Jehu Kills Joram And Ahaziah
October 28, 2021
Commentary
Elisha faded into obscurity following the anointing of Jehu as Israel’s new monarch. During the eighty-eight year reign of Jehu’s family, the affairs of Israel were directed by five kings.
Joram was wounded in battle at Ramoth-Gilead and left Jehu and the captains in command as he went back to Jezreel. Jehu, knowing how rapidly news of a coup could travel, gave orders that no one was to leave Ramoth-Gilead while he made haste to precede any news of his rise to power. The watchman of Jezreel spotted the approach of his company and sent out a messenger to find out who was coming. Only after the party was identified, did King Joram go in his chariot to meet his captain. Accompanying him was his Judean ally, Ahaziah and they met where Naboth’s vineyard had been.
Jehu minced no words about his purpose when the king asked if all was well. He replied that his journey was not one of peace. Before Joram could mount his chariot and flee, Jehu shot him with an arrow. He commanded that his body be thrown out on the property of Naboth and thus his blood was avenged. Ahaziah fled for his life but was mortally wounded near Megiddo. Jehu then pursued Jezebel who heard Jehu was coming. He commanded her servants to throw her out a window into the courtyards below which they did. The horses then trampled her to death and the dogs ate her.
Application
More important than correct worship the Lord wants me to have compassion for the oppressed.
Isaiah 58:1– 14 (NET)
1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loudly as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; confront Jacob’s family with their sin.
2 They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements, like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God. They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God.
3 They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers.
4 Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven.
5 Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the Lord?
6 No, this is the kind of fast I want: I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.
7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe them! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood.
8 Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’ You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.
10 You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.
11 The Lord will continually lead you; he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water.
12 Your perpetual ruins will be rebuilt; you will reestablish the ancient foundations. You will be called, ‘The one who repairs broken walls, the one who makes the streets inhabitable again.’
13 You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. You must look forward to the Sabbath and treat the Lord’s holy day with respect. You must treat it with respect by refraining from your normal activities, and by refraining from your selfish pursuits and from making business deals.
14 Then you will find joy in your relationship to the Lord, and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” Know for certain that the Lord has spoken.
Illustration: A New Lawyer Tries to Impress His First Client
A brand new lawyer in his brand new office on his first day in practice sees a prospective client walk in the door. He decides he should look busy, so he picks up the phone and starts talking: “Look, Harry, about that amalgamation deal. I think I better run down to the factory and handle it personally. Yes. No. I don’t think 3 million will swing it. We better have Rogers from Seattle meet us there. OK. Call you back later.” He looks up at the visitor and says, “Good morning, how may I help you?” And the prospective client says, “You can’t help me at all. I’m just here to hook up your phone.” (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 436).