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2 Kings 15:8-12 And so it came to pass - Day 306

Good afternoon friends,

Some thoughts on how God fulfills his promise to Jehu.

Blessings

Jeff

Review of the promise to Jehu. 

And the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 10:30-31

While Jehu got off to a good start (executed Ahab's descendants and wife Jezebel, and the prophets of Baal) God's promise is not based on future performance.  If your sons walk in my ways, they will sit on your throne.  Jehu gets 4 generations with no option for continuation.

Jehu 28 years

Jehoahaz 17 years

Jehoash 16 years

Jeroboam II - 41 years

Zechariah 6 months

Observations

We are not told how the Lord made this promise to Jehu.  He was anointed king by a servant of Elisha and just told he was to be king, nothing about successors.  The promise comes after extermination of Ahab's line.  But there is no other prophet mentioned.  So it is possible that God spoke directly to a man who was an idolater at heart and who was going to continue in the ways of Jeroboam I.  The inspired author of the book knows about the promise and makes a point of showing that what God spoke came to pass.  Imagine if the author reported a promise of God and then Jehu's son only sat on throne to third generation or went beyond the fourth.    Or on the other hand, did not mention the promise and the fourth generation ending his dynasty was just a coincidence.  

I would have been very nervous if I was Zechariah. Maybe Jehu's sons were unaware of the promise.  They certainly didn't repent in order to avoid the fate of the descendants of Omri.  There was some degree of desire to show that they saw themselves as legitimate by re-using Jeroboam's name. 

While 3 son's had "normal" span of reign, the 4th is 6 months.  Almost as if God couldn't wait to fulfill the promise.


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