ELISHA’S MINISTRY – ELISHA ORGANISES THE ANOINTING OF JEHU KING OF ISRAEL 2 Kings 9 and 10
SERIES – MESSAGES ON ELISHA – HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY Number 20
There are longer than normal scripture passages in this message. We will see the overthrow of the wicked empire of Ahab and Jezebel. This is PART 2 of the political moves given to Elisha from God.
2Kings 9 v 1 Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2Kings 9:2 When you arrive there, search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room.
The time had come for the cleansing of the land of Israel of the evil dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel. In the end evil will not triumph. Wickedness wins many battles but it won’t win the war. Wickedness has victories in Queensland and Victoria in Australia, and all throughout the world, but it will not win the war. Evil will continue, and may I say, in greater proportions, until the final victory at the Battle of Armageddon when all Satan’s forces meet defeat and the Lord Jesus Christ sets up His kingdom.
Elisha appointed one of his learners to go to this man called Jehu and take him into a private place.
2Kings 9 v 3 Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, I have anointed you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee and do not wait.”
There you have the strange command. It is the anointing of Jehu to be the king of Israel. Ahab’s wicked son was still the ruler but God is going to bring it all to an end. This oil was olive oil, and in Israel, the priests and kings were anointed. I don’t think prophets were. It was all connected with authority, the symbol of authority, and gives rise to the statement “the Lord’s anointed”. God anointed Jehu for kingship, not because he was good, but because God had a purpose for him.
Did you think it was strange that the young man was told to scramble out of there as fast as possible? This is the last mention we have of Elisha until his death and that will be the last message in this series. Perhaps Elisha was getting too old to be running around.
2Kings 9 v 4 so the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 2Kings 9:5 When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, O captain,” and Jehu said, “For which one of us?” and he said, “For you, O captain.”
Here is the record of the man’s meeting with Jehu and the events that followed.
2Kings 9 v 6 He arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel, 2Kings 9:7 and you shall strike the house of Ahab your master that I may avenge at the hand of Jezebel, the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD. 2Kings 9:8 The whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel, 2Kings 9:9 and 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. 2Kings 9:10 The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.
Jehu was stunned but the man shot through. What was Jehu to think of all that? Did he know this came through Elisha? He may have suspected. This is the commissioning of Jehu to be the king of Israel, but it came with a charge from the Lord. So offensive was the wickedness of Ahab that sat like a scourge all over the land, that it had to be swept away as God had to do with Jeroboam and then Baasha. It was a solemn command and responsibility for one who was not yet even king.
Verse 7 is very important. The content in verse 7 is a fixed principle with the Lord. He will always avenge the blood of His own people, be they Christians or Jews. God is an Avenger. We are not. It is not appointed for us to avenge, but to hand it all over to God, but He has the record and all persecution and death will be avenged, much of it at the great white throne. On earth the great day of vengeance is coming. Hear these verses –
Romans 12 v 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord,
Revelation 6 v 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Revelation 19 v 2 because His judgments are true and righteous, for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.”
What is the purpose of the Great Tribulation that is coming on the earth? It is twofold – the first for the wrath of God to be handed out because of unrepentant sin, and second, for the avenging of the blood of saints all through the ages. God does not always avenge here on earth, but all evil against His own will be avenged. The vengeance of God is a terrible thing, but all vengeance follows God’s declared plan of righteousness. People make their own choices regarding the salvation of God, but be warned! God will repay.
2Kings 9 v 11 Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” and he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.”
This is curious. When Jehu emerged from the privacy of the room, of course all the suspicious captains wanted to know what happened. They referred to the prophet as “this mad fellow” and Jehu answered strangely “You know very well the man and his talk.” It is not strange that the army men called the prophet “this mad fellow,” as the world’s estimation of Christians is generally low, and more and more of God’s people are becoming the rejects and the cause of mocking and abuse. What did Jehu’s reply mean?
2Kings 9 v 12 They said, “It is a lie, tell us now,” and he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” 2Kings 9:13 Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!” 2Kings 9:14 Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
The captains were not going to let this rest and then Jehu told them about his anointing. Anything could have happened with that, but they all rushed to confirm him as king, which was a subversion and plot and rebellion but sanctioned by God. What makes this even more intriguing was that these captains were engaged in battle against Hazael we heard about in the last message, and these captains were under Joram (Jehoram), Ahab’s son.
Jehu went on to kill Joram when the king was fleeing and shot him with an arrow through the heart. Jehu then said this, 2Kings 9 v 25 Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Take him up and cast him into the property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that the LORD laid this oracle against him: 2Kings 9:26 ‘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 and cast him into the property, according to the word of the LORD.”
Jehu then went for Jezebel who had painted her eyes and face and adorned herself. She was thrown down from the wall and true to Elijah’s prophecy, the dogs ate her. This is how the record goes - 2Kings 9:35 and they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 2Kings 9:36 Therefore they returned and told him, and he said, “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,
Jehu called a great assembly of the Baal leaders and worshippers so that they gathered together. This is how it all happened - 2Kings 10 v 21 Then Jehu sent throughout Israel and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And when they went into the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 2Kings 10:22 He said to the one who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal,” so he brought out garments for them. 2Kings 10:23 Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 2Kings 10:24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape shall give up his life in exchange.” 2Kings 10:25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the royal officers, “Go in, kill them. Let none come out,” and they killed them with the edge of the sword, and the guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the inner room of the house of Baal. 2Kings 10:26 They brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal, and burned them. 2Kings 10:27 They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. 2Kings 10:28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. 2Kings 10:29 However, as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, even the golden calves that . . .”
God appointed Jehu to bring about reform in Israel. He began with the abolition of the centre of Baal worship as we have just read. The priests were killed; the pillars of idolatry burnt and broken; and the centre of the Baal worship became a toilet, or more English, is lavatory, and good Aussie, it is “dunny”. It meant the place was desecrated. What Jehu began was good.
Do you know what Jehu is noted for? Well he drove his chariot furiously. He ignored speed limits. The sad thing about all this is that Jehu was true to himself, not to God. Elisha was true to God. Jehu was not. God gave Jehu his authority and ability but he was not loyal to God. Truth refused, is truth despised. Jehu could have been great if he was but humble and willing to seek God. Rather he served the abominations Jereboam set up, the sacred cows and the rebellion against the God of Israel and the associated sins.
A man may do a lot of good in the world’s eyes and the world will excuse him. However, in the sight of God, 99% good will fail you. If you transgress in one thing then you have failed the objective. That is why the Law of Moses condemned people because they had to keep the entire Law and one failure brought the Law’s condemnation on them. The better way came through the cross where sinful men and women could obtain absolute forgiveness and pardon through faith.
If you have never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, do that while it is still day because the day will close and you have missed out. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever a man (or woman) sows, that they will reap. Sowing to satisfy your flesh and desires will bring destruction, but sow to the Spirit (commit to God) and you will reap eternal life.
God bless you all. THE NEXT MESSAGE WILL BE THE FINAL ONE IN THE ELISHA SERIES.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
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[Underneath is not part of the message but it is a very good explanation of the person of Jehu and comes from the Pulpit Commentary.]
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 7. - And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master. This is plainly a command, not a prophecy. Jehu is expressly ordered by God to "smite," i.e. destroy utterly, the whole house of Ahab. This command he carried out (v 24, 33; 2 Kings 10 v 1-11); and his obedience to it obtained for him the temporal reward that his children to the fourth generation should sit on the throne of Israel (2 Kings 10 v 30). Yet still his conduct in destroying the house of Ahab is spoken of by the Prophet Hosea as a sin, and God declares, by Hosea's mouth, that he will "avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu" (Hosea 1:4). It is naturally asked - "How could Jehu's shedding this blood, at God's command and in fulfillment of his will, be a sin?" And it is rightly answered, "Because, if we do what is the will of God for any end of our own, for anything except God, we do in fact our own will, not God's.
It was not lawful for Jehu to depose and slay the king his master, except at the express command of God, who, as the supreme King, sets up and puts down earthly rulers as he wills. For any other end, and done otherwise than at God's express command, such an act is sin. Jehu was rewarded for the measure in which he fulfilled God's commands, as Ahab, 'who had sold himself to work wickedness,' had yet a temporal reward for humbling himself publicly, when rebuked by God for his sin, and so honouring God, amid an apostate people. But Jehu, by cleaving, against the will of God, to Jeroboam's sin (2 Kings 10:29, 31), which served his own political ends, showed that, in the slaughter of his master, he acted, not as he pretended, out of zeal for the will of God (2 Kings 10:16), but served his own will and his own ambition only. By his disobedience to the one command of God, he showed that he would have equally disobeyed the other, had it been contrary to his own will or interest. He had no principle of obedience. And so the blood which was shed according to the righteous judgment of God, became sin to him that shed it in order to fulfill, not the will of God, but his own" (see Dr. Pusey's 'Minor Prophets, with a Commentary,' p. 9, col. 1).
