2 Kings 9:1 – 14 “1 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”
So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.
So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, (one version says “all who urinate against a wall”) both slave and free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’ ”
Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?”
“You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
“That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!”
So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ ”
Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”
Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.
(Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.)
So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.
Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!”
“Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”
So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”
“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”
So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”
“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!”
“Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”
“How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.
And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan.
And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!”
So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
If you remember God’s instructions to Elijah on Mount Horeb, you will recall that God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as prophet in his place and to anoint Hazael as king over Syria and Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel. God promised that each of these three men would carry out God’s intents to punish the Israelites. Hazael is now king over Syria and now Elisha is delegating a young prophet to anoint Jehu, the third avenger.
Unlike some earlier prophets, this young man does his work well, singling out Jehu and requesting a private audience with him. The young prophet goes on to anoint Jehu as king of Israel, ordering him to strike down Jezebel and every male in the house of Ahab, including all of the male slaves. Once this young man has delivered his message, he escapes and runs back to Elisha, following Elisha’s instructions completely.
When the army commanders question Jehu, at first Jehu tries to make them believe that the young prophet is mad. But when the army commanders press Jehu for the truth, he admits that the prophet has anointed him as king over Israel and that he has received a commission to wipe out Ahab’s family, including the male slaves.
Remember that Joram King of Israel has been wounded and has retreated to Jezreel and that Ahaziah King of Judah is visiting Joram. Now Jehu and his men drive as fast as possible to Jezreel. When King Joram and King Ahaziah go out to meet Jehu, Jehu orders his archers to shoot them. Joram dies on the spot, and Jehu has his body dumped on the land belonging to Naboth to fulfill the word of the Lord. Presumably, dogs eat Joram’s body. Ahaziah is severely wounded and flees to Megiddo, where he dies. Ahaziah’s servants carry his body back to Jerusalem. The only reason God allows Ahaziah’s body to be buried is because of His promises to David; otherwise, dogs would eat Ahaziah’s body.
APPLICATION: Newton’s Third Law states “for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Ahab worshiped demons and stole and murdered. Now Ahab’s descendants are reaping the results just as God has prophesied. (https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion)
Galatians 6:7 -8 tells us, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
While there are many people today who want to throw out moral absolutes, it is fascinating to note that these people only want to throw out principles when it suits them. But the same people are horrified if someone else demands the same right to ignore those principles. God does not change. God is not mocked, although many people have tried. God remains sovereign, and those who violate His Law will wind up paying the price for their poor choices.
Ahab and Jezebel cut a wide swath through Israel, stealing, murdering, and doing all kinds of evil. Jezebel tried to kill Elijah on several occasions. But their reign did not last and now their descendants are about to be wiped out, all because they refused to listen to God’s prophets and repent. God continues to speak today; however, there are many who have shoved their fingers in their ears, hoping to block out the sound of God’s voice. At some point, God will simply say, “Your will be done,” and let them die in their sins without repenting.
All of us have choices. Today, will you choose to turn away from your sins and to serve God, or will you make the same bad choices that Joram and Ahaziah made?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that nothing we have done is enough for us to earn our way into heaven. Lord, forgive us our sins. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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