SUMMARY OF 2 KINGS 8:7-10:36
Elisha foretells that Hazael, a servant of the king of Aram, will end up murdering the king of Aram (Ben-Hadad) and taking the throne.
Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, reigned in Israel 8 years as the King of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord but was spared due to God’s promise to David. Edom rebelled against Judah during Jehoram’s reign.
Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, reigned. He reigned in Jerusalem one year and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Ahaziah went to war against the king of Aram.
2 Kings 9
Jehu is anointed King of Israel according to God’s wishes as conveyed by Elisha. He is to destroy the house of Ahab (Judah).
Jehu then kills Joram and Ahaziah. He then killed Jezebel. He then killed all of Ahab’s family in 2 Kings 10.
Jehu then kills the prophets of Baal, effectively ending Baal worship in Israel.
Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria 28 years. God promises him his descendents will rule over Israel to the 4th generation for his obedience. However, he did sin, and God began to reduce the size of Israel.
SUMMARY OF 2 CHRONICLES 21:1-22:9
The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and the Arabs near the Cushites. They attacked Judah and carried off the goods from the palace. The Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable, painful disease from which he died of.
All of Jehoram’s sons were killed except Ahaziah, the youngest, who then became king of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and was killed by Jehu.
BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 10, Day 3: 2 Kings 8:7-10:36; 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9
6) Kings in Aram: Hazael, a servant of the king of Aram, will end up murdering the king of Aram (Ben-Hadad) and taking the throne.
Kings in Judah:
Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, reigned in Israel 8 years as the King of Judah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord but was spared due to God’s promise to David. Edom rebelled against Judah during Jehoram’s reign.
Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, reigned. He reigned in Jerusalem one year and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Ahaziah went to war against the king of Aram.
Kings in Israel: Jehu is anointed King of Israel according to God’s wishes as conveyed by Elisha. He is to destroy the house of Ahab (Judah).
7) Jehu was previously anointed as a future king of Israel, who would overthrow the king of Ahab (1 Kings 19:16-18). God’s promise against Jezebel and the house of Ahab was exactly and righteously fulfilled (1 Kings 21:19, 21:23-25).
8 ) No. He did what God ordered, which was to destroy the house of Ahab and avenge the prophets killed by Ahab and Jezebel. However, his methods were not honoring to God. Hosea predicts that God will punish the house of Jehu for his murderous rampage and that he will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 10, Day 3: 2 Kings 8:7-10:36; 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9
Very interesting how God uses others to enact His consequences of disobedience. Sometimes, it can be severe.
End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 10, Day 3: 2 Kings 8:7-10:36; 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9
Sometimes God’s calling on your life is a burden, as Elisha experienced when he weeped at what he knew Hazael would do to the Israelites.
Was Elisha’s words to Hazael a self-fulfilling prophecy? No one makes anyone do anything. Everything is of their own accord.
Do note: King Jehoram of Judah in this passage should not be confused with the King Jehoram of Israel mentioned in 2 Kings 3. That Jehoram is called Joram in this passage and following.
The anointing of Jehu is kept secret so that Jehoram would not have time to oppose him.
Fun Fact: Jehu is the only king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to be anointed.
Jehu was God’s chosen one to enact judgment on the house of Ahab.
Jezreel is the city where Joram is recovering from his injury.
Jehu knew he was fulfilling God’s will with his murders. We know this by him throwing Joram’s body in Naboth’s vineyard, where Ahab had murdered Naboth.
Jehu was not commissioned to kill the king of Jusah (Ahaziah), but he did anyway. Technically, Ahaziah was a relative of Ahab.
Jezebel references Zimri (1 Kings 16:9-12) who assassinated King Baasha of Israel who was a commander in the army, too. When Jezebel was trampled, it was considered a desecration of the body and was worse than death. Yet, Jehu is not perturbed at all, eating and drinking afterward.
The sons of Ahab were definitely a threat to take Jehu’s throne, which is why he had them killed.
Jehu killed 42 members of Ahaziah’s family, which many Bible Scholars believe crossed a line. He then kills the remainder of Ahab’s family in Samaria.
Note the mention of the founder of the Rechabites, a reform movement that wants everyone to live a Godly life. Jeremiah 35
Jehu deceived the prophets of Baal to kill them. The destroys the prophets and their temple.
Jehu still promoted the false worship of idols of the true God.
Jehu did good (God’s work), but was still bad of the kings of Israel. He did the work still in sin.
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