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, 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.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria: These were a significant danger to the anointed King Jehu. First, they were the descendants of Ahab and had a great interest in battling back to keep the throne of Israel among the dynasty of Omri. Second, they were in Samaria, the capital city of Israel — meaning they were away from Jehu, who killed King Joram in Jezreel.
Fight for your master’s house: Jehu challenged any partisans of the house of Omri to declare themselves and prepare to fight for their master’s house.
When the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons and slaughtered seventy persons: Jehu’s letter — and his previous bold action against Joram and Ahaziah — powerfully persuaded the leaders of Israel to execute the sons of Ahab on behalf of Jehu.
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.
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.
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Back at the end of 1 Kings, Ahab craved a plot of land located right outside the palace walls. A man named Naboth owned the land and raised grapes for wine. He refused to give it up. Jezebel, Ahab's wife, managed to get Naboth accused of worshipping Baal and had him killed so Ahab could have the land.
Elijah prophesized that everyone in Ahab's family would die. This would have included brothers and cousins as well.
Ahab had 70 sons! He had 42 more family members over in Samaria. Jehu had them all killed.
All the descendants of Ahab's family were killed. Jezebel's blood stained the wall of the palace.
Jehu was cleaning house, just as Elijah predicted.
At the end of this section, Jehu picks up a friend. His name is Jehonadab.
Jehonadab was destined to bring Israel back to worshipping God.
Jehu went on a mission to annihilate anyone from the family of Ahab.
The only way to successfully weed a garden is to kill all the weeds.
Ahab's family were weeds.
Jehu weeded out Ahab's family.
