2 Kings 3:1

2 Kings 3:1 says, Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.  After Ahab was killed, his son Jehoram began to reign in Israel, and he reigned for twelve years.  This was a fairly long time compared to some of the kings, especially since he did evil in God's sight as we will see.  Some evil rulers do stay in power longer than others. God does not always immediately remove them.  Verse two adds, And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.  Jehoram at least removed the image of Baal from being worshipped.  He removed but did not destroy the image of Baal and did not stop the worship of Baal in Israel.  He was going through cosmetic changes without a real change of heart toward worshipping God alone.  We cannot be saved by just changing what we appear to worship.  We can put away physical idols without destroying them in case we need to fall back on them later, but that will never be enough.  We must acknowledge that God alone is God and destroy any idol in our life to truly be saved.  Verse three continues, Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.  Jehoram continued to follow the sinful ways of Jeroboam who had led Israel into sin by worshipping idols, even if they weren't of Baal.  Just getting rid of one, or even some idols in our life and still worshipping others is always going to lead us away from God.  Verse four states, And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.  Mesha, the king of Moab, had given the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams during Ahab's reign.  Matthew Henry says this was a tribute, or tax, paid to Israel by Moab.  Verse five adds, But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.  After Ahab died, Mesha rebelled against Israel.  When rulers change today, other countries who have been under their authority may rebel against them.  Verse six continues, And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.  Jehoram at this time numbered Israel.  It seems the kings often wanted to count the number of people in Israel, sometimes without God directing them to.  We need to know that there are other Christians in the world, but never simply to brag about or rely on the number that there is.  Verse seven says, And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.  Jehoram went to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah and asked him for help against Moab.  We should always ask our fellow Christians for help if we need it, as long as we are following God's will.  Verse eight adds, And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.  Jehoshaphat agreed to go with him and asked which way they should go and Jehoram said by the way of the wilderness.  We aren't told that anyone consulted God about this, even though these were all a part of God's chosen people.  Unless we are following God's direction, we may be wandering around in the wilderness of sin.