Elisha called done of the young prophets and told him to take a flask of oil and go to Ramoth Gilead and find Jehu and privately anoint him king over Israel just as Samuel anointed David whilst Saul was still alive, and remained for many, many years before David actually became king. Just as Samuel was afraid, this young man, having done that, was to run for his life! (v1-3) Jewish tradition suggests that this young prophet was Jonah the son of Amittai (14:25). Joram was still king, hence, to do it privately and to escape immediately afterwards. The dynasty of Omri was about to come to an end. Israel had gone away from the true God, but God had not abandoned them.
Elijah had been told this by God (1 Kings 19:15-18) when he was instructed to anoint Hazael king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha to take his own place when God would take him to heaven. It seems that by this time, the only one which had not been done was Jehu as king of Israel. Evidently Elijah had passed on the message to Elisha, and the prophecy was about to be fulfilled.
The anointing of kings over the Northern kingdom of Israel was not the norm, in fact, Jehu was the only one who was, maybe indicating that the Spirit of God was endowing him for the task, as David and Saul had been anointed by Samuel. One commentator suggests that it was done when circumstances required it to allay those who might question his authority.
The young prophet did as he was told (v4-9), anointed Jehu and gave him this message, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel. You shall strike down the house of Ahab your 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. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both bond and free. So 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. The dogs shall eat Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.’” He then opened the door and fled.
One may assume that Elisha told him what to say although it is not recorded earlier, or the LORD inspired the young man to say this.
After the young prophet had left, jehu came out of his room and one of his servants asked what he had been told. He was quite derogatory about the young man and Jehu’s appearance having been anointed with oil. He referred to him as a mad man. Either Jehu didn’t want to tell his men, or he didn’t know whether to believe what he had been told. He came out and said that what the man had said was ‘babble’ (v11-13). However, he told them that he had been anointed as king, but nothing else. They wasted no time in laying their garments under him and blowing trumpets to announce that “Jehu is king”. One moment they are regarding the young man as a mad man, the next they are believing his word that Jehu has been anointed king.
Jehu begins to conspire against king Joram (v14-20). So very different to David who did not conspire against Saul, in fact, he went on the run from Saul, who was trying to kill him for more than ten years. David refused to touch the LORD’S anointed. Jehu was clearly different. He had little respect for others. Jehu, with a chosen band of men, entered Jezreel where king Joram had gone after being wounded in the war with Hazael at Ramoth Gilead (see end of chapter 8). Ahaziah, king of Judah, had also come there to see Joram. Jehu said to the people before he left for Jezreel, “If you desire to make me king, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel. Joram wanted to know if Jehu and his men came in peace, so he sent a rider to meet him. The man on the watchtower kept observations and reported back to the king. Jehu asked the rider what he had to do with peace and persuaded the rider to defect to him. Jehu was saying that this was war and not peace. This happened twice, two riders joining Jehu and his men, all reported by the watchman. He reported to Joram that the two horsemen had joined Jehu and his men and not returned to Joram. The watchman also reported that the driving was like the driving of Jehu who drives furiously. Jehu apparently was a popular leader and a furious driver. His name has become synonymous with fast, furious driving.
In verses 21-24, King Joram commanded that his chariot be made ready for him, and, with Ahaziah the king of Judah, each in his chariot, they went out to meet Jehu. They met at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. This was the property which Ahab and Jezebel had wickedly taken from Naboth, but note that so far as God was concerned, it was still Naboth’s property. Joram asked if it was peace between him and Jehu, but Jehu answered, “What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?” At this Joram fled calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery Ahaziah. “
Seemed that Joram never expected this. Jehu was intent on carrying out God’s anointing on him to wipe out the memory of Ahab and Jezebel for their wickedness, not for his own ends. Jehu drew his bow with all his strength and shot the king of Israel between his shoulders as he tried to ride away. The name Joram and Jehoram are both used in this scenario, but it was clearly the king of Israel who died as the arrow passed right through his back into his heart and emerged at his front. Evidently, a most powerful shot, with all his strength, possibly superhuman strength given by God.
Jehu commanded Bidkar, the captain of his men, to take the body of Joram and throw it in the field of Naboth. He reminded Bidkar that when they were riding behind Ahab, the LORD had laid this burden on them that He saw the blood of Naboth and his sons, and He would repay Ahab for his wicked deeds. Jehu was fulfilling the LORD’S will in bringing judgment on the house of Ahab (v25,26). Seemed a suitable end for Ahab’s sin!
When Ahaziah saw what had happened to Joram, he fled towards Beth Haggan pursued by Jehu who gave orders to his men to shoot him at the Ascent of Gur, by Ibleam. He made it to Megiddo and died there. His men took his body and buried it in Jerusalem in his tomb with his fathers in the City of David (v27-29). Jehu had no direct command by God to shoot Ahaziah, but he did so. He had chosen to associate with the king of Israel, so he met the same end although he did get a decent burial, but that was because of Jeshoshaphat his ancestor (see 2 Chronicles 22:9).
When Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her face and made herself look attractive. I assume we would call it heavy makeup. She looked out of an upstairs window and Jehu arrived. She asked him if he had come in peace, Zimri. She called him Zimri, which was an insult for Zimri had murdered king Elah of Israel (see 1 Kings 16). Jehu called out for anyone who was on his side and two or three eunuchs came to the window. He called for them to throw her down, which they did, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and the horses, and Jehu trampled her underfoot. The eunuchs probably worked for Jezebel, but it was obvious that they did not regard her. Maybe they hated her wickedness (v30-37).
There is a lesson for us that we must throw out from our lives anything which displeases the LORD before we can have true peace.
Custom said they should not desecrate a dead body, but Jehu disregarded it. In fact, he had a meal immediately afterwards. This showed that Jehu had no respect for others as I said previously.
However, he told them to go and bury Jezebel, even though she was very wicked, she was a king’s daughter and deserved some respect, however small. The men went to bury her, but they found very little of her bodily remains – skull, feet and palms of her hands only. Jehu, even though he was not a godly man, he remembered the words spoken by Elijah (1 Kings 21) that dogs would eat the flesh of Jezebel and that her corpse would be as refuse on the field. So that no one could identify the grave of Jezebel. What a despicable end! Yet perhaps nothing compared to the hell awaiting those who reject the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ.
