And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. (2 Kings 3:14)
This was a sharp rebuke, but timely and necessary. The honor of God was at stake. A wicked king of Israel was endeavoring to place upon the Lord the blame for a disaster that was chargeable directly to the king’s own folly. If Jehoshaphat were not now a participant in this enterprise, Elisha would refuse to intercede in behalf of Israel’s king. The wicked enjoy many blessings because of the presence of righteous servants of the Lord among them, but seldom is this fact recognized or acknowledged by them.
Presence of Jehoshaphat.
Judah’s king was a servant of God, “doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord” (1 Kings 22:43). It was because Jehoshaphat served the Lord that the Lord had regard for him, and this fact was now publicly acknowledged by Elisha as a prophet of the Lord.
Lord of hosts.
A term applied to Jehovah from the time of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:3, 11; 4:4; 15:2; etc.; see Vol. I, p. 173). Elisha designates himself as a servant or ambassador of Jehovah, standing before Him and speaking in His name, as had Elijah (1 Kings 17:1; 18:15).