2 Kings 9:21-37 - How can there be peace?

9:21-26

Joram then decides to go out himself together with Ahaziah, king of Judah. He also asks Jehu if he comes in peace. Jehu tells him explicitly what the problem is, namely the idolatry and witchcraft in the land. Joram realises that he is in trouble and attempts to flee. However.Jehu draws his bow and fires an arrow which hits Joram, he slumps in the chariot. Jehu tells his chariot officer to throw joram into the field that belonged to Naboth.

9:27-29

Ahaziah  saw what had happened and he too fled. However, he too was wounded. He escaped to Megiddo,  but died there.He was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem.

9:30-37

Next Jehu went to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it and guessed she was in trouble. She put on eye makeup and arranged her hair, perhaps hoping to sweet talk her way out of things. However, Jehu was determined to get her, and got the help of some eunuchs.  She was thrown down and trampled underfoot by horses. Jehu gave orders for her to be given a proper burial, but her body had been utterly mutilated. The word of the Lord against her was being fulfilled.

2 Kings 9:1-20 - Do you come in peace?

9:1-13

Jehu is anointed king over Israel, and he is anointed with a purpose, it is to destroy the house of Ahab, The Lord is avenging the prophets killed by Jezebel. It is a mistake to go against the will of God. While Elisha instigated the move it was another prophet who actually carried out the deed. One of the officers wanted to know what was happening, thinking the prophet to be a madman. Jehu told him and the officers proclaimed Jehu as king. All this happened as a fulfilment of the prophecy against Ahab and Jezebel for their general godlessness and specifically for their taking of Naboth’s vineyard.

9:14-20

2 Kings can be rather confusing because it flips between Israel and Judah, and some of the Israelite kings are given the same names as Judean kings. Jehu was approaching Jezreel, where Joram was recovering from his wounds. On learning of Jehu’s approach he sent a rider to inquire as to the purpose of his visit. So the rider asks Jehu “do you come in peace?” Jehu gives him a dismissive reply, for the problem for Israel was Joram’s disobedience. Jehu also told the rider to “fall in behind me”, which he did, Joram then sent out a second rider, and the same thing happened.

2 Kings 9:1-20 - I have a message for you

9:1-13

Jehu is anointed king over Israel, and he is anointed with a purpose, it is to destroy the house of Ahab, The Lord is avenging the prophets killed by Jezebel. It is a mistake to go against the will of God. While Elisha instigated the move it was another prophet who actually carried out the deed. One of the officers wanted to know what was happening, thinking the prophet to be a madman. Jehu told him and the officers proclaimed Jehu as king. All this happened as a fulfilment of the prophecy against Ahab and Jezebel for their general godlessness and specifically for their taking of Naboth’s vineyard.

9:14-20

2 Kings can be rather confusing because it flips between Israel and Judah, and some of the Israelite kings are given the same names as Judean kings. Jehu was approaching Jezreel, where Joram was recovering from his wounds. On learning of Jehu’s approach he sent a rider to inquire as to the purpose of his visit. So the rider asks Jehu “do you come in peace?” Jehu gives him a dismissive reply, for the problem for Israel was Joram’s disobedience. Jehu also told the rider to “fall in behind me”, which he did, Joram then sent out a second rider, and the same thing happened.

2 Kings 8:20-29 - Edom rebelled against Israel

8:20-24

Edom had been under the control of Judah, but rebelled and set up its own king. Libnah also rebelled. Jehoram tried to put down the rebellion, but failed.Jehoram reigned for eight years and other events were recorded in the annals of the kings of Judah. He was succeeded by his son Ahaziah.

8:25-29

Ahaziah was related to Ahab through marriage, and he followed the ways of Ahab, and reigned for one year. Joram was wounded in a battle against the Arameans, he then returned to Jezreel to recover. While there, Ahaziah came to see him.

2 kINGS 8:13-29 - How could your servant accomplish sucha feat?

8:13-15

Hazael does not believe he is capable of doing such a thing, but Elisha tells him the Lord has decreed it, so it will happen. Ben-HadadHazael murdered the king, and became king. 

8:16-19

Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram became king of Judah, he reigned for eight years. However, he followed the ways of the kings of Israel, marrying the daughter of Ahab. We should be very careful whom we marry. However, the Lord remembered his promise to David, and so did not destroy Judah. Our faithfulness (or otherwise) can have long term consequences.

2 Kings 8:1-12 - The Shunammite woman again

8:1-6

The Shunammite woman now reappears. Elisha had told her to go away for a famine was coming and would last for seven years, so she went away to the land of the Philistines. After seven years she came back. \in the meantime her land had been taken and she went to the king to hopefully get it back. At the time the king was speaking to Gehazi about Elisha, Gehazi was able to tell the king who the woman was, and her connection to Elisha. There are two key lessons here. One is the faithfulness of the Lord, the other is that the exile was for a period of time only. Kings may have been written for the time that Israel was in exile in Babylon.

8:7-12

The king of Aram became ill  and sent someone to Elisha to see if he would recover. This is in contrast to Ahaziah who sent someone to inquire of Baal. So the people of God consult an idol, while the pagan king consults the Lord. see Romans 9-11.1 Elisha tells the king he will recover, but will do harm to Israel. There is a parallel with the response to the gospel. Israel should have accepted Christ, but the Gentiles were more ready to receive Him. Israel should have consulted the Lord, but the pagan nation was more ready to consult the Lord.

2 Kings 7:9-20 - Can this be true?

7:9-20

The lepers looted the camp taking silver and gold. They then decided that they should tell the palace the news. There was freedom to be had. So they told the city gatekeepers what they had discovered. The guards were very wary, fearing a trap. So they sent a small group to investigate, and of course, they found that the lepers were telling the truth. And food stuffs did sell for the low prices Elisha had foretold. The man who had doubted Elisha’s words was trampled to death.