July 4: 2 Kings 9-11

July 4, 2 Kings 9-11

2 Kings 9 Jehu is anointed King of Israel… Elisha told another prophet to take some oil, go to Jehu, and anoint him King of Israel, and then hurry up and leave. So the young prophet did. He came to the commander of the army, Jehu, and took him aside. He told him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel…And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.” The young prophet obeyed, and did what was called of him to do. Jehu came out to his servants, told them what had happened, and they blew the trumpet and declared him King of Israel! 

It didn't take long, and Jehu was in the process of fulfilling the prophecies. 

He was en route to Joram (King of Israel) and Ahaziah (King of Judah). They went out to meet him (they knew it was him because he drove his chariot like a crazy driver). When they approached him and inquired if this meeting was peaceful, Jehu replied “What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” That would be a no, I did not come in peace! Jehu drew his bow and arrow and shot an arrow right through the heart of Joram (Israel’s King). Then Jehu told his aide, “Take him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the Lord made this pronouncement against him: ‘As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—declares the Lord—I will repay you on this plot of ground.’ Now therefore take him up and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the Lord.” Fulfilling prophecy. Then Judah’s King, Ahaziah, saw this - he fled. Jehu pursued him and they killed him too.

Jehu is not done yet. He goes after and kills Jezebel. Her servants actually assisted in killing her. “…when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’” Prophecy fulfilled. 

Elijah had been commanded a long time ago to anoint Jehu King of Israel and had failed to do it. Elisha had finished what Elijah had failed to do. 

2 Kings 10 Which side are you on? 

Ahab had 70 sons. Jehu was to take out all the males in the house of Ahab, per God’s Word. Through military tactics of intimidation, he got all the 70 sons killed. Then he killed all the relatives of Ahaziah (who was King of Judah), sparing none of them. 

Then Jehu met up with Jehonadab (more to come on this guy later), and Jehu took him with him to see the ‘zeal he had for the Lord.’ Jehu had struck down all of them, according to the Word of the Lord. 

Jehu strikes down all who worshipped Baal. Jehu assembled all the people and said to them “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.” Jehu was being very cunning to accomplish what it was that he was called to - destroy the worshipers of Baal. He gathered all of them in the house of Baal and said, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” Do you see what he was doing? Those who worshiped Baal or were weak in their faith in God, were about to be destroyed. Jehu had every Baal worshipper and Baal prophet killed. Additionally, he “… demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.” A true insult to Baal and Glory to God. Thus, Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. Although Jehu was doing great things, “He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.” Jehu reigned for 28 years.

2 Kings 11 So, the wicked mom, Athaliah, found out that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all that was left of the royal family (hers) and reigned in his place. However, Jehoshabeath was the daughter of the King, she took Joash and hid him for 6 years. Yup - the mom was wicked alright. 

Jehoiada was a priest and he entered into a covenant with he commanders of Judah. He also gathered all the Levites from around Judah. He called an assembly and revealed that the King’s son was still alive, and that he should reign. Jehoiada was bringing back what had been lost - the law and fear of God. He reinstated Sabbath, guarding the temple, Levitical rules and the like. The Levites and all of Judah did what Jehoiada said. Then they brought the kings son, Joash and they anointed him King. When the mom, Athaliah heard the noise she cried out that this was treason. She was killed, not in the temple of course. 

Jehoiada then made a covenant between himself and all the people and the King that they should be God’s people. They agreed. They tore down the false altars, broke down the house of Baal and killed the Baal priest. The people were on the right track again…

To sum it all up:

• Has God called you to do something that you haven’t done? Get on it. It is not too late to be obedient. If God is calling you to something and you do not do it - that is sin. 
• Which side are you on?
• Are you playing the Christian game, only to have no idea that you are about to be wiped out for not fully living for God? This isn't a game, and you cannot be on both sides. Either you are fully for God or you are not.