Jehu's Second Assignment- Death of Wicked Queen Jezebel

By Mary Vee
II Kings 9

From Jehu's Journal

Photo Courtesy

King Joram was dead and I had been crowned king of Israel. My job from God: clean up the idol worship mess.

I gave chase to Ahaziah, king of Judah and wounded him. Unfortunately he escaped to Megiddo. Rather than follow him farther, I went on to the next task, to rid the country of the evil queen Jezebel.

Jezebel hid in the city of Jezreel near where Naboth's vineyard use to be. She was the one who had Naboth killed in order to give the vineyard to her husband, king Ahab. 

I commanded my troops to advance to the city. Near the city gates, I looked up toward a window and saw her. She had put on make up and fixed her hair. Hah. As though she thought she could persuade me to leave the task God had given.

I called out, "Who is on my side? Who?"

Two men looked down at me. 

I called to them, "Throw her down to the ground!"

They went to her room, broke open the door, and threw her out of her window. 

The two men invited us inside for food and drink. As we ate, I ordered a few men to go out and bury Jezebel. "Take care of that cursed woman and bury her. Even though she was evil, she was a king's daughter."

The men came back and reported. "I am sorry, my lord. When we looked, we found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands."

Then I remembered the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Elijah, "On the plot of ground at Jezreel, dogs will devour Jezebel's flesh. Jezebel's body will be like trash on the ground in the plot at Jezreel. No one will be able to recognize her and say, 'This is Jezebel.'"

*****************************************

1. Who was Jehu?
2. Who was Jezebel?
3. What was the second job God gave to Jehu?
4. What had Jezebel done wrong?
5. How did she die?
6. What happened when Jehu went into the city to eat a meal?
7. Who was king of Israel?

Elisha-If Only They Had Worshipped God

By Mary Vee
II Kings 8

From Elisha's Journals

Photo Courtesy

Jehoram, king of Israel died after only his second year of his reign. His son, Ahaziah, became king. Although he was the youngest son of Jehoram, all his older brothers had been killed by raiders, leaving him next in line for the throne. 

I didn't look forward to Ahaziah's reign. He was only twenty-two years old and had already chosen to rely on his mother's advice. She did not fear God and would cause her son to continue leading Israel away from worshiping and honoring the God of our fathers. Such sad news. 

God instructed me to go to Damascus in the north to visit Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. I don't always know ahead of time why God sends me on journeys, but He always has a purpose.

Ben-Hadad was an evil king. His people, the Arameans have a close connection to our people. The father of their people was Laban. Laban was the brother of Abraham, the father of the Israelites. Our nations are as cousins. We should be friends, yet Ben-Hadad continues to battle against us.

When Ben-Hadad heard I had come for a visit, he said to Hazael, a ranking official in his army to "Take a gift and go meet the man of god. Ask him to consult the Lord to find out if I will recover from this illness."

Hazael brought forty camel-loads of all the finest wares from Damascus for a gift. He bowed to me and said, "Your son, Ben-Hadad king of Aram, has sent me to ask if he will recover from his illness."

The Lord gave me an answer right away. "Go and say to him, 'You will certainly recover.' I must tell you, though, the Lord has told me Ben-Hadad will indeed die, but not from the sickness." 

I stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael felt ashamed. During this moment of silence, God revealed the most terrible news of what would happen. I couldn't help but weep.

Hazael stretched his hand forward. "Why is my lord weeping?"

I didn't want to tell him, but when the Lord gives me a message, I must deliver it. "I am weeping because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortified cities, kill our young men, kill the pregnant women and the children."

Hazael took a step back and lowered his head. "How could I, your servant, a mere dog, do such a thing?"

"The Lord has shown me that you will become king of Aram."

Just as every other word of the Lord has come true, so did this. Hazael left me and returned to his master. Ben-Hadad asked him what I had said. He answered, "He told me that you would certainly recover." But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, soaked it in water, and spread it over the king's face. Ben-Hadad died and Hazael succeed him as king.

Just as God said.

*************************************
1. Wow. Life doesn't seem to be going well in Israel with ______ as their new king and in Aram with __________ as the new king.
2. Who deliver this special message from God?
3. What was Ben-Hadad's problem?
4. How old was the new king of Israel?
5. Did he worship God? Why or why not?

Ahaziah-Showdown with Elijah

By Mary Vee
II Kings 1

From Elijah's Scrolls

I have been a prophet during the time of too many evil kings in Israel. Once again, another evil king is on the throne. This king's name is Ahaziah.

Ahaziah fell recently. He suffered a severe injury. He made a bad choice when he sent messengers to Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron. As if that would do any good. 

God had given me a message, told me to stop the messengers on their way, and give them the message to take back to king Ahaziah. God wanted Ahaziah to know he would die since he sent messengers to Baal-Zebub to ask his questions. 

He could have sent the messengers to me and I would have asked the Lord. Everything might have turned out differently for him had he only looked to God for his answers instead of  a false god.

This morning, apparently Ahaziah became quite angry. He sent a captain with a company of fifty men to me. I could see them coming for quite a ways from the top of the hill where I sat. The captain halted his men when he reached the top and said, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'"

Unbelievable. Did he honestly think I would be afraid? "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" 

Instantly fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. 

The fire didn't surprise me. God wanted to make a point to Ahaziah.

I assumed word about the captain and his soldiers reached Ahaziah not long after. Sure enough, the king still thought he could take control. He sent another captain with fifty men.

The captain said, "Man of God this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!"

Uh huh. Adding the words at once would frighten me? Not at all. "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!"

Instantly fire fell from heaven, again, and consumed the captain and his men.

The king didn't not learn his lessons very well. Not much later, a third captain came with fifty men. But this captain fell on his knees before me and begged. "Man of God, please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!"

As his words ended, the angel of the Lord spoke to me saying, "Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him."

I stood and walked freely with the captain and his men. They took me to the king's chambers. where he lay in pain.

"King Ahaziah, This is what the Lord says: Because you sent messengers to ask questions of a fake god instead of coming to me you will never leave this bed and will die."

A few days later, king Ahaziah died. Just as the Lord said.

**************************
photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

1.  After King Ahaziah fell, what did he do wrong?
2.  King Ahaziah became angry at Elijah and sent ________ to fetch him.
3. What happened to them?
4.  King Ahaziah then sent a captain and fifty men. What happened to them?
5.  A third time, King Ahaziah sent a captain and fifty men, but what happened differently this time?
6.  What did the angel tell Elijah?
7.  What happened to king Ahaziah?

Ahaziah: Seeks Answers in the Wrong Places

By Mary Vee
II Kings 1

From the Journal of Ahaziah's Messenger

My king, Ahaziah, king of Israel, had a terrible fall in his chamber this morning. He fell through the lattice in the room. His pain mounted and no one could help him. He sent for me and two other messengers.

I entered his chamber, "Yes, King Ahaziah."

His faced winced with pain. He held his leg and cried out. "Go to Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury."

We left immediately, running part of the way. On our journey we met a prophet. His name was, Elijah. The prophet's eyebrows furrowed and he held his hand up to stop us.

I, of course want to hurry along with my duty, but Elijah would not let us go until we heard his message from God. 

"Go back to Ahaziah, king of Israel, and deliver this message. Do not continue your journey for the message from the Lord will answer the king's question. The Lord says, 'Have you gone to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, because there is no God in Israel? Because you wanted answers from something that is a fake god, you will never leave your bed. You will die."

The prophet didn't give us a chance to ask him any questions. He turned and walked away.

We obeyed the prophet and took his message back to the king. We were allowed into the king's chambers right away. 

The king opened his weary eyes and groaned, "Why are you back so quick?"

"My king, a man met us on the road. He said to return at once with this message: 'The Lord says: Have you gone to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, because there is no God in Israel? Because you wanted answers from something that is a fake god, you will never leave your bed. You will die."

The king's face turned red. "Who met you on the road and gave you this message?"

I answered, "He had clothes made of hair and a leather belt around his waist."

His face turn a darker shade of red. "That was Elijah the Tishbite. Send for the captain of the army at once!"

******************************************************
photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

1. What happened to king Ahaziah?
2. How badly was he hurt?
3. Who did he choose to ask if he would get well?
4. Who stopped the messengers?
5. What message did he have.
6. When Ahaziah heard the message was he pleased?
7. What do you think Ahaziah will do?