It’s one thing to defeat the big, bad foe on the battlefield, quite another to vanquish the idol inside. We’re introduced at the beginning of 2 Kings 13 to another time link in history’s chain. Earlier we read that “by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash,…the priests had not repaired the damages of the temple” […]
Jehoash warns us that we can carefully invest our whole lives, but lose it all at the last. Watch out! Years went by. Jehoash supposed that the work he had commanded to be done was making progress, repairing “the damages of the temple” (2 Ki 12:5). This was to be funded by revenue coming into […]
There’s a Jehoash (or Joash) in both Judah and Israel. We’ll use Jehoash for Judah and Joash for Israel. The last verse of 2 Kings 11 and the first verse of 2 Kings 12 reveal a remarkable coincidence. “Jehoash was seven years old when he became king” (11:21). “In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash […]
The world still awaits its Athaliah moment. Instead of crying “Treason!” it will be “Alas! Alas!” (Rev 18:10). The reign of wicked Athaliah was a painful time for Judah. The people had no idea that hope lay hidden in the unused temple. But “in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds—of […]
King-killing has a long history. If you can’t vote them out, you carry them out. But this is different! Regicide is the purposeful killing of royalty. This had marked Jehu’s life from the moment he was anointed by Elisha’s emissary. But the story of this man exposes a glaring flaw in many who declare their […]
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 […]
All families impact society for good or ill. Ahab’s family were so vile that their house must be razed. The recording of brutality in the Bible is not unwarranted. This is not the gratuitous violence of a Hollywood movie. It’s there to show the horrific consequences of human evil. As Jehu approached Jezreel, Jezebel the […]
God has a long memory. The prophecies concerning the house of Ahab were about to come true. Remember that Joram the son of Ahab was recuperating at Jezreel after his wounding at Ramoth Gilead. Ahaziah, king of Judah, Joram’s nephew, was visiting at the time. What follows is like a scene from an old Western. […]
Read More… from June 10, 2024 — On A Collision Course With Judgment
Vessels of wrath like Jehu fit themselves for destruction, but God uses them for His purposes. Just two episodes ago, we recalled the story of Elijah at Horeb, commissioned by the Lord to anoint three men: “Anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. […]