Bible In One Year Day 180 (2 Kings 13-14, Amos 7-9, Psalm 124)

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2 Kings 13-14

Chapter 13: The Reigns of Jehoahaz (814 -798) and Jehoash (798 -783) of Israel
and the Death of Elisha

 

2 Kings 13:1-9 ~ The reign of Jehoahaz in Israel (814 -798 BC)

Jehoahaz was guilty of the same sins as King Jeroboam, the Northern Kingdom's first king. Jeroboam, to whom all other kings of Israel are compared, introduced the sin of idol worship into the Northern Kingdom of Israel (1 Kng 12:28-33).

As we have seen repeatedly, even a little repentance goes a long way in receiving God's mercy. The king of Aram who "destroyed them" is probably Hazael's son King Ben-Hadad III of Damascus (c. 807 - 780? BC). Because of Jehoahaz's repentance, God sent a savior/deliverer. 

2 Kings 13:10-13 ~ The reign of Jehoash (Joash) in Israel (798 -783 BC)

Jehoash of Israel is also called by the shorter form of his name, Joash, just as Jehoash/Josh of Judah was called by both names. Both kings Jehoahaz and Jehoash (Joash) of Israel ruled during the time period when Davidic king Joash ruled Judah (he ruled for 40 years as the ancients counted from 835-796 BC). Jehoash/Joash of Israel also continued in the sins of Jeroboam in promoting idol worship. The period of peace between the two kingdoms ended when there was war between Jehoash/Joash of Israel and Joash of Judah's son and successor King Amaziah of Judah. 

2 Kings 13:14-21 ~ The death of Elisha

King Joash of Israel must have felt a deep affection for the old prophet to go to him on his death-bed. The way he addressed the prophet shows that he regarded Elisha as the true defender of Israel. You will recall that it was Elisha who anointed Joash's grandfather Jehu and commissioned him to eradicate the idolatry of Baal worship in Israel. It seems that Joash had maintained that part of the religious reform.

Question: Elisha made a prophecy by having the king perform a prophetic act in what two stages?
Answer:

1. The king took a bow guided by the prophet's hand and shot an arrow to the east in the direction of the enemy.
2. The king struck the ground with the remaining arrows.

The arrow shot to the east in the direction of the enemy represents complete victory of Israel's army over the Aramaeans. The placing of Elisha hand on the king's hand gives Joash a share in Elisha's own power. In the second stage, the king only received a small portion of Elisha's power because he hesitated and only struck the ground three times. Elisha was angry and told the king: "You should have struck half a dozen times," he said "and you would have beaten Aram completely; now you will beat Aram only three times."

The power of God that was with his prophet Elisha is demonstrated one more time in his last miracle in which a dead man is raised to life through contact with the bones of Elisha. It is for this reason that the people of God have always honored the bodies of the saints and kept relics of their bones or items that belonged to them.

2 Kings 13:22-25 ~ Israel's victory over the Aramaeans

The covenant judgment for apostasy was to be cast out of the land in the same way God had case out the Canaanites, but God was not willing to cast out the Israelites and continued to extend His mercy for the sake of the covenant He made with the Patriarchs.
Question: What were the terms of the Abrahamic covenant? See Gen 12:1-3; 17:1; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14.
Answer:

1. The gift of a land and a nation
2. The gift of many descendants
3. A world-wide blessing

None of these promises were fulfilled in the age of the Patriarchs, nor were all three promises fulfilled in the nation of Old Covenant Israel. They were all perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:29).

Question: What prophecy is fulfilled in 13:25? See 2 Kng 13:14-21.
Answer: Elisha's prophecy that King Joash of Israel would drive out the Aramaeans and defeat them in battle three times.

It hadn't been since the days of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and King Ahab of Israel that either the Southern kingdom of Judah or Northern kingdom of Israel had been particularly powerful. Each kingdom had suffered from invasions, internal turmoil and assassinations. However, at the beginning of the eighth century BC, the political conditions in both countries improved. Joash of Judah enjoyed a long and peaceful reign. Israel's victory over the Aramaeans prophesied by Elisha was fulfilled. King Hazael of Damascus was succeeded by a less capable son, Ben Hadad III, and soon the Syrians were beaten by the armies of Israel. 

Chapter 14: The Reign of Amaziah in Judah (796 -781 BC)

2 Kings 14:1-6 ~ Amaziah becomes king and seeks revenge for the murder of his father

In the typical formula for the introduction of a new king of Judah, the king is named, the name of his father, his age at his coronation and the length of his reign. And unlike the kings of Israel, his mother is named and his reign is compared with that of his ancestor King David who served Yahweh with an undivided heart.
He did not discontinue worship of Yahweh by Judahites outside of the Temple. This criticism in verse 4 cannot be allowing the worshiping of idols on the high places since he is not accused of those sins and the inspired writer notes that 3 He did what Yahweh regards as right, though not like his ancestor David; he imitated his father Joash in all respects.

Question: When his throne was secure, he sought vengeance on the murderers of his father. Why had his father been assassinated and what did Amaziah do that showed he was obedient to the Law? See 2 Chr 24:20-22, 25-26; Dt 24:16.
Answer: Two of Joash's servants had assassinated him in revenge for ordering the murder of God's servant the priest Zechariah son of the High Priest Jehoiada who condemned the king and the people of Jerusalem to abandoning Yahweh and His Temple. Amaziah followed the law in only executing his father's murderers and not their families.

2 Kings 14:7-14 ~ Political turmoil and war during Amaziah's reign

Amaziah led Judah to war against the Edomites. Edom had been conquered by King David and remained a vassal state until the reign of King Jehoram of Judah when Edom threw off the domination of Judah and set up a king (2 Sam 8:13; 2 Kng 8:20-22). Amaziah decided to regain Judah's lost vassal state. He conquered the Edomites in the Valley of Salt that is the Arabah, the valley that runs south of the Dead Sea, but he did not regain control over Edom. He changed the name of the town near the site of the battle to Joktheel. It is the same name of a town in Judah (Josh 15:38) and was perhaps renamed in honor of the men of a military unit from that city who died in the battle.

Feeling confident after his victory over the Edomites, Amaziah challenges the king of Israel to a "test of strength." King Jehoash/Joash of Israel is the same king who was so distraught at Elisha's death-bed. He answers Amaziah with a parable and some advice.
Question: What are the symbolic elements of the parable in verse 9?
Answer:

1. The king of Israel is the powerful cedar.
2. The insignificant thistle is the king of Judah who seeks equality with one who is far above him (royal marriage request).
3. The thistle ends up being trampled by a powerful animal, symbolizing the army of Israel.

Jehoash's advice to Amaziah was to not continue with a venture that was sure to bring him disaster.

Question: Why did Amaziah enter into this ill-conceived venture and what was the cause of his defeat? See 2 Chr 25:20.
Answer: Apparently after reconquering Edom, Amaziah consulted the gods of the Edomites on whether or not he should go to war with Israel. They gave him bad advice, and because he consulted false gods, Yahweh let him be defeated by the Israelites.

As it happens, Jehoash/Joash of Israel was right. The army of Israel did trample the army of Judah. The king was taken prisoner, six hundred feet of the Jerusalem wall was destroyed making the city vulnerable to foreign attack, the Temple and palace were looted of its treasures, and hostages were taken back to Samaria. The king of Israel did allow Amaziah to continue as king of Judah, however.

2 Kings 14:15-16 ~ Summary of King Jehoash/Joash of Israel's reign

This is the typical summary statement for the reigns of Israelite kings and is a repeat of the summary statement for Jehoash/Joash of Israel in 13:12-13.

2 Kings 14:17-22 ~ Summary of King Amaziah of Judah's reign

This section begins as a typical summary formula statement but includes the information of the plot to assassinate Amaziah. He escaped to Lachish, a fortified city about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. The conspirators caught up with him at Lachish where he was assassinated like his father. As with his father, this was not a political coup to establish another dynasty but was instead a rejection of Amaziah as king, perhaps because of the disastrous war with Israel. An assembly of the people of Judah chose his son Uzziah (Azariah) to succeed to the Davidic throne.

The sixteen year old Uzziah's first accomplishment was to rebuild the city of Elath, located near the port city of Ezion Geber at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba in Edom. He will become the longest reigning monarch of Judah. He is also known as Azariah, but Uzziah may be the name he took as a throne name that means "Yah[weh] is strong."

 

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A Daily Defense

DAY 180 Repetitious Prayer 

CHALLENGE: “Catholics are wrong to pray the rosary. Jesus condemned ‘vain repetitions.’”

DEFENSE: Jesus did not condemn prayer that involves repetition—he endorsed it. In the King James Version, Jesus says, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matt. 6:7). Even in this translation, he does not condemn repetition but vain (useless) repetition.

But there is a problem with this translation. In Greek, Jesus says we should not battalogēsēte. This is a rare word not found elsewhere in the New Testament. It’s meaning is unclear, so we shouldn’t draw dogmatic conclusions about what he meant. 

The word appears to come from battos (Greek, “a stammerer”). Gentiles did not literally stammer when they prayed, but they could ramble in prayer, thinking that they needed to wear down their gods using many words. This is the attitude Jesus rejects, saying “they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

It’s not repeating words that he’s concerned about. It’s thinking the efficacy of prayer depends on saying a lot. He points out God knows what we need before we ask him (Matt. 6:8). Jesus makes it clear he doesn’t have a problem with repeating things because the next thing he does is teach the Lord’s Prayer—a prayer he intends to be repeated (Matt. 6:9–13).

Repetition is essential to corporate worship. It’s not possible for people to pray aloud, in unison, unless they know the prayer they’re going to use. That’s why prayers in the synagogue and the temple of Jesus’ day were memorized and repeated.

A striking example is the Psalms—ancient hymns, or prayers set to music. The book of Psalms was Israel’s hymn book. In fact, Psalms is one of the most frequently quoted books in the New Testament (Luke 20:42, 24:44; Acts 1:20, 13:33, 35, etc.). Yet the Psalms, by their nature, are meant to be repeated. 

The Psalms even involve repetition within themselves. Psalm 136 has a refrain that occurs over and over. In the King James Version, the refrain is translated “for his mercy endureth for ever,” and it occurs so frequently that it even interrupts and appears in the middle of sentences. Yet Psalm 136 is a beautiful and spiritually meaningful prayer that was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible In One Year Day 179 (2 Kings 11-12, Amos 4-6, Psalm 122)

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Day 179 Blinded By Comfort 

Agape Bible Study 
2 Kings 11 -12 

Chapter 11: Athaliah, Usurper of the Throne of Judah (841-835)

See the parallel passages to Chapters 11-14 in 2 Chronicles Chapters 22-25. Ahaziah's son, is called by both forms of his name in Scripture; the longer form is "Jehoash" and the shortened form of his name is "Joash." In the Hebrew translation he is called Jehoash in 12:1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 18 and 14:13, but he is called Joash in 11:2; 12:19, 20; 13:1, 10, 14; 14:1, 3, 17 and 23. However, in 2 Chronicles he is consistently called Joash. To avoid confusion with King Jehoash of Israel, who is also called by Jehoash and the shortened form "Joash" and who reigned from 798-783, in our lesson we will refer to this Davidic king as Joash of Judah (835-796). He is one of the Davidic kings whose name is absent from St. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-14.

2 Kings 11:1-3 ~ Athaliah murders the sons of the House of David and rules Judah (841-835)

It is still the fateful year 841 BC. Athaliah's son Ahaziah has been murdered by the Israelite military commander Jehu who now claims the throne of Israel. Ahaziah was only 22 years old. He was the youngest son of King Jehoram of Judah and only reigned for part of the year. His older brothers, including the other sons of Ahaziah (2 Chr 24:7), were killed in a raid on Jerusalem by the Philistines and Arabs in 841 BC (2 Chr 21:16-17). It was God's judgment on King Jehoram of Judah for following the example of the kings of Israel and in leading Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem into apostasy and Baal worship (2 Chr 21:12-15).

The Fathers of the Church wrote that the scheme of Athaliah against the family of David resembled that of the devil against the human family. The motivation was the same: to destroy God's covenant and to have power over the people of God. As long as her son lived, she ruled as Judah's Gebirah, the Queen Mother and the most important woman in the kingdom. If another Davidic heir came to the throne, even one of her own grandsons (her other sons were dead, see 2 Chr 22:1), she would no longer hold that high office because it would pass to the mother of her grandson (2 Chr 24:1). Of course, she could kill the mother of any of her grandsons and continue to rule as Gebirah, but she chose to kill all the male heirs of the House of David including any grandsons by her older sons, the brothers of Ahaziah.

Question: What could have been her reason for such brutality not only against all the male Davidic relatives of her sons but in even killing her own grandchildren?
Answer: It is possible that she carried out the murders of all the possible male heirs of the House of David in order to destroy the Davidic line. It may have been her revenge against Yahweh for His divine judgment in the destruction of all her relations in the House of Ahab. She would have known about Yahweh's covenant with the House of David and she may have intended to destroy that covenant.

Unknown to Athaliah, the only Davidic heir to escape was one grandson, the one year old son of her dead son Ahaziah, who was rescued by Jehosheba.

Question: Who was Jehosheba and how was she able to hide the child in the Temple? See 2 Chr 22:10-11.
Answer: She was the daughter of King Jehoram, and since she is not identified as the daughter of Athaliah, she was the half-sister of King Ahaziah. She was also the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Through her husband she had special privileges within the Temple and together they were able to hide the child for six years until he was seven years old.

An 18th-century Russian icon of the prophet Amos

2 Kings 11:4-12 ~ The plan to put make Joash king

In the "seventh year" refers to Joash's age. Joash was hidden in the Temple for six years and he was now seven years old (see 2 Kng 12:1; 2 Chr 21:12). Athaliah's six year reign was coming to an end as Joash's uncle, the High Priest Jehoiada, formulated a plan to place the boy on the throne of the kings of Judah.

Question: The priest Jehoiada formed a conspiracy to overthrow Athaliah with what three groups in addition to the other chief priests? Also see 2 Chr 23:1-7.

Answer:

1. The Carian commanders of the royal (king's) guard
2. The Levites who guarded the Temple
3. The leaders of the Judahite tribal clans

During the week prior to the Saturday Sabbath, one-third of the royal guard was in service at the Temple and two-thirds were at the palace that was located next to the Temple. On the Sabbath, the division of the guard was reversed with two-thirds of the guard at the Temple. Jehoiada took advantage of the posting of the royal guard on the Sabbath when two-thirds of the guard was on duty at the Temple to begin the revolt against Athaliah by placing Joash on the throne at the Temple. 

Jehoiada's plan is carried out as he ordered (verses 7-9), and he takes the time to arm the commanders not with their own weapons but with the spears and shields collected by King David in his victorious battles that were kept in the Temple (2 Sam 8:7-8).

Question: Why did Jehoiada give the commanders the weapons won by the great David to carry in defense of Joash?
Answer: David's weapons were a symbol of the legitimacy of Joash's succession. Holding David's weapons were also meant to instill in the commanders the sense of the historical and theological importance of their mission to place a Davidic heir back on the throne of Judah so the Davidic covenant with Yahweh could continue and could one day be fulfilled in the Messiah.

2 Kings 11:13-16 ~ The death of Athaliah

The shouting of the people was an expression of their approval and the legal confirmation of the accession. The palace of Solomon was just south of the Temple. In the palace, Athaliah could hear the cheers of the crowd and the blowing of trumpets. When she went to the Temple to discover what was causing the commotion, she saw that a child was on the king's customary place and she knew a coup was in the works (2 Chronicles 23:13 records that the pillar was "at the entrance" to the Temple and Ezekiel 46:2 mentions that the prince's station was at the "doorposts of the gate"). She shouted "treason" in the hope that the guards would rally to her, but she did not have their loyalty. The royal guards obeyed Jehoiada and removed her from area to avoid shedding human blood with the Temple complex and profaning the Temple. She was killed at the entrance to the Horse Gate that led to the palace.

2 Kings 11:17-20 ~ Jehoiada reaffirms the Sinai Covenant and the Laws of the King

This is not a new covenant but the reaffirmation of the Sinai Covenant between Yahweh, the king, and the people. The other pact that is mentioned is probably the reestablishment of the Laws of the King in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 that provided for a limited monarchy by forbidding certain actions by the king. The king was to serve as God's agent and the people's servant, and the people were to give the king their financial support and their loyalty.

Jehoiada devoted himself to restoring the true faith and the true expression of worshiping Yahweh that had been abandoned by King Jehoram and his wife Athaliah, daughter of Ahab of Israel.

Question: What was the first Law of the Sinai Covenant that Jehoiada had carried out immediately?
Answer: The first law was that the people were to have no other God but Yahweh and to bow down to no images. The High Priest had the people destroy the temple of Baal and everything in it, including the killing of Mattan, high priest of Baal.

For the first time we learn that a temple to Baal had been built in the holy city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the place God chose for His name to dwell (1 Kng 8:29). 

Question: What was the difference between Jehu's religious reforms in the Northern Kingdom and Jehoiada's religious reforms in the Kingdom of Judah? See 1 Kng 10:1-27.
Answer: In both kingdoms, the temples of Baal were destroyed along with the priests of Baal. The difference between Jehu's coup that was led by the military and the religious reforms that included the destruction of the temple of Baal in the Northern Kingdom as opposed to Jehoiada's overthrow of Athaliah and his reforms is that "the people of the country" of the Southern Kingdom gave their complete support to the coup and the religious reforms.

Unfortunately it was only the Judean populace as a whole who were loyal to Yahweh. The city of Jerusalem had been infected by the pagan practices and was not easily reformed as we shall see after the death of High Priest Jehoiada.

Chapter 12: The Reign of King Joash (Jehoash) of Judah (835-796 BC)

2 Kings 12:1-4 ~ The early years of the reign of King Joash of Judah
Read the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 24:1-16. Notice that the mothers of the Davidic kings are always named. 2 Chronicles 24:2-3 notes that Joash did not remain loyal to Yahweh all his life but only until the death of Jehoiada: Joash did what Yahweh regards as right throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada found him two wives and he fathered several sons and daughters. It was after Jehoiada's death that Joash began to listen to the voices of those who did not wholly support Yahweh, and unfortunately Jehoiada was not able to completely do away with the illicit worship of Yahweh outside the Temple in the "high places" were shrines and altars were established and people offered worship according to their own understanding. This was a continuing problem in the Southern Kingdom even during the reigns of good kings.

Joash's reign can be divided into two phases (see 2 Kng 12 and 2 Chr 24):

1. His reign under the influence of his uncle the High Priest Jehoiada:
   1. Destruction of the temple of Baal
   2. Renovation of Yahweh's Temple
   3. Reorganization of the Temple finances
2. His reign after the death of his uncle the priest Jehoiada
   1. Apostasy of the king and the people
   2. Murder of Zechariah the priest/prophet and son of Jehoiada
   3. Defeated in war with the Aramaeans and paid tribute to Hazael of Damascus
   4. Assassinated by royal officials in retaliation for the murder of Zechariah

2 Kings 12:5-17 ~ Joash sets aside funds to restore the Temple

When the king was 30 years old (the same age as David when he became the King of Israel and Jesus when He began His ministry) Joash intervened in the management of the Temple. The Temple was completed by Solomon in c. 963 and was dedicated the next year at the Feast of Tabernacles (1 Kng 6:38; 8:1-2). After nearly a century and a half of use, it was in need of repair. At first the king placed the responsibility for the restoration to the priests, but when the necessary repairs were not being made, the king, who saw himself as the royal patron of the Temple, presented a plan to collect the money for the needed repairs.

The "sacred donations" were all free will donations that were given by the people to the Temple for use by the priests (Num 18:19, 28-29), and the loss of this revenue would severely restrict the standard of living for all the priestly families. The Levites were supported by the tithes and the entire clergy by the redemption tax for all firstborn sons (Num 18:15-16, 21-29, 30-32; Dt 14:22-29). In the past all these contributions were collected by the priests and a portion was applied for repairs that the priests and Levites undertook themselves.

2 Kings 12:18-19 ~ Problems during King Joash of Judah's reign
After Jehoiada's death, Joash listened to the advice official in Jerusalem who encouraged him to abandon the Temple of Yahweh for worship of sacred poles and idols (2 Chr 24:17-18). Jerusalem was previously a Canaanite city ruled by the pagan Jebusites. Some of that pagan character still lingered among elements of the population despite the selection of Jerusalem has Yahweh's holy city. Jerusalem incurred the wrath of Yahweh because of this apostasy. God sent His prophets to lead the king and the people back to Him, but the people and the king would not listen (see the parallel passage in 2 Chr 24:17, 23-27). 

Judgment came in the form of the Aramaeans. The Kingdom of Judah was attacked by Hazael of Damascus (see 2 Kng 8:7-15). The city of Gath is probably Gath-Rimmon ("the winepress [of the god] Rimmon"), a city located on the borders between the tribes of Dan and Ephraim in the Northern Kingdom. That the Aramaeans have come through Israel unopposed shows the weakness of the Northern Kingdom and that the Aramaeans are probably already in control of the Transjordan. The Aramaeans army massacred all the government officials of Judah and looted all the towns they captured. 

The High Priest Jehoiada reestablished Yahweh's covenant with the people and reaffirmed the limited rule of a Davidic king as a servant of the people (Dt 17:14-20). He restored the proper administration in the Temple (2 Chr 23:18-19), acted as overseer of the necessary Temple repairs (2 Chr 24:4-14), and continued to have a good influence over King Joash (2 Chr 24:2-3). He lived to be 130 years old, and, as a sign of the great respect he received from the king and the people, he was buried in the tombs of the kings (2 Chr 24:15-16). 

2 Kings 12:20-22 ~ Summary statement of Joash's reign and his death

Joash was assassinated by his servants but without the intention of bringing about a palace coup. The attack was personal, and he was killed in the old part of the city of David south of Solomon's palace complex.

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A Daily Defense 
DAY 179 Objections to the Fine-Tuning Argument

CHALLENGE: "The fine-tuning argument is flawed: (1) The fact that our universe’s constants appear finely tuned to allow for the existence of life could be due to chance if there are a vast number of universes, each of which has slightly different constants; (2) perhaps there is some law we haven’t yet discovered why the universe must have the constants it does; and (3) even if the universe is designed, that doesn’t mean the designer is God."

DEFENSE; None of these objections overturn the fine-tuning argument.

First, if it were true that there were a sufficiently vast number of universes, each of which had different constants, then it might be likely that one with our constants would exist. However, we have no evidence that even one other universe exists, much less the vast multitude that would be needed.

Second, the idea there is a hidden law requiring that the constants must be set as they are is pure speculation. Based on the evidence we have at present, the constants appear to be independent. Further, even if we were to discover such a law, it would only raise the question of why that law exists.

Third, although some have speculated our universe could be the product of a technologically advanced civilization from a prior universe, and that they designed its constants, we have no evidence this is the case. We don’t even have proof it is possible for a technologically advanced civilization to create a new, designer universe.

Further, this technologically advanced civilization would itself need to be made of life-forms or (if robotic) to be the product of previous life-forms. Thus the universe they came from would need to have its constants similarly fine-tuned, and the problem would only be kicked back a step.

Each of the above proposals also potentially runs afoul of Occam’s Razor, which urges us to seek the simplest solution that fits the evidence. For example, postulating vast numbers of other universes to explain away the fact that ours looks designed may be seen as an egregious violation of the principle.

At a minimum, none of these explanations fit the data better than the proposition that God designed our universe, and thus it is rational to believe in God based on modern cosmology.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist

Bible In One Year Day 178 (2 Kings 10, Amos 1-3, Psalm 110)

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2 Kings 10

Chapter 10: The Reign of Jehu (841-814 BC)

2 Kings 10:1-5 ~ Jehu sends a challenge to the officials of Samaria
1 There were seventy of Ahab's sons in Samaria. Seventy is probably not a literal number but a symbolic number representing the totality of Ahab's sons and grandchildren in the capital city.

Jehu cleverly challenged those who wished to oppose his claim to the throne and who remained loyal to the House of Ahab to set their choice of a descendant of Ahab on the throne and to go to battle against his forces for control of the kingdom. They are terrified. They are not military men and Jehu apparently has the loyalty of the army. They sent a return letter announcing their submission to Jehu.

2 Kings 10:6-11 ~ Jehu's offer and the massacres at Samaria and Jezreel

Question: What is the purpose of Jehu's second letter? What demand does Jehu make?
Answer: It is a test of their loyalty to him. If they indeed accept him as their king, they must kill the remaining sons and grandsons of the House of Ahab who might one day become a threat to Jehu and bring their heads to Jezreel.

In verse 9, Jehu very cleverly absolved the murderers of the male members of Ahab's family. If they cannot be charged with what they have done, they can hardly hold the murder of King Jehoram against him.

Question: What justification does he offer for his actions?
Answer: He says he has fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah against the House of Ahab.

Then he killed every member of the House of Ahab surviving in Jezreel, all his leading men, his close friends, his priests; he did not leave a single one alive (verse 11). This massacre includes anyone who might remain loyal to the former royal family: the former king's personal servants, friends, members of the illicit priesthood of Baal who served the king as royal officials (as in 2 Sam 8:18; 20:26; 1 Kng 4:5), and royal officers who served at the palace in Jezreel.

2 Kings 10:12-14 ~ The massacre of the kinsmen of Ahaziah

On the road between Jezreel and Samaria (10 miles), Jehu met a company of men who identified themselves as the "brothers" of Ahaziah of Judah. The "brothers" are not siblings of Ahaziah but "kinsmen" who were probably related to Ahaziah through his Israelite mother. We are not told where they were coming from, but they were on their way to Jerusalem to pay their respects to Ahaziah and his mother Athaliah, the Gebirah/Queen Mother. The reference could not be to Jezebel because queens of Israel did not bear the title "Gebirah." They were apparently unaware that Ahaziah was visiting his uncle in Jezreel and unaware of the recent coup in which both Jehoram and Ahaziah were killed. The writer of 2 Chronicles records that these men were officers of Judah and Ahaziah's nephews who were in attendance on Ahaziah (2 Chr 22:8). The sequence of events is told in a different order in 2 Chronicles and the confusion may have been because these events unfolded so quickly. 2 Chronicles also records that Ahaziah was wounded but made it back to Samaria where he was found by Jehu and killed (2 Chr 22:9).

2 Kings 10:15-17 ~ The massacre of the survivors of Ahab's family in Samaria

Jehonadab was the founder of the Rechab clan, a small but ultra-traditionalist group that observed a way of life similar to the Israelites of the Exodus generation. They abstained from wine, lived in tents and did not engage in agriculture but only herded animals.

Recognizing that this traditionalist Israelite could be an important ally, Jehu invited him to be a part of the judgment on the apostate people of Samaria. Their combined "zeal" for Yahweh (verse 16) is seen as their commitment to radical monotheism in belief in Yahweh as the one and only God (1 Kng 19:10, 14).

2 Kings 10:18-24a ~ Jehu's plan to deal with the devotees of Baal

In Samaria, Jehu calls a "sacred assembly" for the worshipers of Baal. A sacred assembly is an event that requires the participation of every devotee of Baal. We are told it is a trick but the devotees and priests of Baal probably thought Jehu was going to seek their support and the support of Baal by offering special sacrifices. 

2 Kings 10:24b-27 ~ The destruction of the temple of Baal in Samaria

Jehu positioned eighty of his men around the outside of the temple of Baal. The guards are ordinary soldiers and the equerries are member of the royal guard who attend the king. All the devotees of Baal were killed according to the Law in Deuteronomy 13:13-19. The Law prescribed the death penalty for Israelite prophets/priests of pagan divinities and apostate members of the covenant who lead others astray.

Obedient to the command in Deuteronomy 12:3, Jehu and his men burned the "sacred pole" a cult object sacred to the goddess Asherah, destroyed the pagan image of Baal, and demolished the temple dedicated to Baal. They showed their disgust for the pagan worship site by turning it into a latrine.

2 Kings 10:28-36 ~ Summary of Jehu's Reign in Israel (841-814 BC)
Jehu's reign over Israel is verified in Assyrian records. As with all the summaries of the kings of Israel, his reign is compared to the first non-Davidic king of Israel, Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Jehu destroyed Baal worship and its disgusting practice of child sacrifice in the Northern Kingdom, but like Jeroboam, he feared losing control of the kingdom if he let the people go to Jerusalem to worship in Yahweh's temple. He did not dismantle the illicit worship sites of the Golden Calf in the Northern Kingdom that Jeroboam had established in Bethel and Dan (1 Kng 12:26-29).

The House of Jehu was the longest lasting of the nine dynasties that ruled the Northern Kingdom, with five kings ruling from 841-743 BC.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church #633 addresses the condition of the dead in Sheol/Hades prior to the Advent of Christ: "Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down hell, Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek, because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.  Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the redeemer, which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into Abraham's Bosom.  It is precisely theses holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.  Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him."

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A Daily Defense

DAY 178 The Fine-Tuning Argument

CHALLENGE: “Modern cosmology gives us no reason to believe in God.”

DEFENSE: Elsewhere we cover the support the Big Bang gives to God’s existence (see Day 46), but there is also the fact that the universe appears to be finely tuned to allow the possibility of life.

This argument may be phrased as follows:

1. The universe has a significant number of physical constants that fall within narrow ranges that allow life to develop.

2. These values are either the product of design or chance.

3. It is highly unlikely that they are the product of chance.

4. Therefore, the physical constants of the universe are designed to allow intelligent life to develop.

5. Design requires a designer.

6. Therefore, the universe has a designer.

7. The designer of the universe is God.

8. Therefore, modern cosmology gives us reason to believe in God.

The premises of this argument are lines 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. The conclusions (lines 4, 6, and 8) follow from them.

Line 1 is widely admitted by astronomers and physicists. Cosmologist Stephen Hawking writes: “The laws of science, as we know them at present, contain many fundamental numbers, like the size of the electric charge of the electron and the ratio of the masses of the proton and the electron. . . . The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life” (A Brief History of Time, chapter 8).

Line 2 is true by definition, understanding chance to be anything not designed.

Line 3 is supported by the fact that, if we imagine all the possible alternative values the universe’s constants might have, it is very improbable that they would all fall within the ranges needed for intelligent life by chance.

Line 5 is required by the concept of design, which presupposes a designer, just as the concept of art presupposes an artist.

Line 7 is based on one of the most common ways of conceptualizing God—i.e., as the Creator of the universe.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist