II Kings

Chapter 9

"The Conspiracy of Jehu [1-14]."
"Horam, Ramoth-Gilead, and Hazael,
Ahaziah's Plot to Kill Joram [15-29]."
"End of Jezebel [30-37]."

 

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's transcription is provided with written permission by http://www.theseason.org

Before we get into this ninth chapter, think back of just how wicked the children of Israel had sunk into their idolatry. Sure Jehoram was bad, but Ahab had sunk to a far greater depth in sin, when he added to the worshipping of the two calves, by bringing in Baal worship, and the sex orgies of the grove worship. We saw then from the prior chapters that God came pronounced destruction not only on Ahab, but to his seed, his children. So why would God do this to the children? "Because they became far worse than their father's before them." The third generation was doing things that their forefathers never thought of in their idolatry. There was no time when any of these kings sought help and direction from God. However, the only king that did seek help of God, was the enemy, king Ben-hadad of Syria. That news was both good and bad, for he found out that he would get well, and then be murdered.

The point here is that when you turn to God, He will bless you. Before going to war, you would think that the king would seek guidance from a man of God, however, these kings of Ahab never thought of seeking help from God. They had their idol temples, and they went to their false gods for help. Each of these kings were rotten to the core, for with each passing king, the house of Israel sunk deeper into sins of idolatry. All of them deserved death, and that is what this ninth chapter is all about. God is going to select a man to clean up the kingdom, and get rid of the scum.

II Kings 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 Ramoth-gilead:"

This person was not a child, but one of the sons of the prophets that had been trained as a prophet or teacher of God's Word. Elisha called in one of these young men, and gave him this order to prepare yourself for a journey, take up a flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. This "oil" stated here is "olive oil"; number # 8081 in Strong's Hebrew dictionary; "Shemen, sheh'-men; from 8080, a liquid from the olive, often perfumed, anointing, fruitful, olive oil."

So we see that # 8080 is the prime of Shemen; "Shaman, shaw-man; a prime root, to shine, to make oily, become (wax) fat." The "olive oil" or "anointing oil" will be used for the purpose of anointing Jeru to do a certain task, that of cleaning up the House of Israel of Baal, and all the other forms of idolatry that Ahab and the other kings of Israel brought into the land.

II Kings 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;"

The point that Elisha was making to this young man that would anoint Jehu, was that this anointing was not to be done publicly. The orders were to take Jehu into an inner chamber, or closet, and there anoint Jehu. This is God's Word being fulfilled from earlier in I Kings 19:16; "And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room." Elijah did anoint Elisha, and passed the mantle to him at the time Elijah was taken by God. And here with Elijah's mantle on Elisha, so here God's order is being passed from Elisha to this new nameless prophet of God to finish the task and anoint Jehu to be king. The order from God came to Elijah when we was up on mount Sinai, running from Ahab and Jezebel, and now the task will be carried out.

Some would say that Jehu should be of Judah and not Israel, however remember that though Jehu's father's lineage was through Jehoshephat, his mother was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. So his grandparents were Ahab and Jezebel, this would make him an heir to the throne of the house of Israel. When Ahab's son died, there were no more sons to become heirs to the throne. However the royal lineage would not be of Ahab, but of Jehoshaphat, for he was also of the lineage of Jehoshaphat.

It would bring a new royal line away from Ahab and Jezebel's families, for before Jehu assumes the throne, all over Ahab and Jezebel's family members would be killed, right along with all the priest, and followers of Baal and their grove worshipping. Jehu is gong to clean house in Israel.

II Kings 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."

There was a reason that Elisha gave this strict order to the young prophet. After he had anointed Jehu king over Israel he was told to open the door and run, and get out of there. Elisha did not want this young man to become entangled in any of the political activity that would take place after the anointing. The prophet was to give the orders as to how it shall take place, and then our Father brings it all to pass. God uses his own ways to make the prophecies to happen, but the prophets are to state in advance what shall take place. There was a separation of church and state, and he did not want the man of God to be involved with these matters of state, the judgments of the land that must be carried out by Jehu.

The judgment that would come on the royal family of Israel and the priests of Baal were the duties of the state, not the church or prophets of God. God anointed that the job be done, and Jehu would represent the duties of the state to carry out the judgment. From the time of Samuel the prophet, there had been a complete separation of church and state; the priesthood, and the duties of judge, and the carrying out of the law.

II Kings 9:4 "So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead."

II Kings 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."

The word "Jehu" means "living", and remember from the prior chapter that the drought was seven years long when it ended. The Hebrew is very specific that it would be the "last seven years" and this would make it not only history, but prophecy to the last seven years of this earth age. In the "gap theory" of Daniel 9, that seven years missing from the seventy weeks of years take place at the end of this earth age. The end of the last seven years would be a time of cleansing, when the Living God, Jesus Christ, would return to earth and cleanse it from all the sin and idolatry that would be one the earth from Satan's rule as the Antichrist. So I hope you can see the type that is within this lesson, as it applies to our generation. Jehu is flesh and a type of what Christ will do, but Jehu will get the job done and cleanse the land.

II Kings 9:6 "And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on the 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."

Jehu was only a captain in the army, but he was of the correct lineage to the throne also in Israel.

II Kings 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."

Ahab married the heathen wicked woman Jezebel and she took the authority upon herself to kill the prophets of God, and bring in her heathen religions and customs that were practiced in her Zidonian lands. This prophet is stating directly what the orders of God are to Jehu, and there can be no misunderstanding. Jehu is to be the avenger of the blood of all God's servants, the prophets, and the avenging is extended to the house of Baal, their prophets and even to the followers of Baal and grove worship.

Remember when Ahab wanted to put his garden on the neighbor Naboth's land, it was Jezebel that plotted to kill the Naboth and his sons, and end the heirs to the land. Then she took that land and gave it as a gift to Ahab. There are many other evil plots that this wicked woman had done in her life, and it is now payback time. God is going to even up the score with Jezebel in this chapter.

II Kings 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:"

Now we see why Jehu was selected by God to clean up the land and become king. God wanted all of the lineage of Ahab to die, and Jehu was not considered part of the lineage nor line of royalty of the family of Ahab. His family ties were to the lineage of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, however he was serving in the army of the house of Israel. Jehu's orders are to kill all over the offspring of the family of Ahab, every last family member. This is the order that God's prophet was telling Jehu as he is anointing Jehu to be the king over the house of Israel. They are going to be killed because they deserve death by the filthy practices that they have brought over God's people.

II Kings 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:"

Remember that both of these houses or family lines were exterminated and their dynasties ended. There was not a son or daughter left alive to assume any throne. Their dynasties were destroyed and finished. God doesn't mess around when people play games with heathen idolatry and cause his people to follow their idealistic ways.

While the anointing is taking place with Jehu, king Joram of Israel is lying sick at Jezreel from a wound he received in battle with Hazael's Syrian army. God has His own times and places to get even with those that think that they can turn God's house and ways into forms of idolatry. If you want the end to come, then pray for it, but don't try to rush the end, for it will come at God's appointed time, when every last soul that is to be sealed in their minds, is sealed. There is a reason for everything that happens, in relationship to God's time plan.

II Kings 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 prophet of God finished the details that he was suppose to say to Jehu, and when it was over, he opened the door and ran. That is obedience to God's Word.

After Jezebel plotted to take Naboth's land and killed him and all his sons, God told Elijah to go down and give a message to Ahab concerning Jezebel. Lets go back and review what the message that Elijah said to Ahab and Jezebel.

I Kings 21:19 "And thou [Elijah] shalt speak unto him [Ahab], saying, `Thus saith the Lord, `Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?' ' And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, `Thus saith the Lord, `In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.' "

We know that after Ahab's death by a arrow on the battle with Ben-hadad and the Syrians, his blood was spilled all over his chariot. When his chariot was brought back to Jezreel, it was cleaned in the same place where Naboth's blood and that of his sons were spilt. The dogs lapped up Ahab's blood and he was buried in Samaria.

"Thine" or "Jezebel's" blood had not been shed yet, for her sentence had not been carried out, but Jehu is about to carry out those instructions that had just been given to him by this young prophet of God that anointed him as king, and to carry out the task.

II Kings 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."

After he had been anointed in the inner room, he went back into the room where all the others had been sitting. The person that is referred to as a "mad fellow", is what the people called "the prophet of God". Remember that Jezebel and Ahab had forbidden these prophets of God to carry on with God's Work, for they had brought in the prophets of Baal, and caused the people to worship both at the altars of Baal, and at the groves.

We see similar things happening today on television, when the things of God and the name of Jesus Christ is said continually in a negative voice. Christians have become open season to the Kenite press and on their television shows, when at the name of Christ everybody in the audience laughs and carries on like it is a joke. It is a sign of the times we are living in; when the things of God are denounced, and the wicked are elevated. We can see this in the ways that Sodomy and adultery are treated with respect, and the disrespect that men of God shown.

Instead of telling these men that he had just been anointed of God to be the next king, Jehu, passed their remarks off and told them; "You know that he is a man of God and the things that they have to say", and he left it there and told them not to call the prophet of God "a madman".

II Kings 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.' ' "

They saw right through Jehu's statement, and that Jehu was not leveling with them. They wanted to know what this prophet of God had to do with Jehu, an army officer. So Jehu told them exactly what the prophet of God did and said; "He anointed me king over Israel, and gave me a mission." When these men heard what the prophet of God said to Jehu, it is easy to see why they called the prophet of God a madman.

First of all there were many other sons in the line to the throne before Jehu, that were of the dynasty of Ahab, and they knew that Jehu was not in that lineage. It would mean establishing a new dynasty and completely ending the old. That meant that the others would all have to be eliminate.

II Kings 9:13 "Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under "him on the of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king."

Though these ranking military men had done this in mocking of Jehu, it was still the way that kings were announced. It was obvious that there could be no royal cloth that could be used at this time, so each man used his outer garment and put them on the steps to be used as the royal rug for the ceremony leading to Jehu's throne. The men of the group did not argue that it was not the wishes of God, but they accepted it immediately, and we will see that these military men are the ones that will be carrying out the command that God gave to Jehu.

II Kings 9:14 "So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramoth-gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria."

This is given so that you don't confuse this Jehu of Israel with the king of Judah. Jehu and the others in the army were at Ramoth-gilead because they were at war with the Syrians. Though these army personal were there at the battle front, Joram was not, because he had been wounded in battle, and was now resting in Jezreel.

II Kings 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."

So Jehu told these men of war, if we can agree on this new kingship, then we will let no one escape out of the city, to go and tell it to Joram. Those at Ramoth all knew that God had appointed another man to be king, and that the king himself did not know it yet. The point is that Jehu and his men would take them by surprise, so that none would escape. Remember that the orders that came from God were that all of the household of Ahab would be killed. Eighty percent of victory comes from the surprise.

Remember when David was on his death bed with only a matter of hours to live, and David's son Adonijah gathered his priests, military men and political leaders together; and they were about to make Adonijah king over Israel. However, God had appointed Solomon as the king to replace David. Adonijah's deeds were done in secrecy from David, but God allowed the truth to be revealed to David, and immediately he had Bath-sheba bring his son Solomon, and David placed him on the throne while the other group were still plotting with Adonijah.

Had someone escaped and gone to Joram, he could have placed another on the throne, demanded Jehu and the other officers death, and God's plan would have been voided. God has His ways of seeing to it that what he says comes to pass.

II Kings 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."

So here and now both the king of Judah and the king of Israel are together, for when Joram was wounded in battle they both went to Jezreel to rest up and heal. You can go to page 8 and review the lineage of the kings of both Judah and Israel, and we will see that Athaliah and Jehu will assume their thrones at the same time. Both Joram and Ahaziah were brethren by the intermarriage between the two king lines, and both will be destroyed.

II Kings 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?' "

As Jehu and the army that went with him to Jezreel and approached the city, the watchman on the wall observed and reported to the king of the troops that were coming. Immediately Joram told the watchman to have a soldier mount, and find out if they are coming in peace. Remember there was a war going on, and he wanted to be sure that this was not the enemy. At the distance that Jehu and his men were, they could not be identified as friend or foe.

II Kings 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 behind me." And the watchman told, saying, "The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again."

"Is it peace?" means; "Are you here for peaceful reasons?" Jehu told the messenger to get behind me and don't you dare return to Jezreel, and the man turned to follow Jehu. The watchman on the tower saw the messenger coming to Jehu, but he also saw the messenger going to the back of the column and following Jehu. When this was reported to Joram, the king told him to send a second messenger.

II Kings 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."

Jehu answered the second messenger just as he told the first, get behind me. There was no peace in Jehu's heart for Joram or his bunch of idolators. Jehu knew that it was their idolatry that was taring their nation apart. Jehu knew that he was there at the order of God, and that the mission he was about to do was all part of God's plan.

II Kings 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 was a well respected army man, and well known to the watchman, and as they got closer, he could identify Jehu as the officer and driving force behind the troops coming down the road to Jezreel. When Jehu was in the heat of battle, he never did anything half way. Well if they knew that it was Jehu, then the question was, why was he not back at Ramoth-gilead, that is where the battle was. However here he came full force marching on Jezreel.

II Kings 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."

Remember we discussed earlier the wickedness of Jezebel, when she had Naboth killed, and his sons with him. God told Ahab that his wife Jezebel would be killed in the same portion or place that Naboth was killed, and now God is delivering Jezebel's grandson to that place to be slaughtered. Naboth was the owner and inheritor of the land where this is taking place in Jezreel, only Ahab, the grandfather of Joram had taken possession of the land. This field was very fruitful and was right next to Ahab's garden, and Ahab wanted the field for himself. The discussion of what took place between Ahab, Jezebel and Naboth is written in I Kings 21. So God is delivering these two men to the exact location that He intended them to be killed, and Jehu is the hangman that God assigned to do that task. It is payback time for all the sins of Joram, and his parents before him.

II Kings 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?"

It is almost like God has a sense of humor that He would bring these two kings to the exact spot where that wicked act by his mother had taken place, and there judgment would be carried out. There was no doubt in Jehu's mind why he was about to kill Joram, for the orders from the young prophet of God was "to wipe out the entire family", and both these kings were inter-related into the same family ties. Jehu called Joram, and his grandmother nothing but "idolatrous whores of witchcraft". When a man of God talks like that with authority in his voice, the fear of God comes into the hearts of the wicked.

II Kings 9:23 "And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, "There is treachery, O Ahaziah."

Joram knew immediately that he was in trouble, for he pulled the reigns in his hands to turn the horses and chariot around to head for cover. He called out immediately to Ahaziah that there was treachery in Jehu's voice. He knew that Jehu had deceived them. The ironic thing about this is that "Ahaziah" means "sustained by the Lord", only his "lord" was not the Lord God Almighty.

II Kings 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."

As these two kings are heading away in their chariots at full speed to get away from Jehu, Jehu took out his bow, and put his full strength behind the arrow and let it go. The arrow entered into Joram's [Johoram's] back between his arm pits, and proceeded right through his heart. Joram sank down in his chariot floor dead. Remember that Joram and Jehoram are the same person, one identifies him with respect to Judah, and the other with respect to Israel, it all depends who the person is that is talking about him. God's Word came to pass, and Joram died on the very ground that God prophesied that Jezebel and Ahab would be killed. This is payday for the family of Ahab also, and before the day is completed, all of the members of the family of Ahab will be paid in full for the deeds that they did to God's people.

II Kings 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;"

"Bidkar" in the Hebrew tongue means, "son of Stabbing". It is the sword of the Lord that they will get stabbed with in the end. So what this verse is saying, is that when Ahab, Joram's father passed sentence on Naboth and his sons to die, the same sentence would be passed on him. Ahab's grandsons are about to die, at the hand of Jehu and Bidkar. These military officers are telling each other that they both can remember God prophesying this through the prophet Elijah.

II Kings 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."

This "plat", is a portion of land, and it is established in fairness for something taken. The ground was taken by Jezebel with the blood of Naboth, and Naboth's blood set the value of the land. The price was paid in fairness with the price of Ahab's families' blood. The third payment was not made, for Ahab and his son's blood paid the first two payments.

Think of it as buying a piece of land, and instead of the installments being paid with money, it is to be paid with the blood of each member of Ahab's family. This is God's way of being fair, for the wickedness of Jezebel in obtaining the land with the price of Naboth and his sons' blood, and Ahab accepting that blood soaked land.

II Kings 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."

Ahaziah was the king of Judah, and he also took part in the heathen worship of Jezebel's wickedness, and he was also bringing the people of the house of Judah into Jezebel's wickedness. Ahaziah saw Joram fall in his chariot, and he is setting his escape route by the way of the garden house. At Jehu's orders, they followed Ahaziah by the garden house, out the gate of Jezreel, and down the road to Megiddo. They followed him until they were sure that he was wounded. Megiddo wasn't far from Jezreel, on the way back to Jerusalem, and Ahaziah died there in his chariot. "Megiddo" in the Hebrew tongue means "the gathering place of the crowd". This is a type, and gives us just a little peak into the future for those that would apply this as a type. The final place where the world wide system will make their final stand against Christ at His return at the seventh trumpet. That is the place where Jesus Christ slaughters the world wide religious system of Satan, the Antichrist.

II Kings 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."

God was fair to this servant of Judah, for at least his body was laid to rest with his fathers in Jerusalem. The bodies of Ahab's family will not be treated so kingly, as we shall see shortly. The reason that Ahaziah was treated fairly was because of God's promise to and respect for his great grandfather David. Also Ahaziah did not participate in all the evil wickedness that the house of Israel did, and the reason that he was killed was because of his association with his uncle Joram. Remember that Joram's father and Ahaziah were brothers. Their father was Jehoshaphat, and Joram's claim to the throne in Israel came from the fact that he was married to the daughter of Ahab.

II Kings 9:29 "And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah."

This then is setting the chronological order of the kings that were on the throne both of Israel and of Judah.

II Kings 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."

So after chasing Ahaziah all the way to Megiddo and killing him, Jehu and his men returned to Jezreel to hunt down Jezebel. The command to kill Jezebel was given by the prophet of God to Jehu, and he was going to carry out the entire commandment as it was given to him. Jezebel was a older woman by this time, and when she got word of what had happen to her grandson Joram, she went in and painted her face to look adorable, covered her head, and sat down to look out her window. She tried to look like the innocent sweet little old lady that she surely was not.

II Kings 9:31 "And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?"

Remember that Zimri took over the throne by killing the young Elah, the son of Baasha, to end Baasha's dynasty. Jezebel knew that her time was over and she was about to die. This event of Zimri is recorded in I Kings 16:9.

II Kings 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."

There were two or three eunuchs that were the servants of Jezebel standing by her side at the window when Jehu rode up to the window above. He looked up at them and asked them, Who is on my side? They knew that king Joram was dead, and that Jehu was about to take the throne of Israel. It was time to declare if they were on Jezebel's side, or Jehu. Jehu did not allow fence sitters, and it did not take long to make their minds of their commitment to Jehu.

II Kings 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 commanded that the eunuchs throw Jezebel out of the window and down to the ground far below. The blood of Jezebel splattered on the ground, on the wall and even on Jehu's horses. As she lay there on the ground, he rode his chariots over her dead body.

II Kings 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."

After Jezebel's death Jehu entered into the palace to eat and drink, and after he was relaxed he ordered that Jezebel's body be be buried with respect. Remember that she was the daughter of a Ethbaal, the king of the Zidonians [Kenites of Tyre]. Lets review that verse in I Kings 16:31.

I Kings 16:31 "And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he [Ahab] took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him."

Though Jehu was trying to show respect to the corpse of Jezebel here, as being royality, God would not allow this to happen. After the way that she murdered the four hundred prophets of God, and plotted many other deaths with no respect of dignity, God would not allow her to have any respect. God's prophecy was that she was not to have a burial, but that the dogs would eat her flesh, and she would lay across the fields as the waste byproduct [dung] of the dogs. Remember that it was Jezebel that brought in the altars of Baal to Israel, and forced Israel to worship Baal and have their sex orgies in the groves. She was a very wicked woman.

II Kings 9:35 "And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skul, and the feet, and the palms of her hands."

The skull represents the filth that came out of her mind, the feet was the wickedness that she traveled in her life, and the palms of her hands were the service that she gave to the devil in her life. These parts of her body were so bad that even the dogs would not eat it. These three things that directed Jezebel's life were even unfit for a dog's consumption. The skull governed and housed her mind and the things she thought, her feet took her on the path she walked, while her hands gave the service to Baal and the forms of idolatry that she led the people into.

II Kings 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:"

Jehu knew exact what Elijah prophesied, for God revealed it to him through the prophet Elijah.

II Kings 9:37 "And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon upon the face of the field in the protion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, `This is Jezebel.' "

In other words, God allow the entire body of Jezebel to be turned into dog dung, and the dogs spread her digested remains all over the fields, where ever they happened to roam. There is no way that anybody could put a monument up and declare that here are the remains of Jezebel. Remember Naboth's field? it became fertilized with the dung of dogs, the digested portion of Jezebel's wicked body.

Our heavenly Father is very graphic at times, and there is also the unforgivable sin for God's elect, also I John 3:15 that states that a murderer can never possess eternal life in his heart. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." The murderer must wait until he dies and gets to heaven, where by his soul will be judged with the soul of the one murdered as the witness before the throne of God. God told us to send the murderer to him, and those things will cease to exist amongst your communities. That is God's way.

When a murderer is killed by capital punishment there is no guilt, for the price had been paid for the taking of another's life. When capital punishment is done publicly, and is seen by those that would be tempted to do likewise, when it is observed it becomes a warning. Jesus can forgive any sin, and he will, however he stipulated in Matthew 5:17 how He looks on a murderer. Lets take this into the Greek to give us a clear understand of this passage in the Scripture.

Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

I have not come to end the law, but to see that the law is carried out right.

Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

The "jot" is that little dot that gives the form of the sound of a letter when you speak it in Hebrew; Not even the way you speak the word, would Christ change. Sure the blood rituals of the sacrificing of animals were done away with, but the rest of the law remained unchanged by Christ's death on the cross.

Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach me so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:20 "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus Christ is telling us exactly what he thinks of false teachers, and those that would twist the meaning of His Word for their own gain. If you desire to be held high in the kingdom of heaven, then teach the Word as it is written, and do your homework to get the intent of the Word of God correct. When you plant the seed of the Word in someone's mind, make it good seed, and not bad.

Matthew 5:21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, `Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:' "

"Ye have heard" from the public reading of the law, that thou shalt not commit murder. The word "kill" as used in the Greek text is # 5407 in the Strong's Greek dictionary: "Phoneuo, fon-yoo'-o; from 5406, to be a murderer, do murder, slay." Then in # 5406 we read: "phoneus", fon-yooce'; a murderer (always of criminal [or at least intentional] homicide; Which 443 does not necessarily imply."

From the time of Moses when the law was given, to our present day, many like to mistranslate the word "kill" from the original text. For there is a great difference in the words that we call "kill", from the word "murder". Murder has only one meaning, "criminal homicide", to lay wait or plan the death of another human being." It has nothing to do with animals, but only flesh men and woman. "...and whosoever shall do murder shall be in danger of the judgment:" in other words, you have to wait until you arrive there at the throne of God to be judged for that murder. Forgives is done there, and not by what you say or do in your flesh body.

The judgment is done by almighty God, and that is why the Father said to execute murderers and send them to Him. Because they can not, in no way by law and by the mouth of the prophets, and by the Word of God and the mouth of Jesus Christ, can a murderer have forgiveness here on earth. It just will not happen.

This is talking about a criminal that would kill a young child, or say and plan the taking of another human life. It is not talking about an accident whereby lives are lost. It is not talking about any actions taken on behalf of the state of penal system, or in a battle front situation during war time. It is also not talking about car accidents or other events that are beyond the scope of intentionally taking of a life. Accidents do happen, they happened in Moses time, in Jesus time, and we know they are all to common in our day.

If some criminal lays in wait and takes the life of a child or another human being, it simply doesn't make any difference what some bleeding heart judge or jury says, you are guilty in heaven. The criminal knew the intent of his own heart, and there will be no escape from that judgment. Jezebel and all those that took part in the murderers of those prophets of God, and Naboth and his sons are going to answer for their crimes. God is going to cleanse this earth of the venom of wickedness, and all those that will not repent of their sins. Jesus has declared the real facts concerning the law and the murderer.

So Jezebel got exactly what was coming to her, for in the end there was not burial place, and she became just dirt in the field. We will see in the next chapter that Jehu will complete the mop up of the job that started with Joram, and Jezebel, and will carry on until all the wickedness of Ahab is cleansed from the earth.

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