Who Digs the Ditch

2 Kings 3

This weekend I’m visiting some dear friends and plan to attend church with them on Sunday. Their pastor mentioned that he’ll be preaching from 2 Kings 3, focusing on the story of Elisha and the ditches. He gave a small preview of the message, saying the theme was something like: “You’ve got to dig the ditch so God can fill it with water.” 

At first glance, that sounds inspiring. But the more I sat with it, the more something stirred in me—a gentle nudge from the Spirit, reminding me of what’s already been done in Christ.

Honestly, it struck me as a bit of a Martha move.

You know what I mean—that well-meaning, earnest energy that says, “I’ve got to do something for God before He’ll move for me.” But in my journey, I’ve learned that real peace is found at the feet of Jesus like Mary—not in the striving of my hands, but in the receiving of His life birthed inside of me.

So I started pondering… What if we’ve misunderstood this story? 

What I Believe 2 Kings 3 Is Actually About

In 2 Kings 3, three kings (of Israel, Judah, and Edom) find themselves in desperate need of water as they head into battle. There’s no rain, no visible help in sight, and their troops and animals are near death in the desert. So they seek out Elisha the prophet. 

Here’s what Elisha says in verses 16–17 (NKJV):

And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’

At face value, it looks like a command: “You dig, God fills.” But is that really the full picture? 

Who Really Digs the Ditch?

The traditional view says the digging is our effort. That we need to “prepare the way” for God’s blessing.

But the gospel I know—the one revealed through Jesus—says the exact opposite:

• He is the one who prepares the way.

• He is the one who fills.

• He is the one who does the digging.

When I thought about the ditch in this story, my heart considered:

Maybe the ditch isn’t something I have to create… maybe the ditch is me.

Maybe the “ditch” is my heart—empty, dry, and incapable of producing life on its own. And maybe Jesus is the Digger, the One who hollowed out space inside me by removing my heart of stone and giving me a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

He made the space. He did the work. And then? He filled it with Living Water—His own life. ⸻ 

 A Shadow of the Gospel

I believe the entire Bible points to Jesus. So when I look at 2 Kings 3 through that lens, I don’t see a command to strive.

I see a foreshadowing of grace.

• The valley was dry — like our souls apart from Him.

• The kings couldn’t fix it — just like we couldn’t fix our sin.

• There was no rain, no signs — yet God filled the ditches anyway.

 They didn’t earn it. They didn’t cause it. They simply received what God provided.

Martha vs. Mary

This is why the Martha energy of “dig your ditch so God can bless you” doesn’t sit well with me anymore.

Jesus praised Mary for one thing:

She sat at His feet and listened. (Luke 10:39–42)

Mary wasn’t preparing a ditch for Jesus.

She was the ditch, and Jesus filled her with words of life.

 Final Thoughts

I haven’t even heard the full sermon yet, so I’m not trying to pre-judge what the pastor will say. But the Holy Spirit stirred something deep in me from just that small preview.

I don’t believe God’s power is unlocked by our striving. I believe it’s revealed in our resting—in our willingness to believe that the work is already finished in Christ.

• The ditch isn’t a task.

• It’s a picture of our emptiness.

• And grace is the miracle of being filled without earning it.

So this Sunday, whether the message is about digging or not, I’ll be sitting at Jesus’ feet—remembering the Living Water that flows freely, not because I worked for it, but because He already poured Himself out.