This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
2KINGS
1 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,
2 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;
3 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.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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?
10 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.
11 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.
Jehu sent a letter proclaiming that the sons of Ahab could declare a king and fight against him if they desired. He was at least merciful, and would allow them this opportunity. But their guardians were afraid of Jehu. They were so afraid of him, that they willingly killed their master's sons and brought Jehu the heads!
12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
13 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.
14 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.
When Jehu left Jezreel and went to Samaria, he found 42 men who were "brethren" of Ahaziah, king of Judah. Jehu had already killed Ahaziah. These would be sons and/or brothers of Ahaziah - and would be descendents of Ahab through Athaliah.
15 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.
16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
Jehonadab (also named Jonadab in Jeremiah 35:9-16) is called a "good man." He caused his sons to take an oath never to drink wine nor to be worldly in any manner. Perhaps his lesson was learned here.
17 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.
18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
19 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 subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21 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.
22 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.
23 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.
24 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.
25 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.
26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 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.
30 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.
Jehu made a pretense of Baal-worship in order to entice all the prophets and priests of Baal to come to one place. After he got them there, he killed them all.
31 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.
32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
33 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.
34 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?
35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
However, Jehu was pressured by what WAS. He was now king of the most corrupt society in the world. And it corrupted him to a certain extent. He did not try to change the idea that Jeroboam had introduced. Jeroboam had made two golden calves and got the people of Israel to worship there instead of going to Jerusalem.
Think about that in relationship to today. The house of God today in the Christian church COULD reinstitute fulll HOLY worship. It COULD be done simply by clinging to God's Word and doing as He tell us to do.
Please continue with us in daily Bible study.
CHAPTER 10
Jehu had them placed in two heaps, on either side of the gate to Jezreel, and let them stay overnight.
The next day he made a profound statement. He was indeed guilty of conspiracy against his king (although he did it at God's command and in fulfillment of God's prophecy). But these elders were guilty of a greater evil. They took the lives of those over whom they had been appointed as guardians. They did it out of fear.
Fear is an awful destroyer. It will cause men to do evil things when there is an alternative. God's prophecy could have just as eaily been fulfilled in battle and that might have been more honorable. But the guardians chose MURDER instead.
This shows the depths to which man will sink when he is without GOD!
Thank God, when we become saved, He gives us power over such fear.
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."(2Timothy 1:7)
Therefore the judgment of God pronounced by Elijah was applied to them as well as the sons in Jezreel.
When God pronounces a judgment it will not fail. None shall escape His hand.
Jehonadab met Jehu on the way to Samaria, and was favored by Jehu. And perhaps he accompanied Jehu to Samaria where Jehu completed the work of killing all of Ahab's family.
Perhaps WE could take a lesson here.
"He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend."
(Proverbs 22:11)
Therefore, Jehu is credited with destroying Ball out of Israel (verse 28).
God commended Jehu, and promised him four generations of kings on the throne of Isreal.
Jehu, like Jeroboam, was afraid that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship, they would soon want to be UNITED with Judah and he would lose his kingship.
Also, Jehu did not wholly follow the Word of the Lord in his dynasty. He fully completed the prophetic assignment given him, but he did nothing to better the spiritual condition of the people.
Jehu reigned for 28 years. He COULD have reinstituted the worship of Jehovah completely. Why didn't he?
But instead, evil gains strongholds on every corner. WHY?
Simply because there is something about the freedom to be what I want to be that keeps me from becoming all that GOD wants me to be.