Jehu 4
Jehu
He is king now. Jehu got a profound and very directive word from God, was soaked in perfumed anointing oil, supported my his fellow commanders in the army; he killed the standing king of Israel, Joram (and the king of Judah, to boot) and then killed the queen-mother, Jezebel. Not bad for a day's work. Now ... on to solidify his standing as king.
The kind of risks we will take, and the way we approach those risks speaks volumes about us. One of the things I love about Jehu...
... and I must admit, Jehu is one of my favorite kings ~ certainly my favorite king (ok, the only one I actually like) in Israel. But if I made a list of all the kings, from Israel and from Judah: from David to Zedekiah, then Jehu would be on that list -- not at the top, but up there...
. . . so one of the things I love about Jehu is the way he approaches his decisions, and the cleverness with which he carries them out. There is a word in Hebrew : `aaruwm. It means subtle, wily, crafty -- that type of wisdom that finds an amazing -- a clever -- solution. Often it is used in a negative context : it is the word used to describe the serpent in the garden in Gen 3:1. However it is really neither negative or positive ~ actually it is a neutral term that derives its connotation from the context, and therefore though it describes the serpent, it is also used throughout Proverbs to describe one who is wise and prudent :
A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
Prov 14:15
A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
Prov 12:23
The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Prov 14:18
The next two moves Jehu makes ... well ... they could only really be played out in a movie that was rated R -- R for extremely bloody violence. They are extreme and ruthless and FULL FULL FULL of 'aaruwm'.
The first move was made at the specific direction of God. Jehu wakes up the next day and calls for his secretary and says, 'Take a letter and make copies and send them to the officials of Jezreel, the elders and the guardians of all Ahab's 70 children who are in Samaria.'
"As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons, choose the best and most worthy of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne. Then fight for your master's house."
2 Kings 10:2-3
"Fight for your master's house" ? What were they to fight with? Who were they to fight with? The letter came from one of the leaders of the military. Jehu had the commanders of the army behind him. Jehu had to be well known ~ he had been a commander since the days of Ahab. It was like Jehu took their guns away. News had traveled fast -- they knew both the kings of Israel and Judah were dead. They threw their hands up in immediate surrender:
"We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best."
2 Kings 10:5
What Jehu 'thought best' was that these guardians slaughter all 70 of the possible heirs and send their heads to him by the next day. He wanted to see the heads and know no heir of Ahab was hidden somewhere who might rise up in later years and challenge his throne. But this was also Jehu obeying --obeying 'with extreme prejudice' -- God's command given to him by the prophet who anointed him as king. God had said,
"You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel-slave or free."
2 Kings 9:7-8
And the guardians do it! When the heads arrive, Jehu has the heads dumped out in two piles at the entrance to the city gate. Imagine the stinking, bloody gory mess! Just in case there was anyone who didn't see or hear that Jehu had himself had killed Joram, just in case there was anyone who didn't see or hear about Jezebel being thrown out of the window and then trampled by the soldiers horse and then devoured by dogs -- these bloody rotting heads would carry his message. And the next morning Jehu finalizes his take over, and delivers the final message to the city of Jezreel :
"He stood before all the people and said, 'You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.' So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
2 Kings 10:9-11
The second move is a move of strategic genius. But there seems no direct word from God motivating this decision. What motivated Jehu? Did he infer this from the word from the prophet? Or had he hated Baal worship all along? In the first move -- destroying the house of Ahab -- Jehu took Israel. In this next move Jehu took Israel in a new direction.
Jehu sets out for Samaria -- the actual capital city. First he kills anyone in the city who was in Ahab's family. Then he calls the people together and says, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much." Wait...hasn't he been saying that everything he had done was because God told him to? Hmm,
OK! ? Then he calls for a huge sacrifice and he wants all all all the prophets of Baal to come. You can nearly hear them breathing a collective sigh of relief. He brings them all into the temple, says, 'check to see that only prophets of Baal are here -- NO prophets of YHWH.' He gives them all new robes, expensive gifts that were signs of authority. Jehu himself offers the sacrifice . . . then
"As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
2 Kings 10:25-27
There is no direct word, as there was to totally destroy the house of Ahab, given to Jehu to wipe out the prophets of Baal and totally destroy Baal worship. Jehu didn't have to be told that this is what God would want. Jehu had been there when Elijah spoke to Ahab about Naboth. He must have been at Mt. Carmel for the contest with the prophets of Baal. He clearly hated Jezebel and called her a witch. Does this mean we FINALLY have righteous king in Israel?
Sadly, no. There is a difference between obedience to God, and relationship with God -- relationship that leads to worship. I don't really -- in the actuality of my life and experience -- understand how it is possible for someone to obey God as fully as Jehu did, but not go the next step into relationship and worship. But Jehu didn't. Here is the end of Jehu's story.
So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. (Yeah Jehu! GOOD JOB!!) However, (My stomach dropped when I read that word.) he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit-the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." (God is just, and faithful and good. God wonderfully honors Jehu's obedience...even though Jehu worships the golden calves instead of worshiping Him.) Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 10:28-31
God is fair, and just, and generous. God is GOOD. But ~ It isn't enough to do good things. God wants us to be in relationship with Him. Just like with Jeroboam...if only, if only ~
He is king now. Jehu got a profound and very directive word from God, was soaked in perfumed anointing oil, supported my his fellow commanders in the army; he killed the standing king of Israel, Joram (and the king of Judah, to boot) and then killed the queen-mother, Jezebel. Not bad for a day's work. Now ... on to solidify his standing as king.
The kind of risks we will take, and the way we approach those risks speaks volumes about us. One of the things I love about Jehu...
... and I must admit, Jehu is one of my favorite kings ~ certainly my favorite king (ok, the only one I actually like) in Israel. But if I made a list of all the kings, from Israel and from Judah: from David to Zedekiah, then Jehu would be on that list -- not at the top, but up there...
. . . so one of the things I love about Jehu is the way he approaches his decisions, and the cleverness with which he carries them out. There is a word in Hebrew : `aaruwm. It means subtle, wily, crafty -- that type of wisdom that finds an amazing -- a clever -- solution. Often it is used in a negative context : it is the word used to describe the serpent in the garden in Gen 3:1. However it is really neither negative or positive ~ actually it is a neutral term that derives its connotation from the context, and therefore though it describes the serpent, it is also used throughout Proverbs to describe one who is wise and prudent :
A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
Prov 14:15
A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
Prov 12:23
The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Prov 14:18
The next two moves Jehu makes ... well ... they could only really be played out in a movie that was rated R -- R for extremely bloody violence. They are extreme and ruthless and FULL FULL FULL of 'aaruwm'.
The first move was made at the specific direction of God. Jehu wakes up the next day and calls for his secretary and says, 'Take a letter and make copies and send them to the officials of Jezreel, the elders and the guardians of all Ahab's 70 children who are in Samaria.'
"As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons, choose the best and most worthy of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne. Then fight for your master's house."
2 Kings 10:2-3
"Fight for your master's house" ? What were they to fight with? Who were they to fight with? The letter came from one of the leaders of the military. Jehu had the commanders of the army behind him. Jehu had to be well known ~ he had been a commander since the days of Ahab. It was like Jehu took their guns away. News had traveled fast -- they knew both the kings of Israel and Judah were dead. They threw their hands up in immediate surrender:
"We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best."
2 Kings 10:5
What Jehu 'thought best' was that these guardians slaughter all 70 of the possible heirs and send their heads to him by the next day. He wanted to see the heads and know no heir of Ahab was hidden somewhere who might rise up in later years and challenge his throne. But this was also Jehu obeying --obeying 'with extreme prejudice' -- God's command given to him by the prophet who anointed him as king. God had said,
"You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel-slave or free."
2 Kings 9:7-8
And the guardians do it! When the heads arrive, Jehu has the heads dumped out in two piles at the entrance to the city gate. Imagine the stinking, bloody gory mess! Just in case there was anyone who didn't see or hear that Jehu had himself had killed Joram, just in case there was anyone who didn't see or hear about Jezebel being thrown out of the window and then trampled by the soldiers horse and then devoured by dogs -- these bloody rotting heads would carry his message. And the next morning Jehu finalizes his take over, and delivers the final message to the city of Jezreel :
"He stood before all the people and said, 'You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.' So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
2 Kings 10:9-11
The second move is a move of strategic genius. But there seems no direct word from God motivating this decision. What motivated Jehu? Did he infer this from the word from the prophet? Or had he hated Baal worship all along? In the first move -- destroying the house of Ahab -- Jehu took Israel. In this next move Jehu took Israel in a new direction.
Jehu sets out for Samaria -- the actual capital city. First he kills anyone in the city who was in Ahab's family. Then he calls the people together and says, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much." Wait...hasn't he been saying that everything he had done was because God told him to? Hmm,
OK! ? Then he calls for a huge sacrifice and he wants all all all the prophets of Baal to come. You can nearly hear them breathing a collective sigh of relief. He brings them all into the temple, says, 'check to see that only prophets of Baal are here -- NO prophets of YHWH.' He gives them all new robes, expensive gifts that were signs of authority. Jehu himself offers the sacrifice . . . then
"As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
2 Kings 10:25-27
There is no direct word, as there was to totally destroy the house of Ahab, given to Jehu to wipe out the prophets of Baal and totally destroy Baal worship. Jehu didn't have to be told that this is what God would want. Jehu had been there when Elijah spoke to Ahab about Naboth. He must have been at Mt. Carmel for the contest with the prophets of Baal. He clearly hated Jezebel and called her a witch. Does this mean we FINALLY have righteous king in Israel?
Sadly, no. There is a difference between obedience to God, and relationship with God -- relationship that leads to worship. I don't really -- in the actuality of my life and experience -- understand how it is possible for someone to obey God as fully as Jehu did, but not go the next step into relationship and worship. But Jehu didn't. Here is the end of Jehu's story.
So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. (Yeah Jehu! GOOD JOB!!) However, (My stomach dropped when I read that word.) he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit-the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." (God is just, and faithful and good. God wonderfully honors Jehu's obedience...even though Jehu worships the golden calves instead of worshiping Him.) Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
2 Kings 10:28-31
God is fair, and just, and generous. God is GOOD. But ~ It isn't enough to do good things. God wants us to be in relationship with Him. Just like with Jeroboam...if only, if only ~
The Book of Kings, with the exception of David and Solomon, is all about the personal and political power of men who would be kings. What began in Abraham and finished in Moses—entering the Promised Land—was on that train of destruction as Samuel pointed out when the nation clamored for a king like other nations. Bad went to worse when the nation split into two kingdoms and warred ever after with each other, and their neighbors. The Book of Kings after Solomon is nothing more than the telling of political intrigue with YHWH, and what sometimes seems in desperation, trying to reassert his authority. It is a story of men gone wild, bloodthirsty, power hungry, self-indulgent, brutal. God shouts and sometimes men hear, but always they hear with only one ear. I’m reminded of the saying, “Be careful of what you wish for because you just might get it.”
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