King Jehu

How He Became King: After he assassinated Jehoram
When He Began Reigning: Uncertain
Reign Length: 28 years
Ruled Over: Israel
Type of King: Evil
Prophet: Elisha
Death: Unknown
Burial: Buried in Samaria

Jehu was anointed king over Israel by one of the children of the prophets:

2 Kings 9:1: “And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:
2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;
3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.”

Jehu was commanded by God to utterly destroy the house of Ahab, and that is exactly what he did. He killed Jehoram, the king of Israel:

2 Kings 9:24: “And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.”

He killed Ahaziah, the king of Judah:

2 Kings 9:27: “But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.”

He had Jezebel thrown out a window, and then ran her over with his chariot:

2 Kings 9:33: “And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.”

He had Ahab’s children executed:

2 Kings 10:7: “And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.”

Jehu left no survivors of Ahab’s house:

2 Kings 9:11: “So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.”

Jehu also assembled all the worshipers of Baal, slaughtered them, and destroyed Baal’s temple and idols:

2 Kings 10:25: “And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.”

However, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam. He did not destroy the golden calves:

2 Kings 10:29: “Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. . .
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.”

Despite this, since Jehu carried out God’s wrath against Ahab, God said that his children would sit on the throne to the fourth generation:

2 Kings 10:30: “And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”

When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria:

2 Kings 10:35: “And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.”

His son Jehoahaz then reigned in his stead.