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2 Kings 7:1-2 Elijah: God Can Defeat the Enemy in Strange Ways

By Mary Fairchild

Clovermap

1581 Bunting Clover Leaf Map; Israel in the center.

2 Kings 7:1-2: Since the king had come to Elisha with the problem, Elisha announced that the problem would be solved by that time tomorrow. Notice the doubt and skepticism of the king’s right-hand man. GOD CAN DEFEAT THE ENEMY IN STRANGE WAYS. He is indeed a God of variety. He uses varied methods of victory. There is never a problem that God cannot beautifully and simply solve.

“A day of good tidings and we hold our peace” parallels the good tidings of the gospel for which the world is starving. We Christians in America should take heed to share this gospel, lest some evil befall us. Remember that the early Jerusalem Christians were persecuted because they did not scatter out and give the gospel to the surrounding areas.

WHEN WE GIVE THE GOOD TIDINGS OF THE GOSPEL, WE CAN EXPECT TO MEET WITH DOUBT AND SKEPTICISM. Usually one or two in a family must prove Christianity’s validity before the other members will follow Christ. On the mission field, often a whole tribe will turn to Christ after one or two of their members have taken their stand for Christ.

TO NOT BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD IS A GREAT INSULT TO GOD. In human relations, when we refuse to believe a person, we strike a blow at the very heart of the person’s character.  Therefore, not to believe what God has said is to strike a blow at the very character of a holy God. God considers unbelief the greatest of sins; it is the one sin that sends men to an eternal hell.

JEHU, KING IN ISRAEL: 2 Kings 9-10: Elisha, led by God, sent a young prophet to the battlefield at Ramoth-gilead to anoint an aggressive young military commander, Jehu, as the next king of Israel. Jehu began a new dynasty in Israel which replaced the house of Omri (Ahab being the most notorious king of that dynasty). Jehu’s descendants ruled for 89 years, which included five generations: Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, and Zechariah.

The time had come for God to execute His judgment on Ahab’s sin, and Jehu was His chosen instrument. “…smite the house of Ahab thy 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. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish…” (2 Kings 9:7-8). Jehu was well accepted by the people as the new king of Israel. The execution included:

1. KING JORAM: who was in Jezreel recovering from the wounds inflicted by the Syrians. With bow and arrow, Jehu slew Joram, the wicked king of Israel. Joram was buried in Naboth’s field as a reminder of God’s judgment on Ahab’s murder of Naboth.

2. AHAZIAH (the king of Judah): who was visiting Joram in Jezreel. He ran for his life, but was captured and killed. (He was Ahab’s grandson, the puppet of his wicked mother, Athaliah.)

3. JEZEBEL: who, upon hearing all the commotion, made up her face, fixed her hair, and appeared in her upper story window. When Jehu saw her in the window, he asked her attendants to throw her out the window. They did, and Jehu’s horses and chariot ran over her. Later, when Jehu suggested they bury Jezebel’s body because she was the daughter of the king of Tyre, they found only a few skeletal remains. This was a fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy, “in the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel” ( 1 Kings 21:23).

4. AHAB’S 70 SONS: who lived in Samaria (10: 1-11)

5. AHAZIAH’S RELATIVES (42 men): who were on their way to see the king (10:12-14).

Jehu spared the life of Jehonadab because he was a righteous man. This man’s godliness influenced many generations after him (Jeremiah 35:1-11). Even in the mass execution of Ahab’s descendants, God honored the righteous life of Jehonadab and spared his life. Ahaziah (king of Judah) and his descendants were included in the judgment of Ahab’s house because of Jehoshaphat’s compromise with Ahab, which resulted in Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, marrying Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah. Athaliah was Ahaziah’s mother.

Jehu destroyed organized Baal worship (10:19-28). By calling for a special sacrifice to Baal, he enlisted all the prophets and priests of Baal and brought all the worshippers together. When the house of Baal was packed with people, 60 appointed men destroyed every worshipper. Then they destroyed all the idols and burned the building; thus Baal worship ended in Israel. After destroying all of the worshippers, Jehu went to the root of the problem, which was the institution of Baal worship, and destroyed it. TO DEAL WITH SURFACE ISSUES IN OUR OWN LIVES IS NOT SUFFICIENT; WE MUST GO TO THE SOURCE OF SIN AND DEAL RUTHLESSLY WITH IT.

God commended Jehu for his obedience in annihilating Ahab’s descendants, and He promised that Jehu’s descendants would reign on the throne of Israel for four more generations. However, his royal line was cut short because he was careless in obeying the Word of God in his own life and worship, for he worshiped Jeroboam’s golden calves at Dan and Beth-el. The Lord allowed Hazael, king of Syria, to invade Israel’s coasts. Jehu is often remembered for his fast chariot driving “the driving is like the driving of Jehu….for he driveth furiously” (9:20). Jehu died after reigning 28 years and was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz.

THOUGH JEHU ZEALOUSLY OBEYED THE LORD IN THE DESTRUCION OF BAAL WORSHIP, YET HE WAS CARELESS ABOUT GOD’S DIRECTION FOR HIS OWN LIFE AND WORSHIP. Our lives will also be judged by the Word of God. Our careful attention and obedience to God will be rewarded and our carelessness will bring devastating shame when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

WORKS CITED

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