2 Kings 12:1-3 ESV

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.

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Nang ikapitong taon ni Jehu, nagsimulang maghari si Jehoas at siya'y naghari sa loob ng apatnapung taon sa Jerusalem. Ang pangalan ng kanyang ina ay Sibia na taga-Beer-seba. 2 Gumawa si Jehoas ng matuwid sa mga mata ng Panginoon sa lahat ng kanyang araw, sapagkat tinuruan siya ni Jehoiada na pari. 3 Gayunma'y ang mga mataas na dako ay hindi inalis; ang mga tao ay patuloy na naghandog at nagsunog ng insenso sa mga mataas na dako.

A GODLY INFLUENCE.

Jehoash [or Joash] was seven years old when he was proclaimed as the new king of Judah. He inherited a damaged kingdom because of her predecessor, her evil grandmother Athaliah. It’s unimaginable that she even killed all her grandsons except Joash. She was so obsessed to erase the royal family line. This was in no doubt the devil working in and through her. But, by God’s providence Joash was spared from her evil acts because her Aunt Jehosheba and her husband, Jehoiada the high priest, hid him.

Joash was orphaned and young when he assumed the throne. How did he rule rightly before the eyes of the Lord? It was because of Jehoiada, who nurtured him. He was instrumental in molding the life of the young king. When Joash was at the age of seven, Jehoiada crowned him before the people as the new king. And correspondingly, he ordered the killing of Athaliah. Most importantly, he rallied the people to make “a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also between the king and the people.”[2 Kings 11:17]

Jehoash had a godly nurture from a godly high priest Jehoiada. He became who he was because of his mentor. And, Jehoiada had played his role faithfully, without ulterior motives. He was in charge in the spiritual training of his nephew but did not usurp his role. In fact, he ran the show but saw to it that it was Jehoash who was recognized as the king. That is, Jehoash had to be a godly king. Like Jehoash, nobody has become a great leader by himself. It is because he is surrounded by godly people around.

What the psalmist David had declared is true, that is, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” [Psa 27:10] “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”[Psa 68:5] In the case of of the helpless Jehoash, it was Jehoiada whom God used to help him to become the king God wanted him to be.

Thus today, you and I could be a “Jehoiada” to a young Christian in order for him to grow and reach his potential in Christ. Have we realized that Christians are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”? [1 Pet 2:9] Or, we could be like “Jehoash” who need a godly mentor. Let’s be teachable under their tutelage so that we will continue to grow and behave as kings in Christ.

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2Kings 11:17-20 ESV

17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. 19 And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king's house.

17 Si Jehoiada ay nakipagtipan sa PANGINOON, sa hari, at sa mamamayan, na sila'y magiging bayan ng PANGINOON; gayundin sa pagitan ng hari at ng bayan. 18 At ang lahat ng mamamayan ng lupain ay pumunta sa bahay ni Baal, at ito'y ibinagsak. Ang kanyang mga dambana at ang kanyang mga larawan ay kanilang pinagputul-putol ng lubusan at kanilang pinatay si Matan na pari ni Baal sa harap ng mga dambana. At ang pari ay naglagay ng mga bantay sa bahay ng PANGINOON. 19 Kanyang isinama ang mga punong-kawal, ang mga Cariteo, ang mga bantay, at ang buong mamamayan ng lupain. Kanilang ibinaba ang hari mula sa bahay ng PANGINOON, at nagsidaan sa pintuang-bayan ng mga bantay patungo sa bahay ng hari. At siya'y naupo sa trono ng mga hari. 20 Kaya't ang lahat ng mamamayan ng lupain ay nagsaya. Ang lunsod ay tumahimik pagkatapos na si Atalia ay mapatay ng tabak sa bahay ng hari.

THE COVENANT

When Athaliah was killed, Jehoiada, the High Priest, had represented the people in initiating a covenant with God. They made it clear that they had committed that they shold be the people of God and submit to the kingship of the seven year old king, Joash. The seed of David had withstood and survived by the skin of the teeth. God had proven that He is in control.

How did they prove it? “All the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.” Cleansing of one’s life is the first evidence of true repentance. He who loves the flower would pull out all the weeds.

A joyous procession followed. “The priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. So all the people of the land rejoiced.” Rejoicing is a byproduct of God’s mighty exploits.

Peace was experienced. The city was quiet again. As soon as Baal worship had been practiced, there was no peace in the city. Likewise, the guilty heart won’t be able to experience peace until he confesses it before the Lord. Therefore, let’s remember that peace with and in the Lord could be experienced through His cleansing. David had expressed it, saying, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”[Psa 32:3]

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2 Kings 11:9-16 ESV

9 The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord. 11 And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. 12 Then he brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 14 And when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 15 Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was put to death.

LONG LIVE THE KING!

The six years of Athaliah’s reign was marked with vindictiveness and evil. Earlier, her son Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for she as her counselor in doing wickedly. [2 Chron 22:3 What could anyone expect from this wicked mother now reigning as the queen? Her six years as a queen, Athaliah used her influence to further establish Baal worship in Judah, installiwng priests and building altars for her idol in the very temple of the Lord (2 Kings 11:18; 2 Chronicles 24:7)

The chief priest Jehoiada, however, did an splendid job of protecting Joash, the only rightful heir left of David’s throne. At the seventh year, he and other conspirators arranged secretly the installation of Joash as the new king at the temple. Three companies of armed guards were stationed inorder to secure the ceremony within the temple precincts. There, they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!” Athaliah, having been caught offguard, came rushing in and shouting, “Treason! Treason!” It was little bit too late. The people had made up their mind to support the new king, Joash. She was dragged outside the temple to be executed there.

God may allow us to loss our battles at a certain period of time. But, there will come a time that He would manifest His glory. The celebration of the people would never be sweeter as this. The pain under a wicked queen should have made the celebration extremely significant. As the saying goes, “We won’t recognize the value of freedom until it is lost.”

Similarly, a person must experience and realize first his looseness before he could appreciate wholeheartedly his freedom in Christ. Unless a person recognizes his bankruptcy, he won’t glory in the riches he is going to receive in Christ.

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 2 Kings 11:1-3 ESV

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. 3 And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

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Nang makita ni Atalia na ina ni Ahazias, na ang kanyang anak ay patay na, siya'y tumindig at nilipol ang lahat ng binhi ng hari.

2 Ngunit kinuha ni Jehosheba, na anak na babae ni Haring Joram, na kapatid na babae ni Ahazias, si Joas na anak ni Ahazias, at lihim na kinuha siya mula sa mga anak ng hari na malapit nang patayin, at kanyang inilagay siya at ang kanyang yaya sa isang silid-tulugan. Sa gayon niya ikinubli ang bata kay Atalia, kaya't siya'y hindi napatay.

3 Siya'y nanatiling kasama niya sa loob ng anim na taon na nakatago sa bahay ng PANGINOON, samantalang si Atalia ay naghari sa lupain.

HIDDEN IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.

As soon as Ahaziah died, his mother, Athaliah ascended the throne. She became the only female monarch to sit on David’s throne. Her demeanor of wiping out the royal family reminds us of her mother Jezebel’s wickedness. But, Jehosheba, hid Joash, who was his brother Ahaziah’s son, away from Athaliah. Jehosheba, also was the wife of the high priest Jehoiada.

Definitely, Athaliah was a very evil queen. She killed her grandsons except Joash. Had she succeeded, the royal line of David would be cut off. But, God had promised that the ‘lamp of David’ will continue to shine. [2 Kings 8:19] Everything seemed uncertain but God will preserve a remnant. It’s an evocative image for us today. It’s a picture of hope. It is a promise of an eternal flame burning in the midst of turmoil and chaos in the world. The light is still on at David’s home while a people get dragged off into exile until the Messiah, the Lord Jesus was born.

Joash had lost his parents but the Lord was with him. David has said, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”[Psa 27:10] The Lord had used Jehosheba to nurse Joash in her bedroom at first. She later smuggled the baby out of the castle and brought him to the temple, where he remained hidden for six years while Queen Athaliah reigned over the land. Joash grew up securely in the temple. That is, he was secured both physically and spiritually.

There could be no better place for a boy, who will be the next king, to grow other than in the temple of God whereby he will be consciousness of the presence of God. This is our challenge today. Instead of cursing our painful past and fate, we should stay closer to God and grow in His presence.

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2 Kings 10:29-31 ESV

29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.

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29 Gayunma'y hindi humiwalay si Jehu sa mga kasalanan ni Jeroboam na anak ni Nebat, na dito'y ibinunsod niya sa pagkakasala ang Israel, samakatuwid ay ang mga guyang ginto na nasa Bethel at Dan. 30 Sinabi ng PANGINOON kay Jehu, “Sapagkat ikaw ay gumawa ng mabuti sa paggawa ng matuwid sa aking paningin, at iyong ginawa sa sambahayan ni Ahab ang ayon sa lahat ng nasa aking puso, ang iyong mga anak sa ikaapat na salinlahi ay uupo sa trono ng Israel.” 31 Ngunit si Jehu ay hindi maingat sa paglakad ng kanyang buong puso sa kautusan ng PANGINOONG Diyos ng Israel. Siya'y hindi humiwalay sa mga kasalanan ni Jeroboam, na dito'y ibinunsod niya sa pagkakasala ang Israel.

THE GOLDEN CALVES.

God had applauded Jehu for removing Baal worship in accordance to His heart. For this, He would bless his dynasty so that his sons would continue to sit on the throne of Israel until the fourth generations. Obedience results to blessings. Moses said, “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:”[Deut 28:1-2] Even Jesus had corroboarted this, saying, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”[Luke 11:28]

However, he still follow the sins of Jeroboam, that is, he worshiped and did not remove the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan. His complete obedience of removing Baal won’t absolve God’s displeasure against him for tolerating the worship of the golden calves. Evidently, for Jehu, the eradication of Baal worship was significant so much so that the sins of Jeroboam pales into significance.

How many times we hear people classify sins as big and small; mortal and venial. Like Saul, who proudly affirmed to Samuel that he obeyed the commands of God. But, he was oblivious to the bleating of the sheep. Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. In our walk with God , it’s always carefulness in our hearts. Our hearts can be either calloused or accustomed to an idol seeing it as not obnoxious before God’s eyes.

Therefore, it is necessary for us to let the Spirit search our hearts. Thus we should ask God;

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!”[Psa 139:23,24]

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2 Kings 10:18-28 ESV

18 Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. 23 Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.” 25 So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, 26 and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. 27 And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE OF BAAL

Samaria was the center of Baal cult worship. The temple of Baal was its iconic structure. King Jehu enjoined all the worshippers of Baal to come for a religious festival at the temple of Baal in Samaria. Hence, he announced, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.”

This was a trap.

Everyone came so that the place was packed from end to end with unsuspecting Baal worshipers. Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” He saw to it that no servant of the Lord will be one among in the massacre.

As they did the offering, Jehu instructed his 80 armed guards and officers to kill everyone inside, not allowing anyone to stay alive. They went into the inner room of the house of Baal, and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.

Definitely, it was an aggressive and decisive act of Jehu to eradicate Baal’s worship. In a similar way to a cancer patient, his malignant tumor must be removed completely. Otherwise, a single cell may multiply agressively inside his body. Undoubtedly, the temple of Baal was the malignant tumor that Jehu had demolished and turned into a latrine.

Should you and I are having some sin strongholds in our lives, we must take a drastic and decisive decision. Should we kill the octopus of sin, we must destroy and cut not only the tentacles but crushed the head. Thus, in our fight against sin, we must not take second chances. Sin always contaminates like a little leaven that always leavens the whole lump.

2 Kings 10:6-11,17 ESV

6 Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. 7 And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9 Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? 10 Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

17 And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke to Elijah.

THE BUCK ENDS HERE.

King Jehu’s demand for the guardians to cut off the heads of Ahab’s sons had shown how determined he was to wipe off Ahab’s clan. The guardians for having pledged to do everything for him did so. The 70 heads placed in baskets were transported to Jezreel. At the of the city gate, Jehu had displayed these heads in two heaps for people to see. What a distasteful sight for them to behold. This object lesson should ellicit fear among the people.

The next morning he stood and pronounced, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” Nobody was to be blamed except himself. It should be noted that the late U.S. Pres. Harry Truman, who placed in his office the frame that read, “The bucks end here.” Like him, he took total responsibility to the mass murder.

Jehu did all these without vaccilating fior he believed that it was in keeping with the word of God through the prophet Elijah. God’s word has the absolute authority. Jesus had said, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”[Matt 5:18] Furthermore, He strongly claimed, “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”[John 12:47,48]

Our response to the word of God should be neither be disrespect nor neglect. We must take it as it is. God’s word won’t be in vain. Isaiah said;

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”[Isa 55:10,11]

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2 Kings 10:1-6 ESV

Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3 select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.” 4 But they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.”

Jehu was in a beast mode. He killed Joram, Jezebel and Ahajiah. Upon learning that Ahab had 70 sons at Samaria, he sent letters to their guardians. He said, “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, select the best and fittest of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's house.”

But, the guardians cowered in fear. They heard about the ruthless acts of Jehu towards Kings Joram and Ahaziah. Thus they sighed, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?”

In other words they were intimidated. Hence, they wrote a letter to express their complete submission, saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.”

Fear has a crippling effect to those who are intimidated. The ten spies felt they were just tiny grasshoppers before the Anakims because of fear. But like Joshua and Caleb, we can muster courage. Why! “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”[2 Tim 1:7] Jesus does not want us to be paralyzed by fear of harm and death. He said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”[Matt 10:28] Thus, we must only fear God. And all those who fear Him has nothing else to fear.

These guardians became Jehu’s servants by fear of harm. It was their way of coping out from danger. However as Christians, we do yield to Him as servants out of reverential fear, don’t we? Jesus has given His all to me so that we also will give our all to Him. Consequently, we would serve Him joyfully as His servants.

Thus, Paul had expressed the paradox of a free slave of Christ, saying, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”[Rom 6:17,18] We obey our Master not because we have to but because we want to. Simply put, Jesus has won our hearts not by intimidation but by His compassion at the cross.

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2 Kings 9:24-26, 30-37 ESV

24 And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar 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: 26 ‘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.”

30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” 32 And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. 34 Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.” 35 But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 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, 37 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.’”

THE RETRIBUTION FROM GOD

In his pursuit to kill Ahab’s descendants, Jehu had shot the fleeing king Joram of Israel to death with an arrow. He then commanded his aide to “take him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite.” What is the significance of this? He rehearsed the pronouncement he heard from Elijah, the Lord had 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.’

Jehu, then proceeded to Jezreel in order to apprehend Jezebel. She was found dressed in a prostitute looking out of the window when three eunuchs threw her down as Jehu challenged them to do. It was a very horrible sight of her body tumbling down, blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her.

Apparently, Jehu was very determined to kill king Joram and Jezebel. And, although he claimed a prophetic justification for his actions, it was God who permitted everything to happen according to His words. What he did had allusion in to what Elijah had said, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’[1 Kings 21:19]

God’s judgment may run slowly but surely. Ahab and Jezebel couldn’t run away from God’s retribution. They couldn’t be provoking God to anger with their idolatry forever. His clan will be obliterated by the jealous God. He has warned through Moses, saying, “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.”[Ex 20:3-5]

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2 Kings 9:1-10 ESV

Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tie up your garments, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 And when you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And go in and have him rise from among his fellows, and lead him to an inner chamber. 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”

4 So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, “I have a word for you, O commander.” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.”6 So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. 7 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. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.

DO NOT LINGER.

Previously, God had charged Elijah that he should anoint Jehu as the next king over Israel. [see 1 Kings 19:6]. Jehu was the son of Jehoshaphat, whose name means “Yahweh is he.” This portrays well his future, God-given task, that is, to obliterate the house of Ahab along with the worship of Baal that pervaded the kingdom at the time.

Elijah failed to anoint him. It is left to Elisha now to fulfill it. He commanded one of his servants to do it quickly as possible at the least ideal situation. Jehu was at Ramoth-gilead having a meeting with the military council. In short, he was in a military operation. The servant managed to anoint him secretly without the knowledge of anybody. This is a classic case that God’s timing in fulfilling His words is inscrutable and unpredictable.

Certainly, the servant did the words of Elisha as he was told. He did not linger. An unnamed servant had made the difference in the kingdom of Israel because of his complete obedience to Elisha. Had he failed, there could be no Jehu to exterminate Ahab’s family and Baal worship. Likewise, we must not delay but hasten to do the will of God. As the psalmist expressed;

“ I hasten and do not delay

to keep your commandments.”[Psa 119:60]

Delayed obedience is disobedience. And, let us not forget that blessings come only to those who obey. As Jesus has said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” [John 13:17] God is looking for men and women who don’t just hear and know His words but doers of the same. As James has said, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”[Jas 1:22-25]

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