2 Kings 10:1-36 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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The Temple of Baal Becomes a Latrine
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Memory Verse: 28-29
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Outline

MAPS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH
A MAP OF THE DIVISION OF CANAAN
A MAP OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE
OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS TIMELINE
A LIST OF ISRAEL'S KINGS AND PROPHETS
A TIMELINE OF ISRAEL'S HISTORY
A TIMELINE FROM BABYLON TO ROMAN CONTROL OVER ISRAEL

SORRY, THE COMMENTARY FOR THIS BOOK HAS NOT BEEN FINISHED.
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF BOOKS THAT ARE COMPLETED.

I. The House of Ahab Ends (10:1-17)

>1. What resolution did Jehu tell Samaria, the capital of Israel? (1-3)

* 2 Kings 10:1-3 "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 "As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons, 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."

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>Why was Israel afraid of Jehu? (4)

* 2 Kings 10:4 "But they were terrified and said, "If two kings could not resist him, how can we?"

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>What did they decide to do?

* 2 Kings 10:5 "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."

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>Was all this the work of men, or was the Lord behind it?

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>2. Why might Jehu want the leading men of the city to murder Ahab's sons?

* 2 Kings 10:6-8 "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."

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>What did Jehu do and proclaim in Jezreel? (9-11)

* 2 Kings 10:9-11 "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 promised 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."

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>What does this say about the time?

* Jehu claimed to be zealous for the Lord. He kept killing all of Ahab's house, including Ahab's son Joram, as Elijah had prophesied and as Elisha told him to do through the messenger.

Jehu also kept killing Ahaziah, the king of Judah's, house, and family. The Lord had not told him to do that. Yet, Ahaziah's wife was a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. And he subjected himself and Judah to their evil advice and ways. So in a way killing Judah's king was a continuation of destroy the influence of Ahab and Jezebel, the king and queen of Israel.

God was working in spite of their power as 2 Chronicles 22:7-8 says, "Through Ahaziah's visit to Joram, GOD brought about Ahaziah's downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them."

Jehu wasn't told to do it, but God worked anyway. So what to learn?

US politics and society are in a terrible place. So many ways like ancient Israel and Judah. I can believe God is working. He is in charge and his will is completed always, even though it is confusing to figure out.

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>3. Why might have Jehu killed forty-two visitors from Judah?

* 2 Kings 10:12-14 "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 men. He left no survivor."

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>What is zeal for the Lord and how could Jehu claim he had it?

* 2 Kings 10:15-16 "After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Recab, 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."

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>Was what he doing zeal for the Lord? (17)

* 2 Kings 10:17 "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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II. Jehu Destroys Baal Worship in Israel (10:18-36)

>4. How did Jehu set a trap for the prophets of Baal? (18-19)

* 2 Kings 10:18-19 "Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all 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." But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal."

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>Where did he put all of them?

* 2 Kings 10:20-22 "Jehu said, "Call an assembly in honor of Baal." So they proclaimed it. 21 Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the ministers of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, "Bring robes for all the ministers of Baal." So he brought out robes for them."

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>Why might he give them new robes?

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>5. What did Jehu want to be sure of? (23-24)

* 2 Kings 10:23-24 "Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Recab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the ministers of Baal, "Look around and see that no servants of the LORD are here with you--only ministers of Baal." 24 So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside 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."

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>As the prophets of Baal were making sacrifices and burnt offerings inside the temple what was Jehu doing outside? (25-27)

* 2 Kings 10:25-27 "As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: "Go in and kill them; let no one escape." So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day."

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>What did the temple of Baal turn into?

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>6. What were the golden calves? (28-29; and 1 Kings 12:28-30)

* 2 Kings 10:28-29 "So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit--the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan."

* 1 Kings 12:28-30 "After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there."

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>Where were they to worship? (Deut. 12:4-7)

* Deuteronomy 12:4-7 "You must not worship the LORD your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you."

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>Why is only partial obedience good enough? (John 14:15)

* John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

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>7. What did the Lord promise Jehu? (30-31)

* 2 Kings 10:30-31 "The LORD said to Jehu, "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." 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit."

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>How does this show us the grace of God?

* Jehu,the king of Israel killed the king before him, Joram (aka Jehoram), and the king of Judah, Ahaziah. He ended the terrible religion of Baal in Israel. The Lord was pleased with him because he carried out what the Lord wanted to happen to Ahab and his family. Yet he was not perfect. "Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart." And he did not stop ending worship of the idle calves that Jeroboam started. I want to do the Lord's will. I want to live by love, faith, and hope. And so, to find favor with the Lord.

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>8. What was slowly happening to Israel? (32-33)

* 2 Kings 10:32-33 "In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan."

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>How might this be an example of their spiritual condition?

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>9. What does 2 Chronicles 22:7-12 record the results of Jehu's killing of Judah's king?

* 2 Kings 10:36 "As for the other events of Jehu's reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years."

* 2 Chronicles 22:7-9 "Through Ahaziah's visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah's downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, "He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom."

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>In our zeal for carrying out the Lord's will can we do things that are not according to the Lord's will?

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