The biblical account of the fall of the house of Ahab meets the high standards of any episode of Game of Thrones. I dare you to be bored with this historical account.
We have more records on Ahab and Jezebel than on any other kings besides David and Solomon for a reason. Jezebel is readily acknowledged to be the prototypical Whore of Babylon, the Woman who rides the Beast during the greatest tribulation ever. When we take the time to study these precursor events referenced by future prophecies, we find that, despite doing more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him, God gave Jezebel plenty of time and rope to hang herself.
One reason, surely, is for chastening – for correction – of his people. Certainly many Israelites fled south to Judah, as we find that many years later when King Josiah celebrates Passover for the first time in many generations, that it is recorded that “And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (II Chronicles 35:17-19)
But there is undoubtedly more to it.
When I read that Ahab remained propped up in his chariot all day after he was mortally wounded, bleeding to death, my first reaction is that he was a fighter, rather heroic. But he wasn’t being heroic when he asked Jehoshaphat to cover for him, so another explanation for his behavior is that he was simply being stubborn. Reminds me of Pharaoh. And that fits.
When God sent Moses to deliver his people from Egypt’s tribulation, he showed his superior power through an escalating series of wonders. We can conclude the same circumstances occurred when he sent Elijah to deliver his people from Ahab/Jezebel’s tribulation. We can again apply this pattern of behavior when God sent John the Baptist / Elijah to deliver his people from Rome’s tribulation during Christ’s first coming. Once we take into account historic patterns of behavior we are able to recognize its future recurrence.
“I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. And if any man will hurt them,
- fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies
- These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:
- and have power over waters to turn them to blood,
- and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” (Revelation 11:3-6)
If we have loved ones and care at all about other people, we should be grateful for the 3 1/2 years of terrible tribulation as this mounting evidence of the truth of God’s word brings people to the God of the Bible for salvation from worse yet to come.
Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria…And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother…And Ahaziah…was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die…
- Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down…And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
- Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly…And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
- And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him…So the king died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken…
And J(eh)oram reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 1)
And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria.”
Just as Elijah anointed successors, so does Elisha.
“For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” (Romans 13:1)
“And Elisha the prophet called one of the children [trainees] of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead: 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; 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 [this is going to be wild]. So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.
And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish…And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.
Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication. [Figuring they were listening at the door.] And they said, It is false [no we didn’t!]; tell us now. And he said…Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel.
Then they hasted, and took every man his [protective battle] garment, and put it under him [like a bullet proof vest] on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram…
And Jehu said, If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel. So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there…
And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? [Expecting a coup d’etate.] So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind [to follow / join] me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.
Then he sent out a second on horseback…And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.
And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel…went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite [foreshadowing here!]. And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?
And Joram turned his hands [on the reigns], and fled…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.
Some fantastic shooting from a bouncing chariot or else another “guided missile” like the one that hit Ahab.
Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him; Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. 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. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king’s daughter. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. [How do I know she was tattoed? Because it was a pagan practice at that time.]
Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. (2 Kings 9)
What emerges at this time is a pattern of half-hearted faith by the next rulers, neither hot nor cold, crying out for help under duress but not fully allying with the God who saves. Sound familiar? The result is constant conflict.
“But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart…In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael king of Syria smote them in all the coasts of Israel;” (II K 10:3-33)
“Jehoahaz the son of Jehu…reigned seventeen years….the LORD…delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days. And Jehoahaz besought the LORD…And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians.” (II Kings 13:1-5)
“Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz…reigned sixteen years….took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war..” (II Kings 13:10-11, 25)
“Jeroboam the son of J[eh]oash king of Israel…reigned forty and one years…He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher [undoubtedly just one of the many prophecies that were not included in the final archive for the sake of limiting the size]. For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.” (II Kings 14:23-27)
But when Jehu’s dynasty refused to give YHVH his due credit, honor and worship, Israel’s powerful protective military fractured into militias waging civil war.
“Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months…And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him and reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 15:8-10)
“Shallum the son of Jabesh…reigned a full month in Samaria. [Does anyone besides me find that “full” a sarcastic commentary?] For Menahem the son of Gadi…slew him, and reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 15:13-14)
“Menahem the son of Gadi…reigned ten years in Samaria.And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam…Menahem smote Tiphsah…and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him…and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up…And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.” (II Kings 15:16-20)
“Pekahiah the son of Menahem…reigned two years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.” (II Kings 15:23-25)
“Pekah the son of Remaliah…reigned twenty years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam…
In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took…Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. And Hoshea…made a conspiracy against Pekah… and slew him, and reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 15:27-30)
“Hoshea the son of Elah…reign in Samaria over Israel nine years…Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents [euphemism for tribute]. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison…and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria…unto this day…
Notice how this takes Israel completely out of the Promised Land, beyond the eastern border of the Euphrates River.
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria [built by Ahab], and dwelt in the cities thereof…
And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast…placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
- And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth,
- the men of Cuth made Nergal,
- the men of Hamath made Ashima,
- And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak,
- the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adram-melech and Anam-melech.
So they feared the LORD, AND..served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.” (II Kings 17:1-41)
These of course, are the Samaritans of the New Testament.
Kingdom Come 