2 Kings 10: Jehu cleans house

Synopsis:

Jehu writes to the people raising Ahab’s 70 sons and tells them to kill the kids and deliver their heads. Which they do. All that remained of the house of Ahab were slew in Jezreel. Jehu goes to Samaria and meets with the family of Ahaziah. He kills all 42  men. Jehu then goes to Samaria and asks to meet all the prophets of Baal saying, Ahab served Baal, but I shall serve him much more. He calls for a great feast and once all the worshippers of Baal are together, he kills them all.  The Lord promises Jehu that his children for four generations shall sit on the throne of Israel. Which is nice, but Jehu doesn’t walk with the low of the Lord God of Israel. So the Lord begins to give parts of Israel to others, like Hazael of Syria. Jehu reigns for 28 years.

In other words:

Now that Jehu is king, he kills all his rivals including the family of Ahab, Ahazial and all the worshippers of Baal.

Favorite bit:

2 Kings 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. (God chooses him specially and he STILL doesn’t do what God wants!)

Most interesting bit:

2 Kings 10:1-7 – Jehu writes letters to the prominent men who are raising the sons of Ahab and they are so afraid of him, they kill their wards. It’s interesting how this plays out.

Most strategic bit:

2 Kings 10:18-28 – the destruction of Baal from Israel.  Basically, he organizes a gathering so ALL the prophets and followers will be in the same place. And he performs a sacrifice. The house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. They killed everyone, destroyed all the images and vestments and turned the house of Baal into a draught house.

Least favorite bit:

2 Kings 10:13,14 -  Jehu meets with the brethren of Ahaziah and takes them alive, slays them in the pit of a shearing house.

Moral Lesson Learned:

Even if you eliminate all your competition, your problems aren’t over (2 King 10)