King Jehu Rids Israel of Baal Worship

By Mary Vee
II KIngs 10

From the Journals of Jehu

Photo Courtesy

I've rid Israel and Judah of the kings who lead the people astray. Elisha sent a priest to anoint me king. I knew right away what needed to be done. 

The time for Baal worship had to end.

I couldn't tolerate the disrespect for the living God. The people need to either put their trust in the Almighty God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or worship Baal. They could not worship both. The time for action had come. 

I had already devised the plan I am about to carry out.

"Guard, send an announcement to bring all the people together for a meeting."

"Yes, my lord."

The guard left. It took some time before a large crowd gathered. I pressed my shoulders back, ready to show my authority as the new king and learn who the true worshipers of God were.

I stepped out on the balcony, looked out at the large mass of people, and raised my hand to quiet them. "Ahab served Baal a little. I will serve him much. Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all of his ministers and all of his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live."

It will be quite interesting to see who is willing to show their dedication to God by putting their life on the line. I continued my speech. "Call an assembly in honor of Baal."  The people dispersed sharing the news with each other. I couldn't tell, yet, who would choose to be on the Lord's side and who would choose to come to the meeting.

The temple of Baal filled. I could barely squeeze through the crowd. All the ministers of Baal came. Not one stayed away. There was no place to stand from one end of the temple to the other. 

I turned to the keeper of the wardrobe. "Bring robes for all these ministers of Baal."

He and his staff quickly obeyed until every minister of Baal received one.

My friend and trusted assistant, Jehonadab, joined me on the platform. I quieted the large group of Baal ministers and spoke.  "Look around and see that no servants of the Lord are here with you--only ministers of Baal." The men did as I asked then we went in to the shrine of Baal to make sacrifices and burnt offerings as was the custom. 

What the ministers didn't know was I had placed eighty men outside the temple with this warning. "If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life."

As soon as I had finished making the burnt offering to Baal, I whispered to the guard and officers, "Go in and kill them. Don't let any of the ministers of Baal escape." The guards followed my instructions exactly and threw the bodies out . They entered the shrine of the temple of Baal and brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it then demolished it. The guards then tore down the temple of Baal. It has since been used as a bathroom to this day.

With this, the Baal worship led by the evil ministers and the evil king had been destroyed.

The Lord spoke to me the next day. "Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of israel to the fourth generation."

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1.  What did Elisha send the priest to do?
2.  What were the Israelites doing wrong?
3.  Who led them to do these things?
4.  Who did Jehu call together for a meeting?
5.  After they all were gathered in the temple for Baal, what did Jehu do?
6.  Then what did he have the guards do?
7.  What did God say about all of this?

Jehu's Third Assignment-Ridding Israel of Ahab's Power

By Mary Vee
II Kings 10

From Jehu's Journals

Jehu anointed king of Israel to rid the country of
Ahab's rule Photo Courtesy

I have received instructions from the Lord to rid Israel of those who have been in charge and have led the people away from worshiping the one true God. The God of our fathers. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I also am to rid the country of all the false gods.

Ahab's son, king Joram, is dead. Jezebel, Ahab's wife, is dead. One of Ahab's seventy other sons may choose to usurp the throne and bring back the worship of gods and other things that do not please the one true God.

The seventy sons of Ahab live in Samaria. I wrote letters to the officials of Jezreel, the men who served as elders and guardians of Ahab's children. In the letter I said, "As soon as this letter reaches you, choose the best and most worthy of Ahab's sons and set him on his father's throne. When you have finished, prepare to fight for your master's house."

My messenger said the men became terrified. They said to each other, "If two kings could not resist him, Joram and Ahaziah, how can we?" Then he handed me this message from the men: "We are your servants and will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king. You do whatever you think is best."

This was very good news to hear. I wrote another message to these officials saying, "If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master's sons and bring them to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow."

The next day I received what I had asked for. I ordered the guards to place the heads by the city gates.

In the morning I stood before all the people and said, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but I did not kill the princes. Know then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what He promised through his servant Elijah." 

I finished my work by killing everyone in Jezreel who sided with Ahab and his evil ways, leaving no survivors. I then wen to Judah and did the same to Ahaziah's house, searching for those who followed Ahaziah. In some places I left no survivors.

I searched for king Ahaziah and found him hiding in Samaria. After he died, he was taken to Jerusalem and buried with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. By the time I finished, there was no one in Ahaziah's house powerful enough to take over the kingdom.

I left Judah on my chariot and met Jehonadab along the way. I greeted him and asked, "Are you with me as I am with you?"

"I am," he said.

I reached my hand out to him. "Good, Give me your hand." I helped him up into the chariot. "Come with me and join my zeal for the Lord."

All of my work was done according to the word of the Lord as spoken to Elijah.

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1.  Jehu was to rid Israel of ____________ and ____________/
2.  What happened to the 70 sons of Ahab?
3.  Who told Jehu to do these things?
4.  Why was it done?
5. Jehu met Jehonadab along the way. What did Jehu ask him to do?
6. All of the work done was according to ___________ as spoken to ________.

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.'"

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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?

Jehu-Sent to Bring Justice Back to Israel

By Mary Vee
II Kings 9

From Jehu's Journals

Photo Courtesy

The young prophet who gave his message to me ran to the door as he spoke his last words, and ran away. 

I rejoined my fellow officers. We were camped around a fire discussing tomorrow's battle plan against Hazael, king of Aram before the prophet had arrived.

"Jehu," one officer said as I sat down. "What did that young fellow want? He acted like a madman when he left. Is everything all right?"

"I laughed. You know a madman and the sort of things he says." I said.

The officer squinted and stroke his beard. "You are keeping something from us. What did he say?"

"Elisha had sent this young prophet to me to deliver a message. He said, 'The Lord asks me to anoint you king over Israel.' So he did."

The officers stood together, as if they'd been given a command. They took off their coats and put them on the step, beneath my feet. One blew his trumpet and the others shouted, "Jehu is king!"

"Since you seem to agree with what the prophet has said then no one is to slip away to Jezreel to tell Joram. He must not know that I have been assigned to take his crown."

The officers agreed.

"Gather your troops and weapons. We march to Jezreel." The officers called their soldiers and gave the command. I went to my chariot to lead the march. 

We came to a wide open field where all the troops could easily be seen by the guard of the Jezreel's city gate. Only a moment later a horseman rode to us and said, "King Joram wants to know if you have come in peace."

"You have a choice," I said. "Join me or be overtaken by this army." The messenger joined our march.

I knew the king would send a second and third messenger hoping one would return with the answer. Sure enough, not long after, a second soldier rode his horse out of the city gates to meet me. "The king wants to know if you come in peace."

Again I warned, "Joined me or be overtaken by this army." The second messenger joined our march.

Again the city gates opened. This time king Joram of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out toward me, each in their own chariot. 

We met in the same place where Naboth once owned the land. Naboth was a peaceful man who had very little. King Joram's father, king Ahab, wanted Naboth's vineyard with a great passion. He told his wife, Queen Jezebel that Naboth wouldn't sell him the vineyard. Jezebel had Naboth killed then gave the land to Ahab. The punishment had not yet been given to Ahab's family for his selfishness.

Joram asked me, "Have you come in peace, Jehu?"

"How can there be peace as long as you allow the false gods and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel throughout the country. You are teaching the people to walk away from the God of our fathers."

Joram turned his chariot and screamed to Ahaziah, king of Judah, "Flee! Jehu has treachery in mind!"

I drew my bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he fell over in his chariot. I turned to one of the officers. "Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth. Remember when we rode behind king Ahab and the Lord's promise about Ahab, 'I will surely make king Ahab pay for what he did to Naboth on this very plot of ground.' Well the time has come."

 God has more work for Jehu to bring Israel back to Him. Join us next time.

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1.What did the Jehu tell the officers?
2. What did they do?
3. Where did they go? 
4. What did the first horseman ask and what did he do?
5. What did the second horseman ask and what did he do?
6. What message did Jehu give king Joram?
7. What did Jehu do?
8. Who was Naboth?

Baasha-Prophet Jehu Warns of the Future

By Mary Vee
I Kings 16

From the Prophet Jehu's Scrolls

Baasha, King of Israel has been a terrible king. He has influenced the ten tribes of Israel to walk away from God's commands.

Recently Baasha became angry when men from the tribes of Simeon, Ephraim, and Manesseh left the area and moved to Judah, where Asa was king. The new residents served Asa, built homes there, and worshiped the Lord in the temple at Jerusalem. 

Baasha became concerned others might choose to leave his kingdom and move to Judah.

He ordered a fortress to be built outside of Jerusalem and named it Ramah. He planned to attach Jerusalem and kill Asa. Unfortunately for him, king Asa paid the king of Damascus to break his treaty with king Baasha. 

Troops from Damascus attacked Israelite cities and villages. When word of the distraction reached king Baasha, he left the fortress in Ramah and went back home to stop the war. 

The Lord spoke to me about the whole situation. He was angered at Baasha's choice to lead the people of Israel away from worshiping in Jerusalem and for teaching the people to not follow His commands. The Lord commanded me to deliver a message to Baasha telling his what would be his punishment.

I obeyed and left the same day, journeying to Baasha's palace and requested an audience.  

Baasha sat back on his throne. "Yes? Speak, prophet."

I answered him "I come with a message from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord has said, 'I lifted you up from the dust ad made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins. I am about to consume you and your house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Dogs will eat those belonging to you, Baasha, who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.'"

Baasha could have changed. Said he was sorry and asked forgiveness. But he didn't. 

So, the punishment happened, the way God said.

If only Baasha had said he was sorry and changed his ways.

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photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

1. Baasha was king of ______________
2. Asa was king of _________________
3. Men from these tribes left their homes to worship God in Judah: ____________, _____________, _______________
4. _______________ became jealous when the men moved away from his kingdom.
5. ________________ built a fortress to attack Judah.
6. When __________ attacked the Israelite cities, ___________ gave up and went home to protect his people.
7. A prophet named _________ to Baasha that God would punish him for teaching the people of Israel not to worship Him. 
8. What didn't Baasha do?