2 Kings 10 Heads in a Basket

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
2 Kings 10:1 Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,[a] to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3 choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”

4 But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

5 So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”

Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”

9 The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.

12 Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”

14 “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.

15 After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”

“I am,” Jehonadab answered.

“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16 Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.

17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.​

a. 2 Kings 10:1 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate of the city

This is from the enduringword.com site.

Put their heads in baskets and sent them to him: The nobles were so afraid of Jehu that they sent this grim evidence of their obedience.

It was a contemporary custom throughout the ancient east to ‘pile-up’ the heads of the captured rebels by the main city gate as a public warning against rebellion.” (Wiseman)

“This was suitable to Ahab’s sin. He had sent for baskets of grapes out of Naboth’s vineyard at Jezreel; and now the heads of his sons are brought thither in baskets.”(Trapp)​

Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah: This was to the great misfortune of these men. Since Jehu was committed to execute all those connected with the house of Ahab, these men were also targets of judgment. Ahaziah was a descendant of King Ahab through his mother (who was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel). Therefore, their mention of the queen mother did not help them.

He left none of them: This was characteristic of Jehu: whole-hearted and energetic obedience.

Some believe that the execution of Ahaziah’s family was an example of Jehu going too far. “The sword of judgment, so far as the expressed purpose of Jehovah was concerned, should have been confined to the house of Ahab. But a reckless and ambitious hand was wielding it, and it devoured beyond the allotted limits.” (Knapp)​

He met Jehonadab the son of Rechab: This was the mysterious founder of the Rechabites, who were a reform movement among the people of God, protesting the immoral and impure lives of many in Israel and Judah.

In Jeremiah 35, God used the Rechabites, and the memory of Jehonadab as an example of faithfulness and obedience, to rebuke His unfaithful and disobedient people.

“Jeremiah records that Jehonadab was the leader of an aesthetic group that lived an austere, nomadic life in the desert, drinking no wine and depending solely on the Lord for their sustenance. Separatists to the core and strong patriots, they lived in protest to the materialism and religious compromise in Israel.” (Patterson and Austel)

“According to Josephus, Jehu and Jehonadab were friends of long standing, and both detested the luxurious surrounding of the royal family.” (Dilday)​

First of all.... 70 kids???? How did those people find time to reign a country?

Now I ask you.... what kind of people are they? Taking a human head off its body is no easy feat. The French used a guillotine during their revolution but these people didn't have a guillotine. They had to be extremely cold blooded to cut off those heads and drop them in a basket. AND just how cold blooded was that Jehu? He came up with the idea in the first place.... and wrote it down.

Finally.... did you note.... there's a movement... the Rechabites don't like the gluttony, drunkenness, and debauchery.

This is from the gotquestions site.

The Rechabites were descendants of Rechab (or Recab or Rekab), a Kenite and thus related to the Midianites and Moses’ family by marriage (see Judges 1:16). According to Jeremiah 35:6, the Rechabites’ strict rules were put in place by a son (or descendant) of Rechab named Jehonadab (or Jonadab). This is the same Jehonadab who helped Jehu rid Israel of Baal-worship after the time of Ahab (2 Kings 10:15–27). Scholars have differing opinions as to why Jehonadab implemented the rules, but many believe he sought to preserve the primitive lifestyle of his nomadic forebears.​

Another bloody story brought to you by the Holy Bible. How big is that basket?

:coffee:
 
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