2 Kings 9:1-37
Q.1. Why did the captains of the army of Israel make Jehu king? What was Jehu’s brief from the Lord? – (2 Kgs.9:1-13)
God told Elisha the prophet that one of his disciples (sons of the prophets) was to anoint the Captain of the army to be the next king of Israel (2 Kgs.9:1-3). God declared that He had a special mission for Jehu – 7 You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. 9 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 (2 Kgs.9:7-9). The wicked Queen Jezebel would die violently and without burial (2 Kgs.9:10). Upon finding out, his men declared – Jehu is king! (2 Kgs.9:13).
Q.2. How did King Joram’s watchmen recognize Jehu? What was in Jehu’s mind when he slew Joram? – (2 Kgs.9:14-26)
Jehu shared his battle plan with his army chiefs and then immediately went to kill King Joram. Jehu was a powerful leader. All, including Joram’s servants, fell in behind him to do his bidding (2 Kgs.9:14-16). The watchman didn’t take long to recognize who was speeding towards them in his chariot – the driving is like the driving of Jehu … for he drives like a maniac (2 Kgs.9:20). The way he drove was an expression of the man’s character. Joram quickly realized that treason was on Jehu’s mind. His escape was cut short by an arrow, but not before he heard this edict – What peace is there, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? (2 Kgs.9:22). As they carried the body of Joram to the field of Naboth (that Ahab & Jezebel had confiscated from this righteous martyr), Jehu recalled – 25 … I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that the Lord laid this oracle against him: 26 Surely, I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the Lord,and I will repay you in this property,’ says the Lord. Now then, take his body and cast him into the property, according to the word of the Lord’ (2 Kgs.9:25-26 c.f. 1 Kgs.21:1-24).
Q.3. Was Jezebel’s evil reputation justified? How was the prophecy of Elijah accurately fulfilled? – (2 Kgs.9:30-37)
Jezebel has gone down in history as the epitome of evil. She was the daughter of the king of the seafaring Sidonians, who had embraced the degraded practices of all the places where they traded. Jezebel encouraged the false worship of Baal and the Asherah (c.f. 1 Kgs.16:31-33), supported eight hundred and fifty phony prophets at her table (c.f. 1 Kgs.18:19), and had countless prophets of the Lord murdered (c.f. 1 Kgs.18:4, 13). She also schemed to murder Naboth and claim his family inheritance for Ahab, by setting up false witnesses (c.f. 1 Kgs 21:1-14). Apart from damning Ahab’s descendants, Elijah also foretold – the dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel (1Kgs.21:23). Even in her old age she was a vain woman. However, the leaders of Jezreel happily threw her from the tower. By the time they went to bury her – they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hand (2 Kgs.9:35). Jehu responded to the news – 36 … This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel’, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.” (2 Kgs.9:36-37). Unfortunately, the sins of Jezebel would be harder to eradicate.