February 21, 2025, 2 Kings 10:1-17
February 21, 2025, 2 Kings 10:1-17
10 Now Ahab
had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to
Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the
guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2 “Now
then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master's sons are with
you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and
weapons, 3 select the best and fittest of your
master's sons and set him on his father's throne and fight for your master's
house.” 4 But they were exceedingly afraid and
said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we
stand?” 5 So he who was over the palace, and he who
was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu,
saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We
will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” 6 Then
he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you
are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and come to me at
Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with
the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. 7 And
as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and
slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them
to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and
told him, “They have brought the heads of the king's sons,” he said, “Lay them
in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9 Then
in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are
innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who
struck down all these? 10 Know then that there
shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of
Ahab, for the Lord has
done what he said by his servant Elijah.” 11 So
Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his
great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none
remaining.
12 Then he
set out and went to Samaria. On the way, when he was at Beth-eked of the
Shepherds, 13 Jehu met the relatives of
Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are
the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the
sons of the queen mother.” 14 He said, “Take them
alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked,
forty-two persons, and he spared none of them.
15 And when
he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to
meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart
as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it
is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with
him into the chariot. 16 And he said, “Come with
me, and see my zeal for the Lord.”
So he had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when
he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till
he had wiped them out, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke to Elijah.
It appears that Jehu was
quite zealous for God and that through the word of Elijah, Jehu was used of God
to destroy the family and friends of Ahab. I must examine myself. Do I find
myself zealous for God? How about you?
Debbie Walker
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