2 Kings 10:1-17 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 10:1-17. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
2 Kings 10:1-17 (NIV)
1 Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said,
2 “As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons,
3 choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”
5 So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them.
7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.” Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
9 The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these?
10 Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.”
11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
12 Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds,
13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?” They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”
14 “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked–forty-two men. He left no survivor.
15 After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Recab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?” “I am,” Jehonadab answered. “If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.
16 Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.
On verses 1-17: Having assassinated Joram king of Israel and Jezebel the queen mother, Jehu continues his mission to eliminate the remaining sons in Ahab’s house. Instead of a sneak attack, Jehu issues a formal challenge to the high officials in Israel’s capital city as well as those in charge of Ahab’s sons. Jehu challenges them to put one of Ahab’s sons on Ahab’s throne and to fight Jehu and his troops. Fearing that they are no match for Jehu, Israel’s high officials surrender to Jehu and express their willingness to do whatever Jehu wants them to do. So further to Jehu’s command, Israel’s high officials slaughter 70 sons of Ahab and place their heads in baskets. Jehu then announces that the word of the Lord which Elijah spoke against the house of Ahab has been fulfilled (v10). Jehu then goes on a killing rampage:
– First, Jehu kills Ahab’s chief officials, close friends and priests in Jezreel (v11).
– Then on his way to Samaria, Jehu slaughters 42 unsuspecting relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah who had gone to visit King Joram and Jezebel, not knowing that Jehu had already killed them (v12-14). Jehu also invites Jehonadab to get into his chariot and says to him, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” (v16)
– Then, upon arriving in Samaria, Jehu kills what is left of Ahab’s relatives (v17).
As you’re reading about Jehu’s killing rampage, keep in mind that God never commanded Jehu to touch Ahaziah’s relatives, who were descendants of King David. Elijah’s prophecy only talked about eliminating the house of Ahab but never mentioned anything about hurting the house of David, whom God was committed to protecting. Yet in verses 12-17 Jehu oversteps the boundaries of his God-given mission, kills many more people and causes much more destruction than God ever intended. (In fact, it is probably Jehu’s murder of the 42 relatives of Azariah that God condemns in Hosea 1:4-5).
What can we learn from this?
1. When we overstep the boundaries that God has given to us, it causes unnecessary loss, destruction and heartbreak.
2. It’s crucial not not just to know the word of God but also to have a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jehu knew some of God’s word, since he kept quoting Elijah’s prophecy against the house of Ahab. But what Jehu lacked was a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. As a result, he ended up missing God’s will and murdering people that God never intended him to touch. Jehu even attributed these unwarranted murders to his “zeal for the Lord”, when it fact it was his lack of understanding of God’s will and his lack of closeness with the Holy Spirit that led him to commit such atrocities. Jehu is like Christians who seem to have very strong opinions, beliefs and knowledge about the Bible but who do not exude the character and spirit of Jesus because they have not nurtured a close relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Compare this to King David who had a close relationship with the Holy Spirit and who was conscience stricken even when he cut the corner of his enemy King Saul’s robe.
We need to know God’s Word well and foster a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. Let’s be strong in the Word and strong in the Spirit so that we can truly walk in God’s will for our lives and make the impact that God intended us to make. When you’re strong in the Word and in the Holy Spirit, your experience with one will inform and guide your experience with the other and keep you from going in the wrong direction.
Father, I pray I wouldn’t miss the mark like Jehu and overstep the boundaries You set for me. I pray that I would be strong in Your Word and also close to Your Holy Spirit so that I can know when You are truly working and what You are truly saying. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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