2 Kings 9

Another surprise kingship! Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu, commander of the army, as king. He was supposed to anoint his head with oil, then RUN OUT OF THERE. And that's what he did. He said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel. You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.' " Then he opened the door and ran. Bet it looked a little funny.

When Jehu came out, the rest of his guys raised their eyebrows and asked, "Is everything alright? Why did this madman come to you?"

Jehu rolled his eyes. "You know this man and the sort of things he says."

Now these guys know he's bluffing. "That's not true! Tell us."

Jehu did tell them. "I have been anointed king over Israel."

It probably took about 30 seconds of staring open-mouthed before that sank in. As soon as it did, all the officers took off their cloaks and spread them out. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, "Jehu is king!"

Jehu got right to work against the house of Ahab, starting with his son Joram, the OTHER king of Israel. Fortunately, Ahaziah king of Judah was with him on that day.

When the lookout standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu's troops approaching, he called out, "I see some troops coming."

"Get a horseman," Joram ordered. "Send him to meet them and ask, 'Do you come in peace?' "
The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, "This is what the king says: 'Do you come in peace?' "

"What do you have to do with peace?" Jehu replied. "Fall in behind me."

The lookout reported, "The messenger has reached them, but he isn't coming back."
So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, "This is what the king says: 'Do you come in peace?' "

Jehu replied, "What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me."
The lookout reported, "He has reached them, but he isn't coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a madman." (Hahahahaha!)
"Hitch up my chariot," Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "Have you come in peace, Jehu?"

"How can there be peace," Jehu replied, "as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?"
Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, "Treachery, Ahaziah!"

Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, "Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the LORD made this prophecy about him: 'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.' Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD."

Now Naboth the Jezreelite's blood has been avenged! But there's still one person to deal with. Jehu was off to Jezreel and Jezebel heard about it. She stuck her head out the window and yelled, "Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?"

Jehu looked up, and cried, "Who is on my side? Who?" Some of Jezebel's eunuchs stuck THEIR heads out that window and were on his side. "Throw her down!" Jehu told them. Those poor guys did. Jehu went in and ate and drank, but then told somebody to go bury her - after all she was a queen. But the dogs had eaten her up. And Jehu remembered what the prophet that anointed him had said. Let's go Jehu, Let's go!!!