CROWNED | 2 Kings Chapter 9

PODCAST

Week 7 / Day 31

Written by Tara Poche

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INTRODUCTION

In order to ensure that we understand the context of 2 Kings 9, we will need to take a look back at some previous scripture we’ve covered in Crowned. Let’s quickly flip backward to 1 Kings 21. You may recall here that Elijah gave Ahab, king of Israel, a very harsh prophecy. Refresh your memory by reading it again:

“So now the Lord says, ‘I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel! I am going to destroy your family as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me very angry and have led Israel into sin.’

“And regarding Jezebel, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel’s body at the plot of land in Jezreel.’

“The members of Ahab’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.”

1 Kings 21:21-24

This is enough to drive anyone, even Ahab, to repentance. As chapter 21 closes, the Lord decides to hold off this judgment until after Ahab’s death. Since then, we have read about several of his descendants, including his sons, Ahaziah and Joram, who ruled after him. 

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READ

Now, with that bit of background in mind, go ahead and read 2 Kings 9.

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REFLECT

Has the Lord ever given you a promise that seemed to go unfulfilled for far too long? Have you dealt with the disappointment of not seeing Him move in what seems like due time? Have you ever found yourself disillusioned by time, by leadership, or by unfairness? 

It’s easy to struggle with believing in the promises of God when you see injustice and unrighteousness all around. The people of Israel likely felt something similar as they watched one ungodly king after another rule over them, tearing down more and more of their national spiritual identity. So, when Elijah gives this prophecy concerning Ahab, there was reason to hope. Maybe they would soon be on their way back to worshipping the true God. Then a few more years passed and Ahab’s corrupt sons were ruling Israel, and it looked as if nothing would change. But God is always faithful to fulfill His promises. 

Enter Jehu, a military commander from Israel. Remember him? He was previously mentioned in 1 Kings 19. At that point, the Lord instructed Elijah to anoint Jehu king of Israel just after Elijah’s encounter with God in the cave. Jehu was not a royal. He was a revolutionary. He did not hail from the lineage of kings. Instead, he was in the trenches with the troops. And he was about to be swept up in the Lord’s promises like you cannot imagine. Buckle up, because today and tomorrow, we are covering two of the most action-packed chapters in the Old Testament. 

We jump in with verse 1, where we see Elisha summoning another prophet. While we don’t know why Elisha does so at this moment in time, we can assume the Lord has given him a holy nudge. He gives the younger prophet a flask of oil and tells him to get ready to travel. He is to find Jehu and anoint him king over Israel. Keep in mind that Israel already has a king - Ahab’s son, Joram. Elisha ends his instructions to the prophet with the words, “Then open the door and run for your life!” 

The prophet, whose name we are not given, did as he was told. He rode to the troops at Ramoth-Gilead and found Jehu. I imagine those final words from Elisha had him moving with haste. Immediately, when he found the commander, he took him aside and poured the oil over his head. At the same time, he told Jehu in verse 6, “This is what the Lord says,” and proceeded to tell him that he is the anointed king over Israel and that he is to “destroy the family of Ahab, your master.” Then, in verse 10, the prophet opens the door and runs, leaving a stunned Jehu dripping with oil. 

When he returns to his troops, Jehu reluctantly tells them what has happened. As his men instantly rally around him, Jehu begins his plot against Joram. When God is ready to move, He does not hesitate. 

Jehu wastes no time in riding to Jezreel, where Joram and his mother Jezebel are. In fact, he drove his chariot with such intensity that the tower watchman exclaimed, “It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he’s driving like a madman.” Sounds like Jehu had a reputation that made him the right man for the job. 

King Joram, probably thinking that one of his commanders was coming to give him urgent news, asks for his chariot to go meet Jehu. He doesn’t realize he’s steering right into a righteous trap that had been set years ago with Elijah’s prophecy. Joram must have picked up on his commander’s newfound purpose because he asks in verse 22, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”

Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?” 

Joram immediately turns his horses to run, shouting that it is treason, but he cannot outrun the hand of Jehu, driven by the word of the Lord. Jehu drew his bow and loosed his arrow, striking King Joram directly in the heart, killing him. 

Meanwhile, Jezebel was inside the walls of Jezreel. When she heard Jehu was coming, she was not repentant. In fact, the Bible says she painted her eyes and fixed her hair, remaining defiant. She called down to Jehu and accused him of murder. Jehu looked around, asking who may be on his side. Jezebel’s own eunuchs looked down to him. Jehu commanded them in verse 33, “Throw her down!” They obeyed, and Jezebel fell to a gruesome death, just as Elijah had predicted.

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RESPOND

After years of waiting, in only one day, the prophecy Elijah gave concerning Jezebel was fulfilled. One day. She had been instrumental in turning the nation to worship false gods. She systematically slaughtered the prophets of God. She orchestrated murder and political manipulation. One day, God anointed Jehu king. The next day, this figure of spiritual depravity was gone. 

If you’re feeling as if you’ve been waiting, even longing, for God to move in His promises, consider these points:

1. God keeps His promises. The timing is not ours, but the confidence can be, if we trust Him. Twenty years passed between 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 9. That’s twenty years between the time God told Elijah to anoint Jehu and the time Elisha was finally released to do so. The twenty years didn’t make the prophecy void. It just wasn’t time yet. 

2. God judges persistent evil. Though the lives of Ahab and Jezebel were certainly very real, we can also consider their story as a cautionary tale. The Lord will not tolerate evil against Him even when it looks to us humans as if He’s being passive. 

3. God is sovereign over kings. Isaiah 9:6 tells us the government is on the shoulders of the Messiah. We can fret and fear and be angry about the leadership of our governing bodies, but we must find peace and confidence knowing that God can place and remove leadership as He sees fit. Just as He was always in control during the time of the kings in the Old Testament, He is in control now. 

4. Sin has lasting consequences. Sometimes the consequences of our actions reverberate through the generations, like in the case of Ahab. His descendants were forced to pay for his evil deeds, and an entire nation was led away from the Lord during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. 

Stay tuned and come back tomorrow!  Because Jehu’s mission isn’t over yet!