Jehu is King!

Good morning friends,
Yesterday we read about how one of the young prophets working with Elisha anointed Jehu, a military commander, as King of Israel. Today we see what happens as a result. The passage starts out with the other officers asking what the prophets wanted. Even though they call him a "madman," as soon as Jehu tells them he has been anointed King, they accept that word and begin a rebellion. Jehu sees God's hand in his calling as he becomes king.

God bless,
Sam

2 Kings 9:11-26

¹¹When Jehu came back to his master’s officers, they said to him, “Is everything all right? Why did that madman come to you?” He answered them, “You know the sort and how they babble.” ¹²They said, “Liar! Come on, tell us!” So he said, “This is just what he said to me: ‘Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.’” ¹³Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”

¹⁴Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against King Hazael of Aram; ¹⁵but King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him, when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your wish, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.”

¹⁶Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, where Joram was lying ill. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Joram. ¹⁷In Jezreel, the sentinel standing on the tower spied the company of Jehu arriving, and said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman; send him to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” ¹⁸So the horseman went to meet him; he said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu responded, “What have you to do with peace? Fall in behind me.” The sentinel reported, saying, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.” ¹⁹Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

²⁰Again the sentinel reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. It looks like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi; for he drives like a maniac.” ²¹Joram said, “Get ready.” And they got his chariot ready. Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah set out, each in his chariot, and went to meet Jehu; they met him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. ²²When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace can there be, so long as the many whoredoms and sorceries of your mother Jezebel continue?”

²³Then Joram reined about and fled, saying to Ahaziah, “Treason, Ahaziah!” ²⁴Jehu drew his bow with all his strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the arrow pierced his heart; and he sank in his chariot. ²⁵Jehu said to his aide Bidkar, “Lift him out, and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when you and I rode side by side behind his father Ahab how the Lord uttered this oracle against him: ²⁶‘For the blood of Naboth and for the blood of his children that I saw yesterday, says the Lord, I swear I will repay you on this very plot of ground.’ Now therefore lift him out and throw him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”

Elisha continues the work

Good morning sisters and brothers,
We skip ahead in our story, but you'll notice that today's passage follows up on the events we've been reading about. We read how much injustice Ahab and Jezebel encouraged as King and Queen of Israel. We also saw how the Prophet Elijah opposed them. God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor and told him he would also anoint Jehu as King of Israel. In today's reading Elijah has gone to heaven and Elisha has taken over his ministry. Elisha sends a younger prophet on a stealth mission to anoint Jehu as King of Israel.

Like when Samuel anointed David, there's great danger in anointing the next king while the current king is still ruling. In this case, part of the reason for anointing Jehu is to bring God's punishment on Ahab and his family. The best example of how Ahab and Jezebel earned God's anger is the story of Naboth's vineyard in 1 Kings 21, in which they take a vineyard from an innocent man by having him killed. The story continues in the passage below.

God bless,
Sam

2 Kings 9:1-10

Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. ²When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions, and take him into an inner chamber. ³Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.”

⁴So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. ⁵He arrived while the commanders of the army were in council, and he announced, “I have a message for you, commander.” “For which one of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander.” ⁶So Jehu got up and went inside; the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. ⁷You shall strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. ⁸For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. ⁹I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. ¹⁰The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.

Elijah's departure

Good morning friends,
Yesterday we left Elijah and Elisha having just crossed the Jordan on dry land after Elisha parted the waters. Today Elijah gives Elisha an opportunity for a last request before he disappears. It's interesting that Elijah doesn't die but instead is taken up into heaven alive. Obviously, Elijah's in rare company in this: Enoch (Methusalah's father) and Jesus are the only other people I know who went into heaven alive. This odd ending is part of the reason people believed Elijah would return to earth to prepare the way for the Messiah.

God chose Elisha as Elijah's successor and this passage seals that succession. From this point until Elisha's death in 2 Kings 13 he is the main character in the story along with various kings of Israel, Judah and Syria. This passage is where we'll leave the story of Kings. The most famous miracle Elisha performs is healing Naaman, the Syrian general, but I thought this was a familiar enough story to pass by (you can read it in 2 Kings 5 if you want a refresher). Our Old Testament reading now turns to the prophet Amos.

Blessings,
Sam

2 Kings 2:9-15
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

13He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 15When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

Elijah's last journey

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Last week we met Elisha, whom God told Elijah to anoint as "prophet in his place." We read about Elijah's call of Elisha but we haven't heard anything since then about Elisha. Today and tomorrow we will see the end of Elijah's ministry and the beginning of Elisha's independent ministry. As you'll notice, in each of several places Elijah and Elisha go together on this last journey a "company" of prophets greets them and secretly tells Elisha the news that his master will be taken up. In that time besides the prophets we normally read about there were groups or schools of prophets in several different places. It's not exactly clear what their role was, but like the famous prophets they spoke for God. Of course being a prophet in Israel was dangerous then because Ahab and Jezebel persecuted the prophets.

The symbol of Elijah dividing the River Jordan with his mantle is powerful. It recalls not only Israel crossing the Red Sea into freedom but also Israel crossing the Jordan into the promised land forty years later. For us as Christians we think about those two events and this story when we remember Jesus being baptized by John at the Jordan. God was working in Israel to bring them to freedom and into their land. God was at work in Elijah and Elisha in their prophetic ministry. God was at work in Jesus in his ministry beginning in his baptism at the Jordan, and God is at work in our ministry as we are joined to Christ and to all the people of God in our baptism. May God guide your ministry today.

Blessings,
Sam


2 Kings 2:1-8
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.” 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

call and response

Good morning friends,
When Elijah hears the sound of shear silence he wraps his face in a cloak. He does this as a sign of reverence because he recognizes God's presence in the silence in a way God wasn't in the wind, earthquake or fire that came before. It's also a very practical gesture; people believed that one couldn't see God and live and Elijah is protecting himself. God's commission to Elijah is to anoint two kings and a new prophet, which doesn't seem like an inherently spiritual job, especially since one is the king of Aram (Syria). At the same time, the prophetic role is political as well as spiritual; the point is making God's will clear in the world, and that includes the political world.

He is to anoint his successor, Elisha. We haven't heard of Elisha before this, so we can imagine that Elisha is surprised to have this prophet appear at his field and throw a cloak over him. Whether he is surprised or not he says goodbye to his family, sacrifices his oxen, and takes on his new role as Elijah's servant and apprentice. What does Elisha's acceptance of this new adventure say to you today?

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 19:13-21
13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

15Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.