2nd Kings Chapter Eleven

 2Ki 11:1  And Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah. And when she saw that her son was dead, then she rose up and destroyed all the seed of the kingdom. 

2Ki 11:2  But Jehosheba the daughter of King Jehoram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons who were put to death, him and his nurse, in the sleeping room. And they hid him from the face of Athaliah, and he was not killed. 

2Ki 11:3  And he was with her in the house of Jehovah, hiding himself six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land. 

2Ki 11:4  And in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and called the rulers of the hundreds, with the Carites and the runners. And he brought them to him into the house of Jehovah, and cut a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of Jehovah. And he revealed the king's son to them. 

2Ki 11:5  And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do. A third of you shall go in on the sabbath for keepers of the watch of the king's house. 

2Ki 11:6  A third shall be at the Sur Gate. A third shall be at the gate behind the runners. And you shall keep the watch of the house, alternately. 

2Ki 11:7  And two parts of you, all who go out on the sabbath, they shall keep the watch of the house of Jehovah about the king. 

2Ki 11:8  And you shall fully surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And he that comes within the ranks shall be put to death. And they shall be with the king as he goes in and comes out. 

2Ki 11:9  And the rulers of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men, going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, and came in to Jehoiada the priest. 

2Ki 11:10  And the priest gave to the rulers of the hundreds King David's spears and the shields, that were in the house of Jehovah. 

2Ki 11:11  And the runners stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, beside the altar and beside the house, by the king all around. 

2Ki 11:12  And he brought out the son of the king, and put the crown on him, and the testimony. And they made him king, and anointed him, and clapped their hands, and said, Let the king live! 

2Ki 11:13  And Athaliah heard the sound of the runners of the people. And she came to the people, to the house of Jehovah. 

2Ki 11:14  And she looked, and, behold, the king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom. And the rulers and the trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land were rejoicing, and blowing with trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Treason! Treason! 

2Ki 11:15  And Jehoiada the priest commanded the commanders of the hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, Bring her out to the outside of the ranks; and he who comes after her execute her by the sword. For the priest had said, Do not let her be executed in the house of Jehovah. 

2Ki 11:16  And they laid hands on her, and she entered the way of the horse gate to the house of the king, and was executed there. 

2Ki 11:17  And Jehoiada cut a covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people to be for a people to Jehovah, and between the king and the people. 

2Ki 11:18  And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and broke it down. They completely smashed its altars and its images. And they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest set guards over the house of Jehovah. 

2Ki 11:19  And he took the commanders over the hundreds, and the Carites, and the runners, and all the people of the land. And they brought the king down from the house of Jehovah, and came by the way of the Runners' Gate to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. 

2Ki 11:20  And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And they had slain Athaliah by the sword in the king's house. 

2Ki 11:21  Joash was a son of seven years when he began to reign. 

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2Ch 23:1  And in the seventh year Jehoiada made himself strong and took the commanders of the hundreds, even Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. 

2Ch 23:2  And they went around in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chiefs of the fathers of Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 

2Ch 23:3  And all the congregation made a covenant in the house of God with the king, and he said to them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as Jehovah has spoken of the sons of David. 

2Ch 23:4  This is what you shall do: the third of you going in on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, shall be keepers of the doors; 

2Ch 23:5  and a third shall be at the king's house, and a third at the gate of the foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of Jehovah. 

2Ch 23:6  And no one shall enter the house of Jehovah except the priests and those ministering of the Levites; they may go in, for they are holy; and all the people shall keep the watch of Jehovah. 

2Ch 23:7  And the Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapon in his hand; and he who goes into the house shall be caused to die; and you be with the king in his coming in and in his going out. 

2Ch 23:8  And the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded. And every man took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, the ones who were to go out on the sabbath. For Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions. 

2Ch 23:9  And Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of the hundreds the spears, and the shields, and the bucklers that were King David's, that were in the house of God. 

2Ch 23:10  And he stationed all of the people, and each had his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, at the altar, and by the king at the house all around. 

2Ch 23:11  And they brought out the son of the king, and put the crown on him, and the testimony, and made him king; and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and cried, Let the king live! 

2Ch 23:12  And Athaliah heard the sound of the people who were running and who were praising the king; and she came to the people in the house of Jehovah, 

2Ch 23:13  and looked; and behold, the king was standing by his pillar in the entrance, and the commanders and the trumpets were by the king; and all the people of the land were rejoicing and sounding with trumpets; and the singers with instruments of song, and giving signals to praise; and Athaliah tore her garments and cried, Conspiracy! Conspiracy! 

2Ch 23:14  And Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of the hundreds, those over the army, and said to them, Bring her out from inside the ranks, and he coming after her shall be caused to die by the sword; for the priest said, Do not put her to death in the house of Jehovah. 

2Ch 23:15  And they put hands on her, and she came into the entrance of the Gate of Horses, beside the king's house, and they caused her to die there. 

2Ch 23:16  And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and between all the people, and between the king, to be a people to Jehovah; 

2Ch 23:17  and all the people went into the house of Baal and broke it down; yea, they broke down his altars and his images; and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 

2Ch 23:18  And Jehoiada put the offices of the house of Jehovah into the hand of the Levitical priests, whom David had allotted over the house of Jehovah, to offer the burnt offerings of Jehovah, as it is written in the Law of Moses; with joy, and with singing, by the hands of David. 

2Ch 23:19  And he stationed the keepers at the gates of the house of Jehovah; and the unclean could not in any way go in. 

2Ch 23:20  And he took the commanders of the hundreds, and the honorable ones, and the rulers among the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of Jehovah; and they came in through the Upper Gate to the king's house, and made the king sit on the throne of the kingdom. 

2Ch 23:21  And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And they caused Athaliah to die by the sword. 

Verses 1-3 Summary: At Ahaziah's death, his mother murders the rightful heirs to the throne so she could be queen (Athaliah). Jehosheba (Ahaziah's sister) steals away Joash, (one remaining heir) and hides him in the house of God for six years.

3. Where did Athaliah come from? Athaliah is the daughter of Ahab/Jezebel. She was part of the alliance solidified by Jehoshaphat and Ahab (arranged marriage).

NOTES: The "nurse" hidden with Joash is a wet nurse maid. He is still a baby.
Jehosheba: From H3068 and H7650; Jehovah-sworn
Joash: A form of H3060 - From H3068 and (perhaps) H784; Jehovah fired
Jehoiada: From H3068 and H3045; Jehovah-known

We should not ignore the fact that this is the first time that God's directive/promise to the house of David is usurped. God cannot be happy about this situation. As Christians, we understand the true implication of God's promise to David (fulfilled by Jesus). But in THAT time, Jesus was not on any human radar. Like Jezebel, Athaliah is elevating herself to God status.
(Not unusual for the day).

Verses 4-21, 2 Chronicles 23 Summary: Jehoiada forms a security force to protect Joash. They work in thirds and surround him with protection. Jehoiada brings out Joash and anoints him as king. The troops clap and call out "long live the king." Athaliah hears the commotion and enters the temple. She cries out treason!, for what she saw. Jehoiada orders her execution, only not within the temple. Jehoiada cuts a covenant between the people, and the king to serve Jehovah. The forces take out the Baal worship idols and kill the priest of Baal. Joash is placed on his throne. All the people rejoice!
2nd Chron. 23 Supplemental: 1-3: All of the people are in on this reveal. All the Levites are summoned.
Verse 18 seems to indicate that there was some reinstatement of Levitical priests into the temple (likely banned or limited by the previous two kings). 
"the unclean could not in any way go in."-Denotes some lax behavior concerning the temple of Jehovah.

NOTES:
Carites:Perhaps an abridged plural of H3733 in the sense of leader (of the flock); a life guardsman: - captains, Cherethites - Remember David's guards were the Cherethites and Pelethites? These were elite troops. They were more like trained secret service, and they were likely not Jewish. Is is assumed they were mercenaries, so they were not attached to an ideal or political movement. The Carites are assumed to be a similar force. What was the reasoning of this practice and how does it fit into God's plan? 

2nd Chronicles 22:11 reveals that Jehosheba is MARRIED to Jehoiada! Talk about the providence of God! Jehosheba was a child of Jehoram, an evil king. So why/how did they know what to do?  

It also tells us that the initial; hiding of Joash was in the storage room of the bedroom. The implication is that this was a hurried plan and that any time lost may have cost Joash his life.

There are certainly many things to consider here:
- It's interesting to see ALL the people rejoicing. If Jehoram, Ahaziah and Athaliah were so bad, why didn't the people just do something about it? It's easy to make this sort of observation, but really, most of us would have been in the same boat. We don't have weapons to fight an army. We have little or no real political power. We watch daily as injustices are performed in our own country. It's much more complex than a "simple revolution."

Why does Jehoiada need to cut a covenant between the king/people to be God's people? Didn't God already do this?  - True, the law and historical writings were evidence of the covenant between God and His people. The problem is that the covenant was broken! Jehoiada was not going to leave anything to chance. He was making sure everyone understood what they were doing. 

Why didn't Athaliah pursue Joash more? She did not know about him? (Doesn't seem likely) She did not consider him a threat? (Not true, he was still an heir) She was sloppy in her administration? That seems most likely. If she was looking for bodies, then someone had to fake it or suffer backlash. It's also possible that someone just told her that the child was killed and she accepted it. 

This story is God centric. Look where it all takes place, in His house. Much like how He punishes the panoply of gods in Egypt, He destroys Baal. This was a long time coming. It fulfills not only the prophecy against the house of Ahab, but reveals who IS God. Baal is a constant thorn for Israel, going back to thje wanderings.

    

2nd Kings Chapter Ten

 Ki 10:1  And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to the supporters of Ahab, saying, 

2Ki 10:2  And now when this letter comes to you, and you have with you the sons of your lord, and chariots and horses are with you, and a fortified city, and armor; 

2Ki 10:3  and you shall look out the best and the most upright of the sons of your lord, and you shall set him on the throne of his father. And you shall fight for the house of your lord. 

2Ki 10:4  And they were greatly afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings have not stood before him, and how shall we stand?

2Ki 10:5  And he who was over the house, and he over the city, and the elders, and the supporters, sent to Jehu, saying, We are your servants, and all that you say to us we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your eyes. 

2Ki 10:6  And he wrote a letter to them a second time, saying, If you are for me, and are listening to my voice, take the heads of the men, the sons of your lord, and come to me about this time tomorrow, to Jezreel. And the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who reared them. 

2Ki 10:7  And it happened, when the letter came to them, they took the sons of the king and killed them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent to him in Jezreel. 

2Ki 10:8  And the messenger came and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Make them two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning. 

2Ki 10:9  And it happened in the morning, he went out and stood, and said to all the people, You are righteous. Behold, I have conspired against my lord, and have killed him. But who struck all these? 

2Ki 10:10  Then know that nothing of the Word of Jehovah shall fall to the earth, that which Jehovah spoke against the house of Ahab. For Jehovah has done that which He spoke by the hand of His servant Elijah. 

2Ki 10:11  And Jehu killed all those left to the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and his great men, and his friends, and his priests, until he did not leave a survivor to him. 

2Ki 10:12  And he rose up and came in, and went to Samaria. He was at the shepherds' shearing house in the way. 

2Ki 10:13  And Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah the king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they said, We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to ask the welfare of the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen. 

2Ki 10:14  And he said, Capture them alive! And they captured them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, forty men. And he did not leave a man of them. 

2Ki 10:15  And he left there and found Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him, and he blessed him. And he said to him, Is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart? And Jehonadab said, It is. If it is, give your hand. And he gave his hand, and he made him come up to him into the chariot. 

2Ki 10:16  And he said, Come with me and see my zeal for Jehovah. And they made him ride in the chariot. 

2Ki 10:17  And he came to Samaria and killed all those left of Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed him, according to the Word of Jehovah that He spoke to Elijah. 

2Ki 10:18  And Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu shall serve him much. 

2Ki 10:19  And now call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Do not let a man be lacking, for I shall have a great sacrifice to Baal. Anyone who is lacking, he shall not live. And Jehu was acting with cunning in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 

2Ki 10:20  And Jehu said, Separate an assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. 

2Ki 10:21  And Jehu sent to all Israel, and all the servants of Baal came in. And there was not a man left who did not come in. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from mouth to mouth. 

2Ki 10:22  And he said to the one over the wardrobe, Bring out garments to all the servants of Baal. And he brought out the garments to them. 

2Ki 10:23  And Jehu and Jehonadab the son of Rechab went in to the house of Baal and said to the servants of Baal, Search and see that there are none of the servants of Jehovah here with you; but only the servants of Baal. 

2Ki 10:24  And they came in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. And Jehu had set for himself eighty men on the outside. And he said, The man who lets any of the men escape whom I am bringing into your hands, his life for the life of him. 

2Ki 10:25  And it happened, when he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the runners and the third officers, Go in, strike them. Do not let any man come out. And they struck them by the edge of the sword. And the runners and the third officers threw them out. And they went into the city to the house of Baal, 

2Ki 10:26  and brought out the pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. 

2Ki 10:27  And they broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it an outhouse to this day. 

2Ki 10:28  And Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. 

2Ki 10:29  Only, from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, Jehu did not turn from following them, the calves of gold at Bethel, and in Dan. 

2Ki 10:30  And Jehovah said to Jehu, Because you have done well, to do the right in my eyes, and you have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, the sons of the fourth generation shall sit for you on the throne of Israel. 

2Ki 10:31  And Jehu did not take heed to walk in the Law of Jehovah, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin. 

2Ki 10:32  In those days Jehovah began to cut off in Israel, and Hazael struck them in all the border of Israel, 

2Ki 10:33  from the Jordan eastward, the whole land of Gilead, of the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer by the Arnon River, even Gilead and Bashan. 

2Ki 10:34  And the rest of the matters of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel? 

2Ki 10:35  And Jehu lay with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And his son Jehoahaz reigned in his place. 

2Ki 10:36  And the days that Jehu reigned over Israel were twenty eight years, in Samaria. 

Verses 1-11 Summary: Jehu sends a message to Samaria telling the supporters of Ahab's house to make a new king from one of his sons and get ready to fight. They reason that two kings have already been defeated so they will surrender to Jehu. Jehu tells them to prove their loyalty by sending the heads of Ahab's sons. They do. Jehu orders the heads to be placed at the gate until morning. In the morning, Jehu makes it clear that Ahab's household "cleansing" has been by the word of God. He makes it clear that he is currently in power, noting that the sons were killed at the hands of those who once supported Ahab, and now obviously do not.

NOTES: It appears that Jehu is taking his anointing seriously. He makes it clear that he is doing God's bidding. It is also clear that he does not want all out civil war. He does not want to kill more people to maintain control. He calls the people "righteous," noting that they have nothing to do with this power struggle or anything that may seem dastardly. It looks like a mostly peaceful (limited force) coup.

Verses 12-14 Summary: Jehu heads to Samaria. He is at the shearing house. He meets Ahaziah's brothers. They were going to Samaria to check on the welfare of the king's (Ahab) sons. Jehu has them executed (40 in all).

NOTES: Never mind my first thoughts in the previous notes. Let's not forget, these are David's descendants. We are told in Chronicles that the execution of Ahaziah was from God. This action against the house of David was not part of God's plan.

Verses 15-17 Summary: Jehu meets Jehonadab and takes him up into his chariot. They ride to Samaria and Jehu finishes off whoever is left in Ahab's house.

1. Later in Jeremiah 35, the descendants of Jonadab will be commended. What are they commended for? These were asked to drink wine in the temple and they refused. The directive to not drink wine and live a nomadic life was issued by Jonadab and the Rechabites did not falter in their faith to these directives. 1Chro. 2:55 alludes to the heritage of these families. They were Kenites of the Levitical tribe. Abstaining from wine was part of a Nazarite vow, dedicating one's life to God (sometimes the duration was limited). The Rechabites are historically worshipers of Yaweh.
Their tenacity to stay loyal to their vowed lives does not go unnoticed. In Jeremiah God says "Jonadab, the son of Rechab, shall not have a man cut off from standing before Me all the days."
This loyalty was part of a contrastive judgment against Judah.  

Verses 18-28 Summary: Jehu declares that he will worship Baal even more that Ahab. He asks for every Baal worshiper and official to come to the house of Baal to worship. He did this to set a trap. Once they were all there, he had set eighty men waiting to destroy them. After they were wiped out, they destroyed the temple of Baal. 

Note: How do we reconcile what was written about Jehoram?: 2Ki 3:2  And he did that which was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; only not like his father and his mother. For he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
In my initial reading, I assumed Jehoram removed Baal worship. I gave him credit for doing this even though Baal was his mother's religious god of choice. Obviously, I assumed too much. The "putting away" was simply a brief turning way, or "turning off" of the idol. We see here that it was admirable, but only half-hearted in the end. It was only a personal choice for himself most likely.

Verses 29-36 Summary: God is satisfied with Jehu's actions concerning the house of Ahab. Jehu is promised four generations on the throne for Israel. Unfortunately, Jehu continues with the idol worship set up by Jeroboam. He also ignores the Law of Moses. The Syrians continue to chip away at Israel throughout all their territory. Jehu reigns twenty-eight years and his son Jehoahaz succeeds him

2. Though it appears that Jehu had done well in destroying all the house of Ahab, Hosea 1:4-5 tells us God would repay the house of Jehu for the blood he shed in Jezreel. Why would God tell Jehu to kill the house of Ahab and then condemn him for following His command? First (and foremost) God is just. 
To create a clearer understanding review the word in Ho. 1:4

H6485 פָּקַד pâqad paw-kad' A primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent);

God is not going to avenge, repay or punish (for doing what he asked) in this text. He is going to "visit" the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu. Or in other words, the brutal bloodshed that finished Ahab's house, will be similar to what will happen to the house of Jehu. The end of the verse (4) supports this "and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease." It is a complete annihilation that is being prophesied. 

Was Jehu "over-zealous?"
1Ki 21:21  Behold, I shall bring evil on you, and shall take away your posterity, and cut off to Ahab him who urinates against a wall, both bond and free in Israel. --- "bond and free" denotes his slaves etc.
One big issue in my mind does reveal some possible overreach: 
2Ki 10:13  And Jehu met the brothers of Ahaziah the king of Judah, and said, Who are you? And they said, We are brothers of Ahaziah, and we are going down to ask the welfare of the sons of the king, and the sons of the queen.

Then: And he did not leave a man of them.

Killing David's descendants might have gone too far, but there is no way to know. These executions did not happen in Jezreel but at the shearing house on the way to Samaria. It's important to note that God was pleased with what Jehu did in relation to the expulsion of the house of Ahab. Without any other evidence I's say they the brothers of Ahaziah was likely overreach to a degree, but we do not see Jehovah issuing a "but" in His acceptance of Jehu's zeal. These executions, not in Jezreel, could not be part of an argument of proprietary punishment in this context.

2nd Kings Chapter Nine

 Ki 9:1  And Elisha the prophet called to one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, Gird up your loins and take this vial of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 

2Ki 9:2  And you shall go there, and you shall see there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. And you shall go in and cause him to rise up from among his brothers. And you shall bring him to an inner room. 

2Ki 9:3  And take the vial of oil and pour on his head, and say, So says Jehovah, I have anointed you as king to Israel. And you shall open the door and flee, and shall not wait. 

2Ki 9:4  And the young man went, the servant of the prophet, to Ramoth-gilead. 

2Ki 9:5  And he came in; and, behold, the army commanders were sitting. And he said, I have a word to you, O commander. And Jehu said, To which of all of us? And he said, To you, O commander. 

2Ki 9:6  And he rose up and came into the house, and poured the oil on his head, and said to him, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I have anointed you as king to the people of Jehovah, to Israel. 

2Ki 9:7  And you shall strike the house of your lord Ahab, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Jehovah from the hand of Jezebel. 

2Ki 9:8  And all the house of Ahab shall perish. Yea, I have cut off to Ahab those who urinate against the wall, both bound and free in Israel. 

2Ki 9:9  And I have given up the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 

2Ki 9:10  And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel. And there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door and fled. 

2Ki 9:11  And Jehu went out to the servants of his lord. And one said to him, Peace? Why did this madman come to you? And he said to them, You know the man, and his message. 

2Ki 9:12  And they said, A lie! Tell us now. And he said, This and this he said to me, saying, So says Jehovah, I have anointed you king over Israel. 

2Ki 9:13  And they hurried, and each man took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and blew with the ram's horn, and said, Jehu reigns! 

2Ki 9:14  And Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Jehoram. And Jehoram was keeping watch at Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel before Hazael the king of Syria. 

2Ki 9:15  And King Jehoram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds with which the Syrians had smitten him as he fought with Hazael the king of Syria. And Jehu said, If it is in your minds, do not let one leave the city to go to tell it in Jezreel. 

2Ki 9:16  And Jehu rode and went to Jezreel, for Jehoram lay there. And Ahaziah the king of Judah had gone down to see Jehoram. 

2Ki 9:17  And the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel. And he saw the troop of Jehu as he came. And he said, I see a troop. And Jehoram said, Take a rider, and send to meet them, and let him say, Peace? 

2Ki 9:18  And the rider on the horse went to meet him, and said, So says the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me. And the watchman spoke, saying, The messenger came to them, and he has not returned. 

2Ki 9:19  And he sent a second rider on a horse. And he came to them, and said, So says the king, Peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me. 

2Ki 9:20  And the watchman spoke, saying, He came to them, and he has not returned. And the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives madly. 

2Ki 9:21  And Jehoram said, Harness up! And his chariot was harnessed. And Jehoram the king of Israel and Ahaziah the king of Judah went out, each in his chariot. And they went out to meet Jehu, and found him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. 

2Ki 9:22  And it happened, when Jehoram saw Jehu, he said, Peace, Jehu? And he said, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many? 

2Ki 9:23  And Jehoram turned his hands and fled, and said to Ahaziah, Treachery, O Ahaziah! 

2Ki 9:24  And Jehu filled his hand with a bow and struck Jehoram between his arms. And the arrow went out from his heart. And he sank down in his chariot. 

2Ki 9:25  And Jehu said to his third officer, Bidkar, Take up, throw him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For, remember, you and I were riding together after his father Ahab, and Jehovah laid this burden on him: 

2Ki 9:26  Surely yesterday I have seen the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says Jehovah. And I will repay you in this portion, says Jehovah. Now, then, take him up, throw him into the portion of Naboth, according to the Word of Jehovah. 

2Ki 9:27  And Ahaziah the king of Judah saw, and he fled the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him, and said, Strike him, him also, in the chariot, in the ascent to Gur, that is, Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo and died there. 

2Ki 9:28  And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his burying place, with his fathers in the city of David. 

2Ki 9:29  And in the eleventh year of Jehoram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah reigned over Judah. 

2Ki 9:30  And Jehu came to Jezreel. And Jezebel had heard, and had painted her eyes and adorned her head, and looked down through the window. 

2Ki 9:31  And Jehu came to the gate. And she said, Was it peace to Zimri the slayer of his lord? 

2Ki 9:32  And he lifted his face to the window, and said, Who is with me? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked down to him. 

2Ki 9:33  And he said, Throw her down! And they threw her down. And some of her blood was splashed on the wall, and on the horses. And he trampled her. 

2Ki 9:34  And he came in and ate and drank, and said, Now look after this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter. 

2Ki 9:35  And they went to bury her, but did not find any of her except the skull, and the feet, and the palms of the hands. 

2Ki 9:36  And they came back and told him. And he said, It is the Word of Jehovah that He spoke by the hand of his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel, the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel. 

2Ki 9:37  And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. 

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2Ch 22:1  And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place (for all the first ones had been slain by the troop that came in with the Arabians to the battle) and Ahaziah the son of Jehoram the king of Judah reigned. 

2Ch 22:2  Ahaziah was a son of forty two years when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 

2Ch 22:3  He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do evilly. 

2Ch 22:4  And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, for his destruction. 

2Ch 22:5  He also walked in their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab the king of Israel to battle against Hazael the king of Syria, in Ramoth-gilead; and the Syrians struck Jehoram; 

2Ch 22:6  and he returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds with which they had stricken him in Ramah, when fighting with Hazael the king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram the king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he was ill. 

2Ch 22:7  Now, the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, for coming to Jehoram; and when he had come he went out with Jehoram to Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 

2Ch 22:8  And it happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the leaders of Judah, and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, the servants of Ahaziah, and killed them. 

2Ch 22:9  And he sought out Ahaziah, and they captured him (and he was hiding himself in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu, and put him to death, and buried him; for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Jehovah with all his heart. And there was none in the house of Ahaziah to retain power for the kingdom. 

Verses 1-13 Summary: Elisha sends a messenger to anoint Jehu king of Israel (by the word of Jehovah). The messenger finds Jehu with other commanders of the army (at war with Syria). The messenger speaks privately with Jehu and anoints him king. He tells Jehu that he will cut off the house of Ahab including Jezebel for her murders against God's prophets. The other commanders agree to have Jehu as their new king. Jehu goes to Jezreel where Jehoram is tending to his wounds (Ahaziah, king of Judah is there as well). 

NOTE: This section is a continuation in the immediate sense to chapter eight. Jehoram battles Syria and is wounded and goes to Jezreel to heal from his wounds. Ahaziah is mentioned to follow Jehoram there. (They have an alliance). 

What's even more interesting is that this connects 1Kings;

1Ki 19:15  And Jehovah said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you shall go in and anoint Hazael as king over Syria; 

1Ki 19:16  and you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, of Abel-meholah, as prophet in your place. 

1Ki 19:17  And it shall be, he who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill.

In chapter eight, we see Elisha tell Hazael that Hazael will succeed Ben-hadad after Ben-hadad dies.
Under Elisha's directives, we see Jehu anointed. 
Without any direct verbal/written explanation, we see Elijah's passage of his mantle to Elisha come to pass through these actions. This was God's will apparently.

It's also important to note how NAAMAN fits here. He was a great Syrian general, close to the king. His miraculous cleansing of leprosy clears the way for the king to seek out the advice of Jehovah from His choice prophet Elisha. It should be no surprise that he would seek Elisha's help. There is no formal anointing of Hazael (with oil), the word of God is more than enough.

Verses 14-26 Summary: Jehu heads to Jezreel to confront Jehoram. Jehoram is told that troops are coming. He sends messengers to find out if he comes in peace. Jehu orders the messengers to get behind him. Jehoram realizes that it is Jehu and rides out to meet him. Jehu makes it clear that he has come to kill Jehoram. Jehoram flees. Jehu kills him with an arrow. He orders Jehoram's body to be thrown into Naboths land.

NOTE: Jehu understands his mission. He is avenging the murders against God (prophets) and also Naboth. 

What do we learn from:
2Ki 9:26  Surely yesterday I have seen the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, says Jehovah..

Did Jezebel have Naboth's sons executed as well (to remove any legal claim to the land)?

Verses 27-29; 2nd Chronicles 22:1-9 Summary: Jehu kills Ahaziah king of Judah. His body is sent to Jerusalem and buried. 

Verses 30-37 Summary: Jehu approaches Jezebel's home. She looks out from an upper window. Jehu call out for help within the house to throw her out the window. They do it. Jehu tramples her (with his horse?) goes inside and eats. He orders her body to be buried. When they get their there is little left of her (unrecognizable). This fulfills the curse/prophecy against her.

Note: Zimri killed Elah and became king for seven days, after which Omri pursued him. Rather than die at the hands of Omri, Zimri torched the room he was in and died in the fire.
Jezebel knows Jehu is coming. She paints her eyes and fixes her hair. Then this question to Jehu:

"Was it peace to Zimri the slayer of his lord?"
So what's going on here?

My assumption is that she assumes power. She apparently knows that Jehu has killed Jehoram "his lord." She is going to look the part of a queen. The she insults Jehu. Zimri's "reign" was all of seven days and he died a humiliating death/suicide. She is intimating that Jehu will end the same.
It's also important to note Jehu's understanding where his power is coming from. He is doing the judicial bidding of Jehovah. This is important to see now because Jehu is really not a great faithful servant of God. He THINKS he is a user of God. That is an apparent issue with most of these kings.    

2nd Kings Chapter Eight

 2nd Kings Chapter Eight

Ki 8:1  And Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had revived, saying, Rise up and go, you and your household. And stay where you can stay, for Jehovah has called for a famine. And also, it shall come on the land seven years. 

2Ki 8:2  And the woman rose up and did according to the word of the man of God. And she and her household went and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. 

2Ki 8:3  And it happened at the end of seven years that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and went to cry to the king for her house, and for her field. 

2Ki 8:4  And the king was speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Please tell me all of the great things that Elisha has done. 

2Ki 8:5  And it happened as he was telling the king how he had revived the dead, then, behold, the woman whose son he had revived was crying to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha revived. 

2Ki 8:6  And the king asked the woman, and she told him. And the king appointed to her a certain eunuch, saying, Give back all that she has, and all the increase of the field from the day she left the land even until now. 

2Ki 8:7  And Elisha came to Damascus. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And he was told, saying, The man of God has come here. 

2Ki 8:8  And the king said to Hazael, Take a present in your hand and go to meet the man of God. And you shall seek Jehovah by him, saying, Shall I revive from this sickness? 

2Ki 8:9  And Hazael went to meet him and took a present in his hand, even of every good thing from Damascus, a burden of forty camels. And he came in and stood before him, and said, Your son Ben-hadad, the king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, Shall I revive from this sickness? 

2Ki 8:10  And Elisha said to him, Go, say to him, Living you shall live. But Jehovah has shown me that dying he shall die. 

2Ki 8:11  And he fixed his face; yea, he settled it until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. 

2Ki 8:12  And Hazael said, Why is my lord weeping? And he said, Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel. You will send their fortified places into fire and you will slay their young men with the sword. And you will dash their sucklings to pieces; and you will rip up their pregnant women. 

2Ki 8:13  And Hazael said, But what! Is your servant a dog that he should do this great thing? And Elisha said, Jehovah has shown me that you will be king over Syria. 

2Ki 8:14  And he left Elisha and came to his lord, and he said to him, What did Elisha say to you? And he said, He said to me, You shall surely recover. 

2Ki 8:15  And it happened on the next day, he took a plaited cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, and he died. And Hazael reigned in his place. 

2Ki 8:16  And in the fifth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, reigned. 

2Ki 8:17  And he was a son of thirty two years when he began his reign. And he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 

2Ki 8:18  And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for a daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of Jehovah. 

2Ki 8:19  And Jehovah was not willing to destroy Judah, for His servant David's sake, as He had said to give him a lamp to his sons forever. 

2Ki 8:20  In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and they caused a king to reign over them. 

2Ki 8:21  And Jehoram passed over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And it happened, he rose up by night and struck Edom, who had encircled him, and the commanders of the chariots. And the people fled to their tents. 

2Ki 8:22  Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 

2Ki 8:23  And the rest of the acts of Jehoram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? 

2Ki 8:24  And Jehoram lay with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his son Ahaziah began to reign in his place. 

2Ki 8:25  In the twelfth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab, the king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, began to reign. 

2Ki 8:26  Ahaziah was a son of twenty two years when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri, the king of Israel. 

2Ki 8:27  And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, like the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. 

2Ki 8:28  And he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab to battle with Hazael the king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians struck Jehoram. 

2Ki 8:29  And Jehoram the king returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds with which the Syrians had struck him in Ramah, as he fought with Hazael the king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram the king of Judah had gone down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he was sick. 

Verses 1-6 Summary: Elisha warns the Shunamite woman to leave for seven years since famine was coming. She does. When she returns, she goes before the king to beg for her property to be returned. At that moment, the king is speaking with Gehazi about Elisha. Gehazi is telling the king of the great things Elisha has done. He speaks of him raising the Shunamite's son from death. The points out the woman and her son! With this witnessing, the king restores all she had and assigns a servant to make sure it happens.

4. Is the relationship that Joram king of Israel has with Elisha different than the relationship that his father Ahab had with Elijah? Joram welcomes Elisha and his advice. It doesn't stop the king from idolatry, but at least we see God is having some impact on his life. Remember, Jehoram's brother Ahaziah sent a messenger to inquire of Baal about his well being. Elijah intercepts the messenger and prophecies Ahaziah's death BECAUSE he went to seek Baal (chapter one). Jehoram removes the Baals after this.

Note: The Shunamite is likely a widow at this point (no mention of her husband). With her story we find a woman of faith and resolute mind. Elisha had offered to speak to the king or commander for her, she refused 2kngs 4:13. In this story, we see it was a prophecy come to pass. It is assumed that Gehazi was before the king of Israel. If this was her king, she was Jewish.

Verses 7-15 Summary: The king of Syria becomes ill. He sends Hazael to Elisha to enquire of Jehovah about his condition. Elisha tells him, tell the king he will recover, but God has shown him that the king will die. Then Elisha's countenance falls and he weeps. Hazael asks why and Elisha says because Hazael will be king and he will commit murderous atrocities against Israel. Hazael refutes the accusation. Hazael returns to the king and the king dies as prophecied.

Note: What should we learn from this? A foreign king inquiring of Jehovah?! Why? It must have been somewhat obvious that when Jehovah acts, there is results, whether good or ill.
The name Hazael, (el) denotes god in a generic sense, and could be used to describe Jehovah. In this case it is not likely that Hazael is faithful to Jehovah. The kings office "Ben-hadad" was a reference to son of the god hadad. Regardless of all the insincerity of kings and their officers, God has a way of making His will known.

Verses 16-23 Summary (The reign of Jehoram over Judah): Jehoshphat's son Jehoram reigns Judah for eight years. He is influenced by Israel's idolatry since he is married to Ahab's daughter Athaliah. During his reign, Judah loses the alliance of Edom and Libnah. 

2nd Chronicles 21 (Additional facts about Jehoram): Jehoram kills his brothers and some leaders of Israel. Libnah revolted because Jehoram rejected Jehovah. He built high places,  promoted sexual sin and led the people astray. Because of all this sin, EliJAH sends word to Jehoram that the people will suffer and Jehoram himself and his house will suffer sickness and pestilence. The Philistines and Arabs pillage Jehoram. He suffers a horrible bowel disease for two years before he dies. He is buried, but "not desired" by the people, nor is he buried with his fathers.

5. How did Jehoshaphat, a good king open the door for his son Jehoram to be a bad king? (Wife?) Athaliah was evidently an influence over her husband to the point of idolatry. Her marriage to Jehoram was arranged between Ahab and Jehoshaphat. It is also notable how they share family names. The king in Israel, Jehoram, the king in Judah, Jehoram. Judah's Jehoram's son is Ahaziah (25) the same name as Ahab's son. 

NOTE: The prophet to address the king of Judah is ELIJAH! Has he not already been taken by God? Perhaps yes and or no. There are several explanations, including that events are sometimes written about out of order. Or maybe he wrote it before he ascended, or after! It is an amazing thing to consider.

6. What specifically would Jehoram have done to walk in the ways of the kings of Israel? Idolatry. The text reads "high places" and "fornication." Many of the pagan religions included all sorts of sexual debauchery in their "service." Jehovah is plain on His rejection of this type of idolatrous worship.    

Verses 24-29 Summary: Ahaziah reigns in Judah after Jehoram. He is an evil king (son of Athaliah). He teams with Israel's king Jehoram to fight Syria. Jehoram is wounded and flees to Jezreel. Ahaziah comes to se him.

NOTE: We can feel this coming to a head. God is very patient, not wanting to destroy the house of David because of His promise. What is even more interesting is that in this context, it is limited to a few lives. Under God's plan however, there were to be many changes to the "house of David" before the power of that promise was to be made manifest to mankind. God is great!

2nd Kings Chapter Seven

Verses 1 & 2 was included in the previous class study.

2Ki 7:1  And Elisha said, Hear the Word of Jehovah: So says Jehovah, About this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour will be at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 

2Ki 7:2  And the third officer on whose hand the king leaned replied to the man of God, and said, Behold, if Jehovah would make windows in the heavens, this thing might be. And he said, Behold, you shall see with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it. 

2Ki 7:3  And four men, lepers, were at the gate entrance. And they said to one another, Why should we sit here until we die? 

2Ki 7:4  If we say, We shall go into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If we sit here, then we shall die. Therefore now, come and we will fall into the camp of Syria. If they keep us alive, we shall live. And if they kill us, then we die. 

2Ki 7:5  And they rose up in the twilight to go to the Syrian camp. And they came to the edge of the Syrian camp. And, behold, there was not a man there! 

2Ki 7:6  For the Lord had caused the Syrian army to hear a sound of chariots, and a sound of horses, and a sound of a great army. And they said to one another, Behold, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites against us, and the kings of Egypt, to come against us. 

2Ki 7:7  And they rose up and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, and the camp as it was. And they fled for their life. 

2Ki 7:8  And these lepers came to the edge of the camp, and came into one tent, and ate and drank, and took up from there silver and gold and garments, and went and hid them. And they returned and went into another tent, and took from there, and went and hid them. 

2Ki 7:9  And they said to one another, We are not doing right this day. It is a day of good news, and we are keeping silent. And if we wait until the morning light, then punishment will find us. And now come and we will go and tell the house of the king. 

2Ki 7:10  And they came in and called to the gatekeeper of the city, and spoke for themselves, saying, We have come to the camp of Syria. And, behold, there is not a man there, nor voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. 

2Ki 7:11  And he called the gatekeepers, and they told the house of the king inside. 

2Ki 7:12  And the king rose up by night and said to his servants, Let me show you now that which the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are famished, and they have gone out from the camp to hide in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, then we will catch them alive and we shall come into the city. 

2Ki 7:13  And one of his servants answered and said, Let men take now five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel who have been left in it. Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel who have perished. And we will send and see. 

2Ki 7:14  And they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent after the Syrian army, saying, Go and see. 

2Ki 7:15  And they went after them to the Jordan. And, behold, all the way was full of garments and vessels that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. 

2Ki 7:16  And the people went out and plundered the Syrian camp. And it happened, a measure of fine flour sold at a shekel, and two measures of barley at a shekel, according to the Word of Jehovah. 

2Ki 7:17  And the king appointed the third officer over the gate, he on whose hand he leaned. And the people trod him down in the gate, and he died, as the man of God spoke, which he spoke when the king came down to him. 

2Ki 7:18  And it happened according to the saying of the man of God to the king, saying, Two measures of barley at a shekel, and a measure of fine flour at a shekel; this shall be at this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria. 

2Ki 7:19  And the third officer had answered the man of God, and said, And behold, if Jehovah should make windows in the heavens, it shall be according to this word. And he said, Behold, you shall see with your eyes, but you shall not eat from there. 

2Ki 7:20  And it happened to him in this way; yea, the people trampled him in the gate, and he died. 

Verses 3-11 Summary: Syria's siege drives four lepers to put their lives into the hands of the Syrian army. When they get to the camp it is empty so they start plundering the goods. They decide they need to tell the king, so they do.

3. What lesson can we learn from verse nine and the reaction of the lepers to the bounty they have found? There was a natural reaction to their good fortune. They took the chance and were rewarded. The abundance overwhelmed the wisdom of sharing this with the authorities. It took a little bit, but they eventually came around to agree to tell the king. It was however the understanding that what they were doing was selfish, and thus unjust. They had not considered their fellow citizens. There would be a cost of the injustice of enjoying plunder while others are starving.
True, it was not their first action. And maybe they just did it to avoid the penalty of sin. But we should also consider who these men were in their society. As lepers, they were unclean and destined to a painful life outcome.They were outcasts, relegated away from normal societal living. They could have very easily been bitter. Taking the goods and running off would have been another avenue of action (though not very smart), but instead, they looked to do the right thing.   

Verses 12-20 Summary: Israel's king fears that he Syrian army is setting a trap. He is convinced to send a delegation to check on the lepers' story. On the way, they find clothes and others goods left on the roadside by the fleeing army. The king is informed and the people take the plunder left behind by the Syrians. The king's third officer is put in charge of the gate. He is trampled by the people. Elisha's prophecy of "Two measures of barley at a shekel, and a measure of fine flour at a shekel" came to pass, as did the death of he king's third officer.

NOTE: Deuteronomy 13 and 18 give specific instructions for prophets and how the people are to discern whether or not a prophet is legitimate. If a prophet attempts to turn people to any other god, he is not a prophet and was to be executed. If a prophet prophecies something that does not come to pass, he is illegitimate.