III. THE REIGN OF JEHU OVER ISRAEL
Second Kings 9:1—10:36 speaks of the reign of Jehu over Israel. Jehu was used by God as an executioner to carry out His judgment on the whole house of Ahab.
A. Being Anointed by a Son of the Prophets
Elisha the prophet told one of the sons of the prophets to take a flask of oil, pour it on Jehu’s head, and say that Jehovah had anointed him king over Israel. The young man did as Elisha had said, anointing Jehu and declaring that God had made him king over the people of Jehovah, over Israel. Then the son of the prophets told Jehu that he had been charged by God to strike the house of Ahab his master for God’s avenging of the blood of His servants the prophets and the blood of all His servants at the hand of Jezebel. He went on to say that the whole house of Ahab would perish and that every male of his descendants would be cut off, making the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, and that Jezebel would be eaten by the dogs with no one to bury her (9:1-10).
B. Being Recognized and
Proclaimed to Be the King
Jehu was recognized and proclaimed to be the king by the servants of his master Jehoram king of Israel (vv. 11-13).
C. Rebelling against
His Master Jehoram King of Israel
Jehu rebelled against Jehoram king of Israel, killed him, and threw him in the lot of the field of Naboth in fulfillment of God’s prophecy concerning His avenging of the blood of Naboth and his sons. Naboth and his sons, innocent citizens, had been killed by Jezebel. Their blood was before God continually, and God sought to avenge that blood. Jehu also fatally wounded Ahaziah king of Judah (vv. 14-27). By this we can see that for the people of God to enjoy the good land, there must be a right and righteous situation.
D. Executing God’s Judgment on Jezebel
Jehu executed God’s judgment on Jezebel (vv. 30-37) by having her thrown down from the window by the eunuchs. The fact that the eunuchs responded so quickly to Jehu’s charge to throw Jezebel down indicates that they had hated this evil woman for quite a long time but could do nothing to her. Some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and Jehu trampled her. When they went to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. This was in fulfillment of God’s prophecy concerning her that in the lot of Jezreel the dogs would eat her flesh and that her corpse would be like dung upon the face of the field in the lot of Jezreel, so that people would not say, "This is Jezebel" (v. 37).
Revelation 17 shows the pitiful ending of the real Jezebel, the great harlot, the apostate Roman Catholic Church. When Antichrist and his ten kings persecute the religions of the earth, they will eat the flesh of Jezebel and burn her utterly with fire (v. 16).
(Life-Study of 1 & 2 Kings, Chapter 15, by Witness Lee)
