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.
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
Far Reaching Ministry
The ministry of Elisha was so effective that miracles performed several years ago are still overcoming hardship in the lives of others without him being present. The first is for the woman whose child he raised from the dead, he warned her to relocate to escape a localized famine and after seven years she returns to have a former servant tell the king of her land being lost, the details are astounding. And there is more.
Heroic Lepers
The city of Samaria is still besieged by the Syrian army. Starvation in the city has now spawned the most ghoulish type of cannibalism. The king is angry with the prophet Elisha for not doing more to end it, the king also ignored that he is largely the reason why this judgment is on them. The prophet promises abundant food by tomorrow, and it will come by way of four leprous men who’s conscience is stirred — heroic lepers!
Applying Grace
The school of the prophets had outgrown their facility and headed to the forest to cut timber for their building expansion. They invited the prophet Elisha and he agreed. As a servant was cutting a tree the axe head flew off the handle and sank into the river. This metaphorically warns us about flying off the handle in anger or losing our cutting edge in our serving faith. Next the prophet overcomes Syrian invaders with grace.
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