Category: King Jehu

To Look Beyond the Makeup #6

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window” (2 Kings 9:30 KJV).

Removing her “paint,” what do we see?

What happens to Jezebel as she tries to charm—seduce—Jehu? Today’s Scripture in context: “[30] And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head [arranged her hair with a headdress], and looked out at a window. [31] And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? [32] And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. [33] And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

“[34] And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter. [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. [36] Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying [1 Kings 21:23], In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: [37] And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.”

Horrible! Appalling! Disturbing! Just as the Word of God had prophesied 17 years earlier through Elijah the Prophet, Jezebel’s earthly life ended most graphically. She was thrown out a window, fell quite a distance, and her blood was splattered. Then, she was trampled under horses’ hooves. Finally, dogs consumed nearly her entire corpse: all that remained of her was a skull, two feet, and the palms of her hands. This iniquitous, vicious, idolatrous Queen of Israel—the Queen Mother—is dead!

Let us now see the prophetic significance….

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To Look Beyond the Makeup #5

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window” (2 Kings 9:30 KJV).

Removing her “paint,” what do we see?

At the time of today’s Scripture, King Ahab has been deceased for 14 years. His son, Ahaziah, had reigned as his successor in Israel for two years (1 Kings 22:51-53). Ahaziah was idolatrous, so God slew him (2 Kings 1:1-18). His brother, Jehoram (Joram), another son of Ahab, then ruled for 12 years (2 Kings 3:1–9:26)—before Jehu killed him in the context of today’s Scripture.

Read 2 Kings chapter 9: “[21] And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. [22] And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? [23] And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

“[24] And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. [25] Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him; [26] Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.” Jehu fulfilled Bible prophecy by exterminating Ahab’s bloodline (1 Kings 21:17-22)!

In today’s Scripture, as the new King Jehu enters the city of Jezreel (northern Israel, southwest of the Sea of Galilee), Jezebel attempts to seduce him. Let us see if she is successful….

To Look Beyond the Makeup #1

Friday, August 21, 2020

“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window” (2 Kings 9:30 KJV).

Removing her “paint,” what do we see?

Over eight centuries before Christ, Joram (Jehoram) reigned for 12 years as the King of Israel. Like his father King Ahab, he has encouraged pagan idolatry among the Jewish people of these northern 10 tribes. At the close of chapter 8 of 2 Kings, Joram was injured in battle with the Syrians. With chapter 9 opening, the Prophet Elisha directs one of the children of the prophets to travel to Ramothgilead (east of the Jordan River) and anoint Jehu as Israel’s new king. Jehu is captain of Israel’s army under Joram’s command.

Let us read from the context of today’s Scripture: “[6] And he [Jehu] arose, and went into the house; and he [the son of the prophet] poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. [7] And thou shalt 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. [8[ For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth* against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel: [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: [10] And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he [the son of the prophet] opened the door, and fled.”

This is certainly a bizarre passage, is it not? Jehu has been given a Divine commission. As the new monarch, he is to purge Israel of all Ahab’s descendants and idolatry. This elimination of evil religion amongst the 10 northern tribes includes doing away with Ahab’s widow, “beautiful” Jezebel….

*Note: If you are curious as to why “pisseth” appears in the King James Bible, be sure to read this informative study!

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A House Full of Sinners!

Thursday, August 2, 2018

“And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another” (2 Kings 10:21 KJV).

Large crowds in religion are not necessarily good!

Some 800 years before Christ, the LORD God selected Jehu to become King of Israel (Northern Kingdom) and thus destroy King Ahab’s evil dynasty. Chapter 9 says Jehu killed Ahab’s son, King Joram, and wicked King Ahaziah of Judah (Southern Kingdom). Jehu also executed wicked Queen Jezebel, wife of the late Ahab—older but still an unbelieving heathen.

Wicked as he was, Jehu was nonetheless the “best” of Israel’s 20 kings! Interested in obeying the LORD God as well as fulfilling prophecy, he delivered the Northern Kingdom from Ahab’s evil family and its extensive Baal worship. Today’s Scripture says Jehu gathered all the worshippers of Baal in Baal’s temple. These multitudes are apostates that Israeli sovereigns—chiefly, Ahab and Jezebel—inspired decades earlier.

The religionists in today’s Scripture crammed into that house of Baal, quite eager to worship a false god that had fascinated their nation for decades. If you read the context (verses 18-27), Jehu had actually convinced them to come and worship Baal with him. It was simply a trick to gather them so he could slaughter them all! While graphic, God in the Mosaic Law deemed such executions of idolaters perfectly acceptable (Deuteronomy 13:1-11). It certainly purified the nation! “Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel” (2 Kings 10:28).

Although the size of Baal’s temple is unknown, Scripture says it was filled (!) with idolaters. Any minister today should be very careful not to boast of crowd size. There may not be a single empty seat, but that does not mean all present are Christians and want to worship the one true God! “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13,14).