King Jehoram had never been popular in Israel, nor had his reign ever really been prosperous. In peace and in war, his every act had proved a failure. Least of all was he fitted to cope with such an opponent as King Hazael of Syria. Temporarily, Israel was holding the contested city of Ramoth-Gilead; but the king himself was not with his army. He was in the luxurious retreat of Jezreel, healing from his wounds. In the absence of King Jehoram, the garrison at Ramoth-Gilead was commanded by the bravest and most experienced of his captains. Jehu, the son of Nimshi, must have been very young when he first attained a post of distinction in the Israelite army; for 14 years before this, he had already been the king’s bodyguard. He had ridden with his friend and comrade, Bidkar, close behind King Ahab on that memorable day in 900 BC when he encountered Elijah after the murder of Naboth. The message of awful threatening against Ahab’s family which Jehu had then heard, he could never forget. And now he had attained the highest post which could be held under a monarch like Jehoram.

In the large hall at Ramoth-Gilead, all the captains of the host were gathered – either in military council, or (more probably) in a feast of revelry. Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected arrival. Unannounced, a man stood before them; and from his peculiar appearance and perhaps his attire, they at once recognized him as a prophet. Immediate silence ensued, and every eye was fixed upon the figure within the doorway. But the prophet did not give the startled men time to recover. Abruptly, he said, “I have an errand to thee, O captain.” Jehu left the table and followed his strange companion. In one of the inner chambers – out of the sight and hearing of all – the prophet took out the box of sacred oil that he had brought with him, and poured its contents over the head of Jehu. Then, rapidly but distinctly, he repeated the very words of the curse which had once fallen upon the head of Ahab, in Jehu’s own hearing – only with this addition: that Jehu was anointed king, and he was appointed as the instrument of Divine judgment! And as soon as the prophet had spoken the words of his commission, “he opened the door and fled.”

Jehu returned to his place among his friends – giving no notice of what had passed; but seeming, for the present, to keep it to himself. The captains spoke contemptuously of the prophet as a “mad fellow.” Those who have no religion commonly speak with disdain of Christ’s people, and look upon them as madmen. People said of our Savior, “He is beside himself”; of John the Baptizer, “He hath a devil”; and of Paul, “Much learning hath made thee mad.” But finally, being pressed, Jehu told his friends that the prophet had anointed him as king. And however lowly they thought of the prophet who anointed him, they expressed a great veneration for the royal dignity of him who was anointed; and they were very eager to proclaim him as king with the sound of a trumpet.

Jehoram was in Jezreel – the very town at the outskirts of which lay that fateful vineyard that had belonged to Naboth, which God had declared would witness Ahab’s punishment, as it had also beheld his iniquity and wrong. So Jehu rode in a chariot to Jezreel. The watchman on the tower spied him and his men, and called the king’s attention to them. Twice, messengers were sent on horseback to meet Jehu; but they did not return, and this ought to have been a warning to Jehoram that something was not right. But instead, he ordered his own chariot to be made ready, and he actually went to meet Jehu – thereby rushing upon his own fate. The two men met on the very same ground that had been Naboth’s, and thus the Lord brought Jehoram to the very spot which He had appointed – 14 years before – for his place of execution. Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and Jehoram sunk down in his chariot.

At the end of chapter 8, we learned that King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit Jehoram in Jezreel. When Jehoram went out to meet Jehu, Ahaziah had gone out in his own chariot to accompany him. And when he witnessed the execution of Jehoram, Ahaziah turned to flee. But Jehu followed him and ordered him to be killed also; for even though he was the king of Judah, his family relationships tied him very closely to the family of Ahab.

As it happened to Jehoram, so it also happened to his mother Jezebel (Ahab’s wife, who was still alive). It seems that she had also come down to Jezreel, probably to attend upon her wounded son. Both of them, therefore, were Providentially in the place appointed for Divine justice! It had been plainly foretold that Jezebel would die in the town, just as Jehoram was to be destroyed in Naboth’s vineyard. Jezebel, therefore – equally unconsciously – promoted the fulfilment of this prophecy of judgment against herself. She remained in the watchtower when her son left it, but she remained only to suffer an even more degrading fate. At the command of Jehu, she was thrown down from a window. And a few hours afterward, when Jehu ordered her to be buried, they found no more of her than her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.

How sweet it is to view Jesus, after looking at human wickedness in these awful characters! And what a blessing it is to remember that we have been kept and preserved from falling into such wickedness ourselves! Indeed, it is to Jesus’ preventing and restraining grace that we cheerfully ascribe all the praise and glory!

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