Jehu knew that the whole family of Ahab must be cut off; and therefore, after executing Divine justice upon Jehoram and Jezebel, he proceeded in his bloody work without delay. He proceeded to get the heads of all the sons of Ahab cut off – by their own guardians in Samaria! He sent a challenge to the friends of the royal family to choose the likeliest of Ahab’s sons to sit upon his father’s throne. But the elders of Samaria prudently foresaw that it was useless to contend with Jehu, and that it was in their best interests to submit to him. At Jehu’s command, and as a token of their submission, they cut off the heads of the 70 princes and sent them in baskets as a present to the new king. All of this was done according to the righteous judgment of God (verse 10). The Lord is not the author of any person’s sin; but even by the wicked things that people do, He serves His own righteous purposes and glorifies His own name.

Jehu proceeded to destroy all who remained of the family of Ahab – not only those who were descended from him, but also those who stood in any relation to him. This included all the officers of his household, his ministers of state, and his idolatrous priests. Having done this in Jezreel, Jehu did the same in Samaria. Providence brought the brethren of Judah’s king, Ahaziah, into Jehu’s way; and as he was going on with his executions, he slew them also. Even though these men were related to the king of Judah, they were still branches of Ahab’s family; and they were tainted with his wickedness. Such terrible destructions as these were intended to be foreshadows of the final destruction of all the ungodly, who refuse to worship and love the Lord Jesus.

Jehu pushed on with his work, and sought the friendship of a righteous man named Jehonadab. This man did not set his heart on the things of this world; he commanded his posterity to not drink wine nor dwell in cities, and they were still obedient to his words 300 years later (Jer. 35). Yet on this occasion, Jehonadab went out to meet Jehu so that he might encourage him in the work to which God had called him. The favor and companionship of those who love the Lord is a thing which great people – if they are wise – will value.

Jehu was secretly contriving the destruction of all the worshipers of Baal. The service of Baal was the crying sin of the family of Ahab, and multitudes still remained who were infected with it. But it would be an endless task to prosecute and execute them one-by-one. So Jehu pretended that he would worship Baal more than Ahab had ever done. He issued a proclamation requiring the attendance of all the worshipers of Baal in a sacrifice to their false god. And the besotted Baalites began to happily imagine that they would see golden days again.

Jehu took care that none of the servants of the Lord were among the people gathered in Baal’s temple. Eighty men were posted on guard at all the doors, so that no one might escape; then the guards were sent in to put them all to the sword. This may seem like a barbarous thing to do; but considering the nature of their crime against the Lord, it was truly righteous. And when the idolaters themselves were destroyed, the idolatry was utterly abolished. The buildings where Baal’s priests and their families lived were destroyed. All the little images, statues, pictures, or shrines that beautified Baal’s temple – with the great image of Baal himself – were brought out and burned. The temple was broken down; and it was made the sewer of the city, so that the remembrance of it might be blotted out or made infamous. Thus the worship of Baal was quite destroyed (at least for the present) out of Israel, even though it had once prevailed so far that there were only 7,000 in the whole nation who had not bowed the knee to the idol. Similarly, sooner or later, our Lord Jesus will triumph over and destroy all the gods of the heathen!

The rest of this chapter gives a summary of the reign of Jehu, which continued for 28 years (886-858 BC). The Lord approved of what he had done to Ahab’s family and the worshipers of Baal, even though it is questionable whether he did it purely from unselfish motives. Nevertheless, God promised him a reward – namely, that his descendants, to the fourth generation, would sit upon the throne of Israel. But sadly, Jehu became careless in what he should have done after this. By his later actions, it appeared that his heart was not truly right with God, and that he was partial in his reformation. He did not put away all the evil; he departed from the sins of Ahab, but not from the sins of Jeroboam. He destroyed Baal, but he clung to the golden calves. He had shown great care and zeal for the rooting out of a false religion; but in the true religion, he showed no care.

Judgment came upon Israel during Jehu’s reign. We have reason to fear that when Jehu took no heed to walk in God’s law, the people were probably generally as careless as he was. Therefore, it is not strange that the next thing we hear is that “in those days the Lord began to cut Israel short” (verse 32) by the hands of King Hazael of Syria – just as Elisha had foreseen and foretold that he would do.

The chapter closes with the conclusion of Jehu’s reign. Notice is taken, in general, of his might; but since he took no heed to serve God, the memorials of his mighty enterprises and achievements are justly buried in oblivion.

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