SCRIPTURE: 2 KINGS 10
AHAB’S FAMILY KILLED (vs. 1-17)
Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. Jehu gave order to the officials in Samaria at Jezreel to take their heads of Ahab’s sons and put them in baskets and send it to him. They slaughtered 70 of them and put them in 2 piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning. The next morning, Jehu also killed everyone in Jezreel who remained in the house of Ahab, as well as his chief men, his close friends and his priest leaving him no survivors.
Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. He met relatives of Ahaziah, king of Judah. Jehu ordered his men to take them alive and slaughtered 42 of them by the well of Beth Eked leaving no survivors.
Jehu met Jehonadab and told him to ride along with him in his chariot. 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 spoke to Elijah.
MINISTERS OF BAAL KILLED (vs. 18-36)
Jehu summoned all the ministers of Baal by holding a great sacrifice for Baal. He brought robes for all the ministers and posted 80 men outside to go in and kill them leaving no one to escape. They threw the bodies out and entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. They demolished the sacred stone of Baal, tore down the temple of Baal. So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he committed the sin of worshiping the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
Since Jehu had accomplished what was right in the sight of God and had done to the house of Ahab, God promised him that his descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. Jehu reigned Israel for 28 years and rested with his father and buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz succeeded him as king.
THOUGHTS:
It was politically advantage for Jehu to destroy the idols of Baal because Baal worship was associated with the dynasty of Ahab. He retained the gold calves because his people would have traveled to the temple in Jerusalem, a rival nation of the southern kingdom and worship there.
Jehu did much of what the Lord told him to do but he did not obey him with all his heart. He had become God’s instrument in carrying out justice, but had not become God’s servant. As a result, he was giving lip service to God which was promoting the worship of golden calves. We should always check the condition of our hearts. We may be very active in God’s work but not giving Him complete obedience that he desires.