Victory came when the grain offering was given (v 20), a picture of our being living sacrifices to God.
Here’s the scene. Three kings have led their own troops into a trap. They’re in a desert with no water! Clearly, it’s always a bad idea to leave God out of the planning stage. Now, belatedly, Jehoshaphat has insisted they check in with Elisha. What is God’s solution for overcoming dryness? First, humble yourself. Get down off your high horses, fellows. And then pull out the shovels and “make this valley full of ditches” (2 Ki 3:16). This isn’t to uncover ground water; it is simply being honest, exposing the desperate need. Third, if you trust God, He will prove Himself trustworthy: “that valley shall be filled with water,…And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand” (vv 17- 18). This would not be a small skirmish. “You shall attack every fortified city and every choice city” (v 19). God provides total victory over our enemies. So what happened next? This is amazing! The water God provided to them in their weakness became the weapon that defeated the foe. Here’s the story. “Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water” (v 20). This region is known for its red rock (Edom means “red”). The Moabites “rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood” (v 22). Their conclusion? The three kings had fallen out and killed each other. So they rushed down to gather the spoil, right into an ambush! In desperation, the king of Moab actually sacrificed his son (v 27) to turn the tide of the war, but only one Son brings victory by shedding His own blood. That’s what puts us on the winning side today.