II Kings 10:18-36
“And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. 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 subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.” (II Kings 10:18-19)
For thirty five years since Ahab became king, Israel had been involved in Baal worship, and it had become a major religion among them. Jehu announced that he was going to serve Baal in a much greater way than they had ever done before and asked that everyone who worshipped Baal come to the ceremony he was going to have to help make it greater. It was a way of getting them all together.
“And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
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.
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.
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.” (II Kings 10:20-23)
Jehu had the Ceremonial announced, and all the Baal worshippers came to help publicize their position and make it official, much like the Gay Pride marches in various cities. Jehu had them dress in their ceremonial garments and then check to make sure there weren’t any of God’s worshippers slipping in among them to spy or disrupt their ceremony.
“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.
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.” (II Kings 10:24-25)
While they were offering their sacrifices to Baal, Jehu assigned eighty men guard the exits to prevent anyone from escaping, warning that if any did, the one who permitted it would be killed. He then sent troops into the temple of Baal, to kill everyone there. When they were done they carried out the bodies to make sure there were no survivors, and then destroyed the city that the Baal worshippers had built next to the temple.
“And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.” (II Kings 10:26-28)
Jehu and his men burned the wooden statues of Baal, and broke the giant stone statue, tearing down the temple and making it a garbage dump. The worship of Baal was totally eradicated in Israel.
“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.” (II Kings 10:29)
Jehu hated what Ahab‘s family had done and destroyed the family and the religion they had promoted. Unfortunately, like most reformers, he only dealt with the most obvious problems. He continued and promoted Jeroboam’s worship of the golden calves as a traditional Jewish practice, ignoring the fact it was just as wicked as Baal worship. Just because something has been accepted for a while does not make it right.
Today many are upset about the efforts to legalize homosexual “rights” while insisting on the right of consenting adults to engage in promiscuous sex. Leviticus 20 makes it clear that both behaviors demanded the death penalty. One is not better than the other. What Jehu was doing was very similar.
“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 generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
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.
In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; 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.” (II Kings 10:30-33)
Unlike Asa or Jehoshaphat in Judah, Jehu made no effort to go all the way to eliminate all the sin in Israel. While God applauded and blessed his efforts to stop Baal worship, the blessings were limited. Only four generations of Jehu’s descendants would be allowed to reign in Israel,. In addition, the entire trans-Jordan region was under constant attack by Hazael and they Syrian forces. Eventually all the land east of the Jordan was lost.
“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? And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria.
And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.” (II Kings 10:34-36)
“And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. 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 subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.” (II Kings 10:18-19)
For thirty five years since Ahab became king, Israel had been involved in Baal worship, and it had become a major religion among them. Jehu announced that he was going to serve Baal in a much greater way than they had ever done before and asked that everyone who worshipped Baal come to the ceremony he was going to have to help make it greater. It was a way of getting them all together.
“And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
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.
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.
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.” (II Kings 10:20-23)
Jehu had the Ceremonial announced, and all the Baal worshippers came to help publicize their position and make it official, much like the Gay Pride marches in various cities. Jehu had them dress in their ceremonial garments and then check to make sure there weren’t any of God’s worshippers slipping in among them to spy or disrupt their ceremony.
“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.
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.” (II Kings 10:24-25)
While they were offering their sacrifices to Baal, Jehu assigned eighty men guard the exits to prevent anyone from escaping, warning that if any did, the one who permitted it would be killed. He then sent troops into the temple of Baal, to kill everyone there. When they were done they carried out the bodies to make sure there were no survivors, and then destroyed the city that the Baal worshippers had built next to the temple.
“And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.” (II Kings 10:26-28)
Jehu and his men burned the wooden statues of Baal, and broke the giant stone statue, tearing down the temple and making it a garbage dump. The worship of Baal was totally eradicated in Israel.
“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.” (II Kings 10:29)
Jehu hated what Ahab‘s family had done and destroyed the family and the religion they had promoted. Unfortunately, like most reformers, he only dealt with the most obvious problems. He continued and promoted Jeroboam’s worship of the golden calves as a traditional Jewish practice, ignoring the fact it was just as wicked as Baal worship. Just because something has been accepted for a while does not make it right.
Today many are upset about the efforts to legalize homosexual “rights” while insisting on the right of consenting adults to engage in promiscuous sex. Leviticus 20 makes it clear that both behaviors demanded the death penalty. One is not better than the other. What Jehu was doing was very similar.
“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 generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
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.
In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; 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.” (II Kings 10:30-33)
Unlike Asa or Jehoshaphat in Judah, Jehu made no effort to go all the way to eliminate all the sin in Israel. While God applauded and blessed his efforts to stop Baal worship, the blessings were limited. Only four generations of Jehu’s descendants would be allowed to reign in Israel,. In addition, the entire trans-Jordan region was under constant attack by Hazael and they Syrian forces. Eventually all the land east of the Jordan was lost.
“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? And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria.
And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.” (II Kings 10:34-36)
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