2Kings 9:1 ¶ And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:
2Kings 9:2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;
2Kings 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.
Once again we find Elisha seemingly carrying out a command of the LORD that had been delegated to him by Elijah.
1 Kings 19:15–16 “And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel….”
Elisha delegated this task to one of the children of the prophets. He was to go to Ramothgilead and privately anoint Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, to be king over Israel. He was to declare that this anointing is of the LORD, and then escape as quickly as possible.
Interesting tidbit of information: Several commentators note that the Jews reckon this “son of the prophet” to be Jonah, son of Amittai.
JFB provides this note on Ramothegilead: It was “a city of great importance to the Hebrew people, east of Jordan, as a fortress of defense against the Syrians.”
2Kings 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.
2Kings 9:5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.
2Kings 9:6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.
2Kings 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.
2Kings 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:
2Kings 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:
2Kings 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.
The young man did exactly as he had been instructed. However, the historian reveals more of the message the young prophet was instructed to deliver.
When he arrived, he asked to meet with Jehu privately indicating that his message was for him only. As he anointed Jehu with oil and declared that the LORD had appointed him to be king over His people Israel, he also instructed Jehu to avenge the blood of God’s servants and prophets at the hands of Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab was to be destroyed and left with no possibility of future descendants—the same judgment that had been meted out to Jeroboam and Baasha. He then prophesied that the dogs would eat Jezebel’s body in Jezreel and that nothing would be left of her to bury.
Then the young prophet opened the door and fled.
2Kings 9:11 ¶ Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.
2Kings 9:12 And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel.
2Kings 9:13 Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.
When Jehu rejoined the gathering of captains, they asked him if everything was OK and what the madman had said to him. He answered evasively (CJB): “You know the kind and how they babble.”
They recognized that he was being evasive and demanded that he tell them what the man had said. So Jehu told them that he had said that the LORD had anointed him king over Israel.
Since they had likened the prophet to a madman, I thought they were being sarcastic until they responded by getting up and putting their robes down for him to walk on at the top of the stairs; they even blew trumpets and declared Jehu to be king. They immediately accepted him as their king.
Clarke adds this insight: “The Chaldee, the rabbins, and several interpreters, understand this of the public sun-dial; which in those ancient times, was formed of steps like stairs, each step serving to indicate, by its shadow, one hour, or such division of time as was commonly used in that country. This dial was, no doubt, in the most public place; and upon the top of it, or on the platform on the top, would be a very proper place to set Jehu, while they blew their trumpets, and proclaimed him king.”
2Kings 9:14 So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.
2Kings 9:15 But king Joram was returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel.
Jehu immediately began to plan how to seize the throne from Joram who was in Jezreel recovering from the wounds he had received in battle against the Syrians.
Once he had formulated his plan, he told his fellow captains that if they supported him as their king, they should make sure that no one was allowed to escape and go to Jezreel to warn Joram.
2Kings 9:16 ¶ So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
2Kings 9:17 And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?
2Kings 9:18 So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.
2Kings 9:19 Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.
2Kings 9:20 And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.
Jehu took his chariot and headed to Jezreel. It is noted that Ahaziah, king of Judah, was already there to visit Joram.
When the watchman on the tower in Jezreel spotted Jehu and his troops approaching, he sent a message to the king. King Joram told him to send a horseman out to meet the approaching soldiers and see if they came in peace. When the messenger reached Jehu, he told him that the king wanted to know if he came in peace. Jehu basically said, “It’s none of your business.” He then ordered the man to get behind him.
The watchman told the king that the messenger had reached the approaching troops but was not coming back. So the king sent a second messenger with the same instructions. The same thing happened.
The watchman then told the king that the lead chariot driver drove like Jehu—who was evidently known for being a reckless driver.
2Kings 9:21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.
2Kings 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
2Kings 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.
2Kings 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
Joram then commanded that his chariot be made ready. Then he and Ahaziah went out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They met him on the portion of land that had belonged to Naboth (the man who had been killed by Jezebel to give Ahab his vineyard).
When Joram met Jehu, he asked him if he came bringing news of peace. Jehu basically answered, “There can be no peace as long as your mother Jezebel is allowed to continue to promote adulterous idolatry and witchcraft among the people.”
Joram realized that he was in danger and turned around to flee, calling out a warning to Ahaziah. Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram in the back between his shoulders. The arrow went through his heart, and Joram dropped dead in his chariot.
2Kings 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;
2Kings 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.
Jehu instructed Bidkar, his captain, to throw Joram’s body into the field that had belonged to Naboth. He reminded him that they had heard Elijah pronounce the LORD’s judgment against Ahab as they rode together behind him after Naboth’s death.
That pronouncement (v26 ESV): “As surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—declares the LORD—I will repay you on this plot of ground. Now therefore take him up and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the LORD.”
“The blood of his sons” - unborn seed?
2Kings 9:27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.
2Kings 9:28 And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.
2Kings 9:29 And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
Ahaziah saw what happened and fled past the garden house toward Megiddo. Jehu pursued him and ordered that he also be killed. He made it to Megiddo before he died. Ahaziah’s servants then carried his body by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in the city of David.
There seems to be a bit of a discrepancy in this account and the account of the Chronicler. The NIV Commentary offers this explanation: “In 2Ch 22:8-9, Ahaziah was overtaken in Samaria where he had sought refuge with relatives and was brought to Jehu and executed, his body being interred with honor by Jehu’s men. One possibility of reconciling the accounts is to suggest that although Ahaziah was wounded at the ascent to Gur, he was apprehended by Jehu’s men in Samaria (where he lay recovering from his wounds) and then taken to Megiddo, where he was put to death, his body being given to his servants who took him to Jerusalem for burial.”
It was in the 11th year of Joram, son of Ahab, that Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
2Kings 9:30 ¶ And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.
2Kings 9:31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
2Kings 9:32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.
2Kings 9:33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.
Jehu headed to Jezreel; meanwhile, Jezebel heard about all that had happened. She was certainly one brazen woman. She immediately put on makeup and fixed her hair before looking for him out the window. Did she think to seduce him? Her words to him don’t seem to support that thought. It almost seems like she is threatening him.
Once she saw Jehu she asked him if he had come in peace after murdering his master, her son. He looked up to the window and asked whom he could count on as his supporters. These words were directed to some of the eunuchs that served the queen mother and were also watching out the window.
Jehu commanded that they throw Jezebel out the window, and they did. As she fell, her body was wounded as she fell against the wall, leaving a trail of blood splattered on the wall and the horses. Once she hit the ground, he drove his horses over her body trampling it.
The IVP Commentary offers this insight on Jezebel’s address to Jehu as Zimri: “The dynasty of Omri, of which Ahab and Jezebel were a part, had seized power from the usurper Zimri (see 1 Kings 16). By alluding to this incident, she may be warning Jehu that his coup will not necessarily lead to a secure hold on the throne but that he in turn is likely to be overthrown.”
And this insight on eunuchs: “Eunuchs were those officers entrusted with the care and supervision of the royal harem. Having been castrated, they posed no threat to the women of the harem and could not engender children by the harem women who might be mistaken for royal heirs.”
2Kings 9:34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter.
2Kings 9:35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
2Kings 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:
2Kings 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
Jehu then went into the palace to eat a meal (with his men I presume). After the meal, he sent soldiers to go and bury her body; after all, she was the daughter of a king. When the men went to bury her, however, they could find no body—only her skull, feet and the palms of her hands remained.
When they reported back to Jehu, he reminded them once again of the words of the LORD as prophesied by Elijah. It basically said: “The dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh in Jezreel. Her body will look like excrement; you won’t be able to recognize it.”
The primary truth I take away from this chapter is that God’s word never fails to prove true in every detail. Another important truth in this chapter is that the LORD will avenge the death of His servants.
2Kings 10:1 ¶ And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab’s children, saying,
2Kings 10:2 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;
2Kings 10:3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.
The historian notes that Ahab had 70 sons/grandsons (male descendants) living in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders and those that took care of Ahab’s children. He basically said: Declare whichever of Ahab’s sons you choose as king and prepare for battle against me to protect your choice.
2Kings 10:4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
2Kings 10:5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
The letters put fear into the hearts of the people because they were well aware that Jehu had already killed two kings. They gathered together and prepared a response to Jehu. They basically said, “We surrender; we will serve you and do as you deem good.”
2Kings 10:6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
2Kings 10:7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
2Kings 10:8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king’s sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
So Jehu wrote a second letter. It basically said: If you are telling the truth, you will do as I ask. Kill Ahab’s sons and send their heads to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. Upon receiving Jehu’s letter, the men taking care of the king’s sons killed them all, put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jezreel.
When the baskets arrived in Jezreel, a messenger went to tell Jehu. He ordered that the heads be laid in two heaps at the entrance to the gate until the next morning. (Seems to imply on both sides of the entrance.)
2Kings 10:9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
2Kings 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
2Kings 10:11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
In the morning, Jehu went out and addressed the people. He asserted that they were in no way responsible for the deaths of the sons of Ahab. He admitted that he had killed Joram. He then asked who they thought had killed the king’s sons.
Then Jehu declared a very important truth to the people. Not one word of judgment that God had pronounced against the house of Ahab would fail to prove true. What had been done was in fulfillment of the word of God spoken by Elijah.
Jehu then proceeded to kill all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel—all his assistants, his kinfolk and his priests. Not one was left alive.
This is what the LORD had declared through Elijah:
1 Kings 21:20–24 “And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.”
I see nothing in that prophecy about killing Ahab’s assistants, kinfolk and priests. At this point it seems that Jehu is intent on eliminating any that might possibly be a threat to him and justifying his actions as being in accordance with the word of the LORD.
Wiersbe regarding verses 9-10: “In one brief speech, Jehu washed his hands of the mass murder and also allied himself with the Lord and the prophet Elijah!”
2Kings 10:12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
2Kings 10:13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
2Kings 10:14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
Jehu then left to go to Samaria (presumably to assume the throne in the capital city). Along the way he encountered some of the family of Ahaziah, the king of Judah. When he asked them to identify themselves, they noted that they were relatives of Ahaziah and were on their way to check on the well-being of the children of the king and queen. Jehu then ordered his men to capture them. When they did, they took them to the pit at the shearing house that was nearby and killed all 42 of them.
Guzik adds this information: “Since Jehu was committed to execute all those connected with the house of Ahab, these men were also targets of judgment. Ahaziah was a descendant of King Ahab through his mother (who was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel).”
2Kings 10:15 ¶ And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
2Kings 10:16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
2Kings 10:17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
As he continued on his way, Jehu next encountered Jehonadab, son of Rechab, who was on his way to see him.
Easton’s Dictionary tells us more about the Rechabites: They were “the descendants of Rechab through Jonadab or Jehonadab. They belonged to the Kenites, who accompanied the children of Israel into Palestine, and dwelt among them. Moses married a Kenite wife (Judg. 1:16….The main body of the Kenites dwelt in cities, and adopted settled habits of life (30:29); but Jehonadab forbade his descendants to drink wine or to live in cities. They were commanded to lead always a nomad life. They adhered to the law laid down by Jonadab, and were noted for their fidelity to the old-established custom of their family in the days of Jeremiah….”
Jeremiah 35:8–10 “Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us…. And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.”
Jehu basically asked Jehonadab if they were united in loyalty to one another, and Jehonadab assured him they were. So, Jehu told him to come with him in his chariot and witness his zeal for the LORD; and he did.
When they came to Samaria Jehu killed everyone that was loyal to the house of Ahab until they were all destroyed. The historian notes that these actions were all in accordance with Elijah’s prophecy.
The historian evidently didn’t think that Jehu was going beyond what the LORD had intended. I’m confused—I thought the judgment was intended specifically to eliminate any future descendants from Ahab’s progeny.
2Kings 10:18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
2Kings 10:19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
Next, Jehu gathered together all the people of the city and declared that he would serve Baal with more devotion than had Ahab. He then called for all the prophets of Baal, his servants and his priest to gather with him to make a great sacrifice to Baal. Any that did not come would be put to death.
Jehu, however, was setting a trap for the purpose of destroying all the worshippers of Baal.
JFB makes this observation about Jehu’s plot: It was “…a measure in perfect harmony with the Mosaic law, and worthy of a constitutional king of Israel.”
2Kings 10:20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
2Kings 10:21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
2Kings 10:22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
2Kings 10:23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.
Jehu commanded that a solemn assembly be called for the worship of Baal, and the edict was published throughout all of Israel. All the worshippers of Baal came to the house of Baal, filling it completely. He then instructed the man in charge of the wardrobe to give each of the worshippers a garment marking them as worshippers of Baal.
After this, Jehu and Jehonadab went into the house of Baal and commanded the worshippers assembled there to look around and make sure there were no servants of the LORD among them.
2Kings 10:24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
2Kings 10:25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
2Kings 10:26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
2Kings 10:27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
2Kings 10:28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
When they went in to offer the sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed 80 men to stand guard outside. He commanded them not to let anyone escape from the building; it they did, they would forfeit their own life.
After the offering had been made, Jehu commanded his guards and captains to go in and kill every person in the building. Not one person was to be left alive.
They did as they were commanded, then threw all the bodies outside the house. After that, they went into the house of Baal and brought out the religious pillars, which they broke and burned. The building was destroyed and the remains used to make a “sewer”—most translations interpret this to reference a latrine or communal outhouse.
This is how Jehu destroyed the worship of Baal in Israel.
2Kings 10:29 ¶ Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
2Kings 10:30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generationshall sit on the throne of Israel.
2Kings 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
Jehu did not, however, get rid of the golden calves and the worship centers in Bethel and Dan.
The LORD told Jehu that he had done what was right in His eyes and according to all that was in His heart in judgment against the house of Ahab. As his reward, his children would occupy the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.
Even so, Jehu did not walk in obedience to the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart. He continued to promote worship as established by Jeroboam in Bethel and Dan.
You would think that since he had demonstrated such zeal for accomplishing the word of the LORD, he would have chosen to show the same zeal and commitment to worshipping the LORD. I think his commitment stopped at the point he thought it might lessen his hold of power over the people of Israel. That was the main reason that Jeroboam had made the golden calves and established the worship centers in Bethel and Dan. He didn’t want to take a chance on allowing worship at the temple in Jerusalem because the people might choose to unite as one again under the king in Judah.
1 Kings 12:26–29 “And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.”
Jehu was guilty of the same thing that so many in the professing church are guilty of today. They think they can do “good” things and worship the LORD on their own terms as they ensure that it doesn’t interfere with their way of life.
2Kings 10:32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
2Kings 10:33 From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
In the days of Jehu the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael, king of Syria, captured sections along the borders. He conquered all of Israel that was east of Jordan—the land that had been settled by the tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh, including Gilead and Bashan.
2Kings 10:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
2Kings 10:35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
2Kings 10:36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
The historian closes his account of Jehu’s reign by noting that more was written about him in the chronicles of the kings of Israel (not scripture). Jehu reigned 28 years over Israel before he died. He was buried in Samaria; and his son Jehoahaz succeeded him to the throne.