saviour and Lord. Just like the Israelites who listened to God and eventually defeated the Moabites, we have a choice to be self-sufficient or to depend soley upon the Lord and be obedient to His will for our lives. Unfortunately, the world has tried to become their own masters of their own fate and has not responded to the voice of our Lord who is calling everyone to im my name. The more I live in the world, the more I observe how lost people have become, lacking in any type of identity or self worth. As a result, we have a broken world, full of broken and hurt people who need to know Jesus.
I was really touched and challenged by your blog, making me think about how I use my time and realising that time waiting on the Lord is not wasted time! After all time and money are the Lord’s and our lives were bought at the cost of His son. Thanks again Shirley for your wonderful thoughts and words of encouragement. As you can see, the topic really made me think about what it is that I am doing in my time to serve the Lord! Carolyn.
Thank you Carolyn for your insights. I’m so glad the article was useful to you as well. Thanks for your kinds words. Cheers, Shirls.