2Ki 9:14-15 | KingComments | STEP | Jehu did not oppose his appointment. He accepted the kingship his friends have chosen for him. He also immediately had his plan ready and together with the other captains he conspired against Jehoram, the king of Israel. By doing so, he made them jointly responsible for his actions. He didn’t only go because the LORD has said it, but also provided himself with the support of others. There was no request whatsoever to the LORD, for what He had chosen for him to do. He did ask if, if the captains really want him to be king, they would show it by making sure that his plan did not become known in Jezreel ahead of time. In an in-between sentence ( ) it is still told that the wicked king Jehoram of Israel was in Jezreel and that he was there to be healed of the wounds he suffered in the war against the Syrians. That explains why Jehu wanted to go to Jezreel, because there is the man he wanted to kill first. Also Ahaziah king of Judah was there on a visit to his uncle Jehoram, who is on his sickbed. The watchman on the watchtower of Jezreel saw the company of Jehu arriving and reported it in the city. Jehoram sent out a horseman to ask if they came in peace. He may have been referring to peace with the Syrians. Jehoram does not think that Jehu was on his way to kill him. When the horseman arrived and asked the king’s question for peace, Jehu answered by how the man could be thinking to ask such a question. Did he not see that there is no peace in the kingdom as long as it is ruled by such a king? The man had better join him. That was what the messenger did. The second messenger sent by Jehoram did the same. The watchman told Jehoram of both the first and the second messengers that they greeted the company of Jehu, but did not return. Meanwhile, the company had also come closer. Now the watchman could see from the style of driving that it was Jehu. Jehu drove furiously. The question might arise whether it is wrong to carry out a command as quickly and well as possible. Yet that is not what this is all about. With all we know about Jehu, it seems that his sole purpose in driving fast was to become king as fast as possible. Didn’t he have a wonderful reason in what the prophet had said? Isn’t it wonderful to be able to carry out God’s judgment? Jehu loved to do that, but it was a carnal pleasure for him. This is how it can be when disciplining in the church. Discipline is necessary when people sin openly and it is not confessed. However, if this discipline is carried out with an unseen pleasure, for example because it evicts someone who obstructed our plans, the motive is purely carnal, we act in self-interest. We must always be aware that it is about the Name of the Lord. Otherwise we act in the power of the flesh, as Jehu does. When Jehoram heard that the second rider had not returned, he and Ahaziah go to meet Jehu. Not long after, there were three kings together in Jezreel. They are drawn together as by a magnet and that even on Naboth’s land. Jehoram himself then asked the question he had asked through both horsemen, the question of peace with the Syrians. In his answer Jehu did not talk about peace with the Syrians, but about the lack of peace among God’s people. He also talked about the cause of the lack of that peace. The cause lay in the harlotries, the witchcrafts of Jehoram’s mother Jezebel. The diagnosis was correct. How could there be peace among God’s people, as long as the disgusting and demonic influence of Jezebel was present and maintained? At the same time, the observation was businesslike. Nothing of the indignation of the prophets who share in the feelings of God’s heart’s sorrow could be heard. When Jehoram discovered that Jehu was not an ally, but an opponent, he shouted “treachery” to Ahaziah and fled. But Jehu was prepared for that. He drew his bow with his full strength and killed the fleeing Jehoram with one well-targeted arrow. The force with which the arrow is shot is emphasized. It reflected the inner attitude of Jehu. He must and will perform his task without failure. He knew intellectually that he was engaged in carrying out the judgment announced by God through Elijah ( ). We even hear from what Jehu quoted, of a peculiarity that we don’t read in 1 Kings 21. It appears that Naboth’s sons were also murdered by Jezebel and Ahab in order to take possession of their piece of land and to keep it. Jezebel and Ahab would have argued that by also killing the sons, no one would be able to claim Naboth’s land.

‏ 2 Kings 9:14-15

Jehu Kills Jehoram

Jehu did not oppose his appointment. He accepted the kingship his friends have chosen for him. He also immediately had his plan ready and together with the other captains he conspired against Jehoram, the king of Israel. By doing so, he made them jointly responsible for his actions. He didn’t only go because the LORD has said it, but also provided himself with the support of others. There was no request whatsoever to the LORD, for what He had chosen for him to do. He did ask if, if the captains really want him to be king, they would show it by making sure that his plan did not become known in Jezreel ahead of time.

In an in-between sentence (2Kgs 9:14b-15) it is still told that the wicked king Jehoram of Israel was in Jezreel and that he was there to be healed of the wounds he suffered in the war against the Syrians. That explains why Jehu wanted to go to Jezreel, because there is the man he wanted to kill first. Also Ahaziah king of Judah was there on a visit to his uncle Jehoram, who is on his sickbed.

The watchman on the watchtower of Jezreel saw the company of Jehu arriving and reported it in the city. Jehoram sent out a horseman to ask if they came in peace. He may have been referring to peace with the Syrians. Jehoram does not think that Jehu was on his way to kill him. When the horseman arrived and asked the king’s question for peace, Jehu answered by how the man could be thinking to ask such a question. Did he not see that there is no peace in the kingdom as long as it is ruled by such a king? The man had better join him. That was what the messenger did. The second messenger sent by Jehoram did the same.

The watchman told Jehoram of both the first and the second messengers that they greeted the company of Jehu, but did not return. Meanwhile, the company had also come closer. Now the watchman could see from the style of driving that it was Jehu. Jehu drove furiously.

The question might arise whether it is wrong to carry out a command as quickly and well as possible. Yet that is not what this is all about. With all we know about Jehu, it seems that his sole purpose in driving fast was to become king as fast as possible. Didn’t he have a wonderful reason in what the prophet had said? Isn’t it wonderful to be able to carry out God’s judgment? Jehu loved to do that, but it was a carnal pleasure for him.

This is how it can be when disciplining in the church. Discipline is necessary when people sin openly and it is not confessed. However, if this discipline is carried out with an unseen pleasure, for example because it evicts someone who obstructed our plans, the motive is purely carnal, we act in self-interest. We must always be aware that it is about the Name of the Lord. Otherwise we act in the power of the flesh, as Jehu does.

When Jehoram heard that the second rider had not returned, he and Ahaziah go to meet Jehu. Not long after, there were three kings together in Jezreel. They are drawn together as by a magnet and that even on Naboth’s land. Jehoram himself then asked the question he had asked through both horsemen, the question of peace with the Syrians. In his answer Jehu did not talk about peace with the Syrians, but about the lack of peace among God’s people.

He also talked about the cause of the lack of that peace. The cause lay in the harlotries, the witchcrafts of Jehoram’s mother Jezebel. The diagnosis was correct. How could there be peace among God’s people, as long as the disgusting and demonic influence of Jezebel was present and maintained? At the same time, the observation was businesslike. Nothing of the indignation of the prophets who share in the feelings of God’s heart’s sorrow could be heard.

When Jehoram discovered that Jehu was not an ally, but an opponent, he shouted “treachery” to Ahaziah and fled. But Jehu was prepared for that. He drew his bow with his full strength and killed the fleeing Jehoram with one well-targeted arrow. The force with which the arrow is shot is emphasized. It reflected the inner attitude of Jehu. He must and will perform his task without failure. He knew intellectually that he was engaged in carrying out the judgment announced by God through Elijah (1Kgs 21:19-24).

We even hear from what Jehu quoted, of a peculiarity that we don’t read in 1 Kings 21. It appears that Naboth’s sons were also murdered by Jezebel and Ahab in order to take possession of their piece of land and to keep it. Jezebel and Ahab would have argued that by also killing the sons, no one would be able to claim Naboth’s land.