Men and nations who execute God’s judgment are nonetheless also judged for their actions.
Leaving the Jezreel Valley behind, Jehu and his execution squad headed south for Samaria, capital of Israel and the stronghold of Baal worship. An unfortunate group of 42 travelers met him en route. They were “the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah,” and Jehu inquired where they were going. “We have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother” (2 Ki 10:13), they said. Wrong answer! The royal family of Judah had been poisoned by the king’s marriage with Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter. Or so thought Jehu. “So they…killed them at the well of Beth Eked, forty-two men” (v 14). But Jehu still wasn’t done. He needed to clean out the nest of evil at Samaria. As he approached, he met Jehonadab, a Rechabite, nomads connected to the Kenites. We’ll meet them again in the book of Jeremiah. But after having Jehonadab declare his loyalty, Jehu “took him up to him into the chariot. Then he said, ‘Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord’” (vv 15-16). Some suggest that Jehu’s blitzkrieg against Baal worship in the land shows zeal without knowledge. However, the Chronicler will express approval on the entire mission (2 Chron 22:3-9). “And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria” (2 Ki 10:17). He then deceptively called the inhabitants together for a great celebration to Baal, “and the temple of Baal was full from one end to the other” (v 21). Once trapped, the slaughter was soon complete. Baal’s temple was destroyed along with his worshipers, and they “made it a refuse dump to this day” (v 27). As with Gideon at Ophrah and Elijah at Carmel, Baal didn’t even whimper. Yet Jehu would soon discover that the line between good and evil ran right through his own heart!