II Kings 10:1-17
“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, 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; 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.” (II Kings 10:1-3)
Jehu had been chosen as king by the army, and had killed Ahab’s son Jehoram, as well as Jezebel. However, Ahab had seventy other sons who could claim the throne. Since they were from Samaria and Jezreel, their support would probably come from those cities. Jehu sent a message to the leaders asking that they decide who was to be king and gather their army to fight for the right to be king.
“But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand? 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.” (II Kings 10:4-5)
Realizing that Jehu had killed both Jehoram, King of Israel and Ahaziah, King of Judah, the leaders of Samaria and Jezreel were afraid to fight him. Instead they offered to surrender and not make one of them king, accepting whatever he might choose.
“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. 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.” (II Kings 10:6-7)
Ahab’s sons had been raised by the great men of the city in sort of a boarding school to give them the best and most polished education possible. Jehu said that if they were sincere about their surrender, they were to behead all Ahab’s sons and deliver them within twenty four hours, eliminating any possible future claims.
The leaders obeyed His command, executing all seventy of Ahab’s sons, and gathering their heads in baskets to take them to Jezreel as he commanded.
“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.
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? 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.
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. ” (II Kings 10:8-11)
When the heads were delivered, Jehu had them piled by the gate to the place where he was staying overnight. The next morning, he displayed them to the people, pointing out that while he had killed Jehoram, he had not killed these other sons of Ahab. He reminded them of Elijah’s prophecy about Ahab’s family and warned them that God would see that every bit was fulfilled. In essence, any complaints would have to be against God. Jehu then killed all of Ahab’s relatives, the leaders that had supported him, and the priests to his false gods. There was no one left to rebuild Ahab’s philosophy.
“And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way, 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.
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.” (II Kings 10:12-14)
Ahaziah was Ahab’s grandson and Jehoram‘s nephew. As Jehu was on his way to Samaria, he met a bunch of Ahaziah’s cousins and uncles on their way down to visit Jehoram and his wife and children. When he found out who they were, he had them taken over to the pit where they bundled the fleeces and executed. Forty two of Ahaziah’s relatives were killed because of their support of Ahab’s family.
“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. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.” (II Kings 10:15-16)
Jehonadab the son of Rechab was a man devoted to keeping his heart right with God. He even went so far as to direct his children to never build houses or plant vineyards or crops so they would not forget it was God who took care of them. Jeremiah used his children as an example for Judah and Israel in Jeremiah 35. Jehu asked him to go along and see how much he wanted to serve God.
“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.” (II Kings 10:17)
When he got to Samaria, Jehu destroyed everything there that related to Ahab as well, following God’s prophecy by Elijah.
Because David served God whole heartedly, God would not allow his family to be destroyed. Because Ahab would not serve God and deliberately disobeyed, God had his entire family destroyed. While it seems harsh, because they were raised under Ahab’s example, his children would develop much the same attitudes and standards as Ahab and Jezebel. By killing them those attitudes would not be spread to future generations. Parents need to consider the effects their attitudes and actions will have on their children and grandchildren. Jehonadab(Jonadab) set such an example before his children that more than a hundred years later, his descendants were still doing what he taught them.
“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, 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; 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.” (II Kings 10:1-3)
Jehu had been chosen as king by the army, and had killed Ahab’s son Jehoram, as well as Jezebel. However, Ahab had seventy other sons who could claim the throne. Since they were from Samaria and Jezreel, their support would probably come from those cities. Jehu sent a message to the leaders asking that they decide who was to be king and gather their army to fight for the right to be king.
“But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand? 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.” (II Kings 10:4-5)
Realizing that Jehu had killed both Jehoram, King of Israel and Ahaziah, King of Judah, the leaders of Samaria and Jezreel were afraid to fight him. Instead they offered to surrender and not make one of them king, accepting whatever he might choose.
“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. 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.” (II Kings 10:6-7)
Ahab’s sons had been raised by the great men of the city in sort of a boarding school to give them the best and most polished education possible. Jehu said that if they were sincere about their surrender, they were to behead all Ahab’s sons and deliver them within twenty four hours, eliminating any possible future claims.
The leaders obeyed His command, executing all seventy of Ahab’s sons, and gathering their heads in baskets to take them to Jezreel as he commanded.
“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.
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? 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.
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. ” (II Kings 10:8-11)
When the heads were delivered, Jehu had them piled by the gate to the place where he was staying overnight. The next morning, he displayed them to the people, pointing out that while he had killed Jehoram, he had not killed these other sons of Ahab. He reminded them of Elijah’s prophecy about Ahab’s family and warned them that God would see that every bit was fulfilled. In essence, any complaints would have to be against God. Jehu then killed all of Ahab’s relatives, the leaders that had supported him, and the priests to his false gods. There was no one left to rebuild Ahab’s philosophy.
“And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way, 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.
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.” (II Kings 10:12-14)
Ahaziah was Ahab’s grandson and Jehoram‘s nephew. As Jehu was on his way to Samaria, he met a bunch of Ahaziah’s cousins and uncles on their way down to visit Jehoram and his wife and children. When he found out who they were, he had them taken over to the pit where they bundled the fleeces and executed. Forty two of Ahaziah’s relatives were killed because of their support of Ahab’s family.
“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. And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.” (II Kings 10:15-16)
Jehonadab the son of Rechab was a man devoted to keeping his heart right with God. He even went so far as to direct his children to never build houses or plant vineyards or crops so they would not forget it was God who took care of them. Jeremiah used his children as an example for Judah and Israel in Jeremiah 35. Jehu asked him to go along and see how much he wanted to serve God.
“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.” (II Kings 10:17)
When he got to Samaria, Jehu destroyed everything there that related to Ahab as well, following God’s prophecy by Elijah.
Because David served God whole heartedly, God would not allow his family to be destroyed. Because Ahab would not serve God and deliberately disobeyed, God had his entire family destroyed. While it seems harsh, because they were raised under Ahab’s example, his children would develop much the same attitudes and standards as Ahab and Jezebel. By killing them those attitudes would not be spread to future generations. Parents need to consider the effects their attitudes and actions will have on their children and grandchildren. Jehonadab(Jonadab) set such an example before his children that more than a hundred years later, his descendants were still doing what he taught them.
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