In this chapter we meet the worst of people and the best. First there is Athaliah, the presumed daughter of Jezebel and just as wicked. She illegitimately made it to Judah’s throne as self-appointed queen and had all her grandchildren, killed except for the one who was rescued by one of the best people, Jehosheba. Her courage along with the bravery of her husband, Jehoiada, not only rescued the child but hid him for six years. Finally Jehoiada gathered enough support to make the child king and have wicked Athaliah executed.
Antioch!
The ancient city of Antioch, then in Syria, but today belongs to Turkey, was the epicenter for Jews evangelizing Gentiles without Judaism. It was here that the term Christian originated. Though given by the unsaved souls of the world, it was and is a very suitable term. All of this in Antioch was began by the Holy Spirit through Cyrenian and Cypriot Jews, the developed by Barnabas getting Saul from Cilicia and the two teaching the in the church at Antioch.
The Killing Fields
The slaughter of the male descendants of Ahab continues by the hand of the new king, Jehu. Jehu knew how to terrorize people into rethinking opposing him. He ordered the heads of his potential threats piled up in two heaps, thereby deterring resistance to his purge of Ahab’s male offspring. He then exceeded his God given assignment by turning his sword against those not of Ahab’s bloodline, including those of Judah, killing forty-two relatives of Judah’s now dead king, Ahaziah. Jehu executed a ruse to gather worshipers of Baal in their temple then had them slaughtered. In all this he remained unfaithful to Yahweh and died an idolater.
Resisting the Holy Spirit
After Peter was sent by God to bring salvation to Gentiles, he returned to Jerusalem. Waiting for him there were Jews who received Jesus as Messiah but only as Savior to those who first came under the laws of Moses, such as circumcision, diet and Sabbath. This is not Christianity and God declared this by saving those outside of Moses law by the Law of Grace in Christ. They resisted but Peter helped them understand.
License to Kill
It is tragic that human beings can be so wicked, so harmful to others that God gives specific orders to kill them. In this chapter God, by way of the prophet Elisha, who in turn sends his servant to tell Jehu to strike the house of Ahab, effectively giving Jehu license to kill — it will be the death of devils, even into 2Ki 10
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