Thursday
Evening Bible Study
January
17, 2013
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted?
Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved?
After the death
of King Solomon, the
kingdom of Israel split into two nations.
The northern
kingdom would be known as “Israel”.
The southern
kingdom was known as “Judah”.
We’ve followed the events in the northern kingdom
as one dynasty was
replaced by another, and we are now in dynasty of wicked Ahab and Jezebel, and
though Ahab is dead, the northern kingdom is ruled by one of his sons, Jehoram.
The man that
God has been using during this time of wickedness is the prophet Elisha.
8:1-6 Shunammite Restoration
:1 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life,
saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for
the Lord has called for a famine,
and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.”
:1 the woman whose son he had
restored
This was the story back in 2Kings 4, where a wealthy lady from the
city of Shunem had helped Elisha in his ministry by
giving him a place to say.
When her child had gotten sick, Elisha was used to
raise the child from the dead.
:1 famine … seven years
Elisha prayed for a “double
portion” of Elijah’s spirit (2Ki. 2:9).
(2 Ki 2:9 NKJV) —9 And
so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What
may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a
double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
Here is one of the actual things
that were “twice” that of Elijah.
The drought/famine of Elijah’s
day was only for 3 ½ years.
Elisha’s famine was for 7 years.
Some Jewish commentators say that this was the famine
that occurred during the days of the prophet Joel.
:2 So the woman
arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her
household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.
:2 dwelt in the land of the Philistines
She had learned to obey the things that God was saying through Elisha.
Play Shunem to Philistia map clip
The woman lived in Shunem, in the north. The Philistines lived in the southern portion
of Israel in the lowland plain near the coast.
:3 It came to pass, at the
end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines;
and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land.
While she was gone, someone must have moved into her house and taken over
her land. She wants to ask the king to have her property restored to her.
:4 Then the king talked with Gehazi,
the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things
Elisha has done.”
:4 the king talked with Gehazi
Gehazi
was at one time the servant of Elisha.
He had seen a lot of miracles happened.
When his greed
drove him to try and take money from Naaman when Elisha healed him of leprosy, Gehazi
became a leper.
Gehazi seems to be taking his leprosy well. He’s hanging out
with the king of Israel. He seems to be
a man attracted to power.
Back in chapter 6, the king wanted to have Elisha put to death, and now
he wants to hear stories of what Elisha has done. Times have changed.
:5 Now it happened,
as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was
the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her
house and for her land. And Gehazi
said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom
Elisha restored to life.”
:6 And when the king asked the woman, she told
him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her,
saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field
from the day that she left the land until now.”
:5 this is the woman
Just as Gehazi is telling the king about the
things that Elisha had done for the Shunammite woman,
guess who walks in through the door!
What a coincidence!
Lesson
Coincidence
Illustration
A lawyer and an
engineer were fishing in the Caribbean. The lawyer said, “I’m here because my house burned down, and
all I owned was destroyed by the fire. I had my home way over-insured and the
insurance company paid for everything and I’m using some of the extra insurance
money for this trip.” “That’s quite a coincidence,” said the engineer. “I’m
here because my house and all my belongings were destroyed by a flood, and my insurance company
also paid for everything.” The lawyer paused, a very
confused look came over him. “My goodness, how do you ever
start a flood?
Some people are
completely oblivious to the possibility that things could be happening around
them that they have not directly caused or influenced. When an incident like Gehazi,
the king, and the Shunnamite happens, we are
astounded at the “coincidence”.
(Is 48:6 NLT) You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you
refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things,
secrets you have not yet heard.
I like this definition of “coincidence”: “When God
does a miracle and remains anonymous.”
With God there really are no coincidences.
Today I was talking with a gal at church about
another gal. We were talking about how
much we appreciated this person. And my phone rang. It
was that other gal.
Coincidence?
Nope.
God is at work in and around us.
Keep your eyes open.
(Php 2:13
NKJV) for it is
God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
(Pr
16:9 NKJV) A
man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord
directs his steps.
:6 Restore all that was
hers
(2 Ki 8:6 NLT) “Is this true?” the
king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything
she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had
been harvested during her absence.
Lesson
Turning bad to good
Think back to when this poor woman’s son had died. What a
hopeless time that must have been. And then the
prophet came and raised the son from the dead.
But now, even more good continues to come from
this tragedy. The raising of her son from the dead seems to be the thing that
moves the king to help her and restore her property.
(Ro 8:28 NKJV) And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose.
When you are still in that part of your life like this gal
was when she lost her son, things look hopeless.
But God knows what He’s doing.
8:7-15 New king in Syria
:7 Then Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying,
“The man of God has come here.”
:7 Elisha went to Damascus
Play Damascus
map video
Damascus isn’t a short trip. It’s a little over a
hundred miles to the northeast of Samaria.
It seems like
an odd thing that Elisha would go to Damascus considering how the Syrians were
perennial enemies to Israel.
They had even sent troops once to capture Elisha. They recently had laid siege to Samaria.
And now Elisha strolls in to
town.
Why is Elisha in Syria?
The Jews say it is to chase down Gehazi and
bring him back to the Lord.
I wonder if he plans to visit Naaman.
Perhaps it has to do with Benhadad’s death
and the choosing of a new king.
The prophet
Elijah had been given a “to do” list from God.
Some of those things went unfulfilled by Elijah, and will
be finished by others.
(1 Ki 19:15–16 NKJV) —15
Then the Lord said to
him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of
Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as
king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son
of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of
Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in
your place.
The only one of
these things that Elijah actually accomplished was anointing Elisha to be a
prophet in his place.
Elisha will be
the one to anoint Hazael.
One of Elisha’s
servants will anoint Jehu as king of Israel.
:8 And the king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go to meet the
man of God, and inquire of the Lord
by him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ”
:9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a present
with him, of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel-loads; and he came and
stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king
of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ”
:9 forty camel-loads
This might not mean that it was a HUGE present, but still a pretty good
sized one.
It was a practice in those days to make a big deal over the giving of gifts
like this to put a single gift on each camel.
Still a pretty big gift.
When Naaman tried to pay Elisha for his healing,
Elisha refused. We don’t have a record of him refusing
this gift.
:9 Shall I recover from this disease?
Back in chapter 1, it was the king
of Israel sending messengers to the pagan god Baalzebub
to find out if he was going to get well.
(2 Ki 1:2–3 NKJV) —2 Now Ahaziah fell through the
lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers
and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god
of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” 3 But
the angel of the Lord said to
Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the
messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there
is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’
Here the king of Syria is asking
the one true God if he is going to get well.
It’s sad when the non-believers are acting more
godly than the believers.
:10 And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You
shall certainly recover.’ However the Lord
has shown me that he will really die.”
I don’t
know if Elisha is actually encouraging Hazael to lie.
He’s telling Hazael the
truth, that Ben-Hadad is going to die.
But he’s acknowledging that Hazael
might still go ahead and tell him he’ll get better.
:11 Then he set his countenance in a stare until
he was ashamed; and the man of God wept.
Perhaps it seemed to Hazael that Elisha was
looking right through him.
Elisha weeps at what he sees in Hazael.
:12 And Hazael said,
“Why is my lord weeping?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will
do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and
you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”
:12 Why is my lord weeping?
Lesson
Tender Heart
If you or I were in Elisha’s shoes, and we just realized what kinds of
things Hazael was going to do to Israel, we might
tend to either be
afraid of this man, or be very
angry with him.
Elisha weeps.
This is God’s Heart –
When Jesus came to Jerusalem, He knew that He would be
killed there.
(Lk 19:41–42 NKJV) —41 Now as He
drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day,
the things that make for your peace! But now
they are hidden from your eyes.
Jesus could have been angry with Jerusalem for all
it had done to the prophets in the past, let alone what it would do to Him. Yet
instead of being angry, He wept.
:13 So Hazael
said, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this
gross thing?” And Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will
become king over Syria.”
:13 But what is your servant—a
dog
Some see this as if Hazael is horrified at what
Elisha is saying. It’s possible he’s not horrified,
but he is kind of excited about it, thinking he’s just unworthy to do such a
tremendous thing as wipe so many people out…
(2 Ki 8:13 NIV) Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such
a feat?” “The Lord has shown me
that you will become king of Aram,” answered Elisha.
Elisha is horrified at what he
sees. Hazael thinks it’s
kind of cool.
Hazael is being made king of Syria as a part of
God’s judgment on Israel (1Ki. 19:17).
:14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his
master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And
he answered, “He told me you would surely recover.”
:15 But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it
in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place.
:15 Hazael
reigned in his place
No forensic science to bring out the truth here.
It will look like the king just died in his sleep.
Hazael reigned from 841-801 BC
He was known by the Syrians in their own records as “the son of a nobody” referring to his lack of royal blood.
8:16-24 Jehoram rules Judah
:16 Now in the fifth year of Joram
the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of
Judah.
:16 Joram
… Jehoram
Both names are
forms of the same name, and are used interchangeably. But there are two guys with the same
name.
I guess it happens when those old best of buds, Ahab and Jehoshaphat both
had sons, and they named their sons the same.
:16 in the fifth year of Joram
Chronology stuff:
Sounds straight forward, right?
When you look at a few other passages, things get kind
of confusing here.
(2 Ki 1:17 NIV) So he died, according
to the word of the Lord that
Elijah had spoken. Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.
How could the guy from the north start to
reign in the southern guy’s second year, when here we read that the guy in the
south started in the northern guy’s fifth year?
Answer:
Co-regencies.
A king didn’t always wait until
he was dead to pass on the throne to his sons.
Sometimes they ruled together for awhile.
Apparently -
Jehoshaphat appointed his son Jehoram
to be a co-regent at the time that he went to war with Ahab against Ramoth-Gilead.
Perhaps he thought he’d be gone
to long, and wanted someone running things.
Perhaps he wanted to make sure someone was already in
control in case he didn’t make it.
Jehoshaphat ruled with his son for a few years.
It was in the second year of this co-regency, that the Jehoram of Ahab becomes king of the north.
When Jehoshaphat dies, Jehoram
assumes sole authority, and rules for another eight years.
It’s in Jehoram of Ahab’s fifth year that he becomes sole regent.
Warning: If you really want to get into it, you also need
to realize that there are various ways of counting the years of reigning.
Some count the first year of a king’s reign only starting with the
first full year. Solomon used this method, and the southern kingdom followed
it.
Some count the first year of a king’s reign from the year that he
starts, even if it’s a partial year. This was the
northern kingdom’s method of counting years.
Apparently there were some switches
in counting among the kings. When Jehoram of
Jehoshaphat came along, he switched methods in the middle of his reign to the
method used by the northern kings (why? ask Athaliah).
Both kingdoms eventually switched back to Solomon’s method around 800 b.c. (Amaziah
of Judah, Jehoash of Israel).
:17 He was thirty-two years
old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
:18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of
Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the
sight of the Lord.
:18 the daughter of Ahab was his
wife
He did evil because of the influence of his wife.
The first thing he did as king was to kill all his brothers.
(2 Ch 21:4 NKJV) Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he
strengthened himself and killed
all his brothers with the sword, and also others
of the princes of Israel.
In addition to all this, through his wife, the worship of Baal was
introduced into the southern kingdom of Judah.
Lesson
Choose Wisely
(2 Co 6:14–16 NKJV) —14
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what
fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And
what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ
with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an
unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For you are the temple of the living God. As God has
said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I
will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
We need to be cautious of making binding relationships with unbelievers.
We might think that we will lead them to the Lord.
But more often than not, they
lead us away from the Lord.
I do not mean to say that we cut off all relationships with unbelievers.
We need to have relationships with unbelievers, or else
how will they hear about Jesus?
But we need to be careful about putting ourselves
into the kind of hard-to-get-out-of relationships, because we will find
ourselves having to compromise our walk, or else causing trouble.
:19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of his
servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons
forever.
:20 In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s
authority, and made a king over themselves.
:20 Edom revolted
The Edomites were descendants of Jacob’s (Israel’s)
brother Esau.
This was actually a fulfillment of
prophecy.
When Jacob tricked his father
Isaac, and got the big blessing, Esau found out, and asked dad:
(Ge 27:38–40 NKJV) —38 And Esau
said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O
my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. 39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the
earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. 40 By your sword you shall live, And
you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become
restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
:21 So Joram went to Zair, and all his chariots with him. Then he rose by night
and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and
the captains of the chariots; and the troops fled to their tents.
:21 Joram
went to Zair
Zair may be another name for “Seir”, the biggest mountain in Edom and also
a nickname for Edom itself, which is southeast of Judah.
:21 the troops fled
(2 Ki 8:21 NLT) …The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he
went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. But
Jehoram’s army deserted him and fled to their homes.
:22 Thus Edom has been in
revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. And Libnah revolted at that time.
:22 Libnah
revolted
Play Libnah map clip
Libnah is a city in Judah 30 miles southwest of
Jerusalem.
Libnah
was part of the tribe of Judah, and was a Levitical
city, belonging to the descendants of Aaron, the high priest (Josh. 21:13).
We get a clue to why Libnah revolted in the
parallel in Chronicles:
(2 Ch 21:10 NKJV) Thus Edom has
been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his
rule, because he had forsaken the Lord
God of his fathers.
Apparently the priests decided to
take a stand against wicked Joram.
Lesson
Taking a stand
It sounds as if the priests couldn’t stand the
ungodly things that Joram was doing.
There comes a time when you can't just keep
going along with the evil around you.
(Ac 5:27–29 NKJV) —27 And when they had brought them, they
set them before the council. And the high
priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not
strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” 29 But
Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God
rather than men.
There is a time to be submissive and obedient to those in
authority over you, but there are also times when it just isn't
right to sit there.
:23 Now the rest of the acts
of Joram, and all that he did, are they not
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
:24 So Joram rested with
his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
:24 rested with his fathers
He didn’t just die in his sleep.
A prophecy had been made against him by the prophet Elijah (2Chr. 21:12-15)
warning him about his evil ways and the kind of painful death he would
die. Here’s
what happened…
(2 Ch 21:18–19 NKJV) —18 After all this the Lord
struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 Then it happened in the course of time,
after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his
sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for
his fathers.
Not a good way to die …
8:25-29 Ahaziah rules Judah
:25 In the twelfth year of Joram
the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign.
:25 Ahaziah
the son of Jehoram
It’s confusing to keep track of the two Jehorams,
and which is which.
There are also
two Ahaziahs as well.
The first son of Ahab to become king in the north was
named Ahaziah. (2Ki. 1:1)
Now we see that the southern Jehoram has a son
named Ahaziah.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all these
names …
:26 Ahaziah
was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one
year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah
the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel.
:26 Athaliah
Athaliah was the wife of the southern Jehoram,
the daughter of
Ahab and Jezebel, and the granddaughter
of Omri.
:27 And he walked in the way
of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, for he was the
son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
:28 Now he went with Joram
the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria
at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.
:28 Ramoth
Gilead
Play Ramoth Gilead map clip
Ramoth Gilead is across the Jordan River, about
40 miles from Samaria.
This city was constantly fought over by the
Syrians and Israel.
King Ahab had
King Jehoshaphat join him in the original war at Ramoth
Gilead. This was where Ahab was killed.
Now it’s the sons and grandsons fighting the
battle.
:29 Then King Joram
went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which
the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king
of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
:29 King Joram
went back to Jezreel
Play Ramoth Gilead to Jezreel map clip
Jezreel is a little closer to Ramoth
Gilead (about 33 miles) than Samaria is.
It’s interesting that the same place where Ahab
died in battle (Ramoth Gilead) is the place where the
son now is wounded.
9:1-13 Jehu becomes
king
:1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons
of the prophets, and said to him, “Get yourself ready, take this flask of oil
in your hand, and go to Ramoth Gilead.
:2 Now when you arrive at that place, look there for Jehu the son of
Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go in and make
him rise up from among his associates, and take him to an inner room.
Jehu’s father is NOT the Jehoshaphat of the southern kingdom of Judah.
: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 delay.”
:3 pour it on his head
The act of pouring olive oil on someone is called
“anointing”.
It was
done for priests and for kings.
This act being done by one of the prophets brought
the sense that God was appointing this man to be king.
When David was anointed king, it was similar
to Jehu's in that there already was another king, Saul, and David was anointed
to show how God had transferred His authority to David, though David would not
become king for a quite a few more years.
(1 Sa
16:12–13 NKJV) —12 So he sent and brought
him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord
said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and
anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
This is one of the key verses that shows the
symbolic connection between oil and the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
:4 So the young man, the
servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.
:5 And when he arrived, there were the
captains of the army sitting; and he said, “I have a message for you,
Commander.” Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And
he said, “For you, Commander.”
:6 Then he arose and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus
says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I
have anointed you king over the people of the Lord,
over Israel.
:7 You shall strike down the house of Ahab your
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 all the males in Israel, both bond and free.
:9 So 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.
:9 Jeroboam … Baasha
These were two of the earlier dynasties where the entire family was wiped out, making it
impossible for an heir to claim the throne.
:10 The dogs shall eat
Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there
shall be none to bury her.’ ” And he opened the door and fled.
:10 The dogs shall eat Jezebel
King Ahab liked a piece of property belonging to a man named Naboth. Jezebel cooked up a plot to have Naboth killed, and Ahab took over the property.
Elijah showed up and pronounced a judgment on Ahab’s family:
(1 Ki 21:21–24 NKJV) —21
‘Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your
posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free.
22 I will make your
house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have
provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’ 23 And concerning Jezebel the Lord also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs
shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ 24 The dogs shall eat
whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall
eat whoever dies in the field.”
:11 Then Jehu came out to
the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well?
Why did this madman come to you?” And he said to them,
“You know the man and his babble.”
Some have suggested that Jehu initially thought that his generals had put
the prophet up to this, perhaps as a sort of joke.
:12 And they said, “A lie! Tell us now.” So he
said, “Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I have anointed you king over
Israel.” ’ ”
:13 Then each man hastened to take his garment and
put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets,
saying, “Jehu is king!”
:13 each man hastened to take his
garment …
It was no joke. The generals weren’t behind this, God was.
They are very quick to proclaim Jehu as their king.
They don’t seem very loyal to King Joram.
Or else they are open to the word of the Lord through the prophet.
9:14-37 Jehu cleans
house
:14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.
(Now Joram had been defending Ramoth
Gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of
Syria.
:15 But King Joram had
returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which
the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael
king of Syria.) And Jehu said, “If you are so minded,
let no one leave or escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
Jehu doesn't want Joram
finding out before he gets there.
It’s about 40 miles from Ramothgilead
to Jezreel.
:16 So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was laid up
there; and Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see
Joram.
:17 Now a watchman stood on the tower in Jezreel,
and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company of men.” And Joram said, “Get a horseman
and send him to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’ ”
:17 the company of Jehu
Jehu isn’t alone.
He has some of his men with him.
:18 So the horseman went to meet him, and said,
“Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’ ” And Jehu said, “What have you to
do with peace? Turn around and follow me.” So the watchman
reported, saying, “The messenger went to them, but is not coming back.”
:19 Then he sent out a second horseman who came to
them, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’ ” And Jehu answered,
“What have you to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.”
:20 So the watchman reported, saying, “He went up
to them and is not coming back; and the driving is like the driving of
Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!”
:20 he drives furiously
Jehu must have been known for his driving
Illustration
Fast Bike
A young man (named Jehu) bought the
fastest motorcycle that money could buy: a Yamaondason
2000 SP 8.2. It was the most expensive bike in the world, costing $32,150.99.
The first day he bought the new bike he took it for a spin. While doing so he
stopped at a red light at the city limits. An elderly gentleman
pulled up next to him on a moped. The man looked over at the bright, red,
shiny, sleek new motorcycle and asked, “What kind of scooter ya got there, sonny?” The young man replied, “It’s a Yamaondason 2000 SP 8.2. It costs $32,150.99 out the door.”
“That’s a lot of money,” said the old man, shocked. “Why does it cost so much?”
“Because this bike can go 200 mph!” exclaimed the young man. The old fella
asked, “Can I take a closer look at it?” “Sure,” replied the new owner. From
his moped, the old man leaned over and took a good look at the very
fast-looking machine. Just then the light changed, so the young man decided to
show the old guy what his new motorcycle could really
do. He gave it full throttle and within 30 seconds the speedometer read 199
mph. Suddenly, he noticed a dot in his rear-view
mirror. It seemed to be getting closer! He slowed a little to see what it could
be, and, suddenly, WHHHOOOSSSHHH, something whipped passed him going much
faster. “What could be faster than my 2000 SP 8.2?” the young man thought to
himself. Then, just ahead of him, he saw the dot coming back at him. WHHHOOOSSSHHH! It went flying by him again, going in the
opposite direction! It almost looked like the elderly man on the moped! How could that be, thought the young man. Again
he saw the dot in his mirror! WHHHOOOSSSHHH! KABBBLAMMM! The moped slammed into the rear of the shiny new
2000 SP 8.2, demolishing the rear end of the young rider’s pride and joy. The
young man jumped off and saw it was the old timer. Of course
the moped was crushed, and the old man was lying on the ground, pretty beat up.
The young man ran over to him and asked, “Are you hurt? Is there anything I can
do for you? The old man groaned and replied, “Yes, would you please unhook my
suspenders from your side-view mirror?”
:21 Then Joram said,
“Make ready.” And his chariot was made ready. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah
king of Judah went out, each in his chariot; and they went out to meet Jehu,
and met him on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
:21 the property of Naboth the Jezreelite
Isn’t it interesting that it was still known as
the “portion of Naboth”, even though Ahab had stolen
it as his own?
What an interesting place to meet after having thought about the prophecy
of Elijah.
When Elijah first confronted Ahab about stealing Naboth’s property …
(1 Ki 21:19 NKJV) You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says
the Lord: “Have you murdered and
also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth,
dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
When Ahab died, he was taken to Samaria, not Jezreel. The blood
in his chariot was licked up by dogs, but in Samaria, not Jezreel
(1Ki. 22:38)
(1 Ki 22:38
NKJV) —38 Then someone washed the chariot
at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots
bathed, according to the word of the Lord
which He had spoken.
You could make
a case for Joram having Ahab’s blood in him. He is Ahab’s blood. Now watch…
:22 Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” So he answered, “What peace, as long as the harlotries of
your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?”
:22 Is it peace, Jehu?
Perhaps Joram is wondering if the war is over.
:22 What peace, as long as the
harlotries of your mother…
When someone insults your mother like that, you know there’s
going to be trouble!
Actually, Jehu understood that peace couldn’t come
to Israel as long as they were caught in such horrible idolatry.
:23 Then Joram turned
around and fled, and said to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
:24 Now Jehu drew his bow with full strength and
shot Jehoram between his arms; and the arrow came out
at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.
:25 Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain,
“Pick him up, and throw him into the tract of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for
remember, when you and I were riding together behind Ahab his father, that the Lord laid this burden upon him:
:26 ‘Surely I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will repay you in this
plot,’ says the Lord. Now
therefore, take and throw him on the plot of ground, according to
the word of the Lord.”
:25 when you and I were riding … behind
Ahab
Jehu remembers what Elijah had said to Ahab, and thinks it would be fitting
for Joram to be thrown into
the field.
This was 12 years ago.
Elijah might have only spoken it thinking of Ahab, but it affected more
than just Ahab.
Twelve years earlier, Jehu was a loyal subject to the king.
He served Ahab, then Ahaziah his son, then Joram the other son.
Lesson
Speak God's Word.
You never know who it's going to hit.
You never know who's going to remember it.
It's not always up to you to decide how or when it
will be effective, only to speak it.
(Is 55:10–11 NKJV) —10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall
not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
God’s Word will accomplish what it sets out to do.
Some people might have made a case that Elijah was wrong –
Ahab’s blood wasn’t licked up in Jezreel,
but in Samaria.
But it would take place. Just a little later.
:27 But when Ahaziah
king of Judah saw this, he fled by the road to Beth Haggan.
So Jehu pursued him, and said, “Shoot him also in the
chariot.” And they shot him at the
Ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam.
Then he fled to Megiddo, and died there.
:28 And his servants carried him in the chariot to
Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the City of David.
:27 fled to Megiddo
Play Jezreel to Jerusalem map
If Ahaziah is trying to get back home to
Jerusalem, Megiddo might not seem the right direction. But keep in mind
that Jehu and his men have come from Ramoth Gilead,
so they can’t flee to the east. The
quickest route to Jerusalem would be to head west to the pass near Mount
Carmel, and then flee along the coast down to Jerusalem.
Also, Megiddo was a pretty significant city, a
place he might find medical help.
:29 In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah
had become king over Judah.
Jehu has killed two kings – the king of the north and the king of the
south.
:30 Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel,
Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head,
and looked through a window.
:30 she put paint on her eyes
Some have suggested that she is trying to tempt Jehu. But
keep in mind, Jezebel is a great grandmother. One grandson, Ahaziah,
who is 22 years old, already has several kids himself.
Perhaps she’s just trying to dress up to present
the appropriate figure of an important, majestic queen, perhaps that Jehu would
spare her life.
Lesson
Makeup is okay, inner beauty is better
Over the years,
Jezebel has been a kind of picture of the evil woman.
And people in the church have sought to make it a
sin for a woman to wear makeup or wear nice clothes.
A woman who dressed too worldly would be called a “Jezebel”.
I think we need a little balance here.
But the emphasis of real beauty needs to be by
looking at the inside, not the outside:
(1 Ti 2:9–10 NLT) —9 And I want
women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate
clothing and not draw
attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or
pearls or expensive clothes. 10 For women who claim to be devoted to God
should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
:31 Then, as Jehu entered at
the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri,
murderer of your master?”
:31 Is it peace, Zimri
Zimri
(1Kings 16) was the man who killed his boss, king Elah,
the son of Baasha. After having set himself up as
king, he was then
overthrown by Omri, Jezebel’s
father-in-law.
Jezebel is comparing Jehu with Zimri, predicting that he will
have trouble.
What’s Jezebel doing?
She’s trying to intimidate Jehu by scaring him with the story of Zimri.
She’s actually kind of trying to use
Scripture against Jehu.
Maybe he’ll think to himself, “Gosh, she’s
right, maybe I’d better stop this whole thing right now!”
:32 And he looked up at the
window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” So two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
These eunuchs would be the servants of Jezebel. Apparently
they weren’t too happy with her.
:33 Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood
spattered on the wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot.
He ran his horses and chariot over her.
:34 And when he had gone in, he ate and drank.
Then he said, “Go now, see to this accursed woman, and bury her, for she
was a king’s daughter.”
After having supper, Jehu gets to feeling bad about having treated Jezebel
so rudely. So he decides to make sure that she gets a
decent burial. After all, she herself was the daughter of a king, Ethbaal king of the Sidonians
(1Ki. 16:31).
:35 So 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 Therefore they came back and told him. And he
said, “This is the word of the Lord,
which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite,
saying, ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs
shall eat the flesh of Jezebel;
:37 and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse
on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel,
so that they shall not say, “Here lies Jezebel.” ’ ”
:36 This is the word of the Lord
Lesson
You won’t beat God
There are some people who know what God wants of their
life, and they still choose to go the opposite direction.
(Ga 6:7–8 NKJV) —7 Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to
his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
It seems that for her whole life Jezebel thought she knew better than God.
In the end, she couldn’t avoid the consequences of
her actions.
Can a person change?
What if I’ve been screwing up my life? Is it too late?
It’s not too late. You can turn around.
Play
Josh Hamilton – I am
Second clip
You don’t have to be a superstar
to be able to change. You just need a
big God, the same God that created the universe and who sent
His Son.