This
week, we shall continue to study the book of 2 Kings in the Old Testament.
(1) How did Elisha’s charge to the young prophet fulfill God’s command to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:16?
(2) Why did the anointing have to be done in private
and why did the prophet have to run after that? Consider the following:
a. Was it to protect the life of the young prophet? If so, from whom?
b. Was it to prevent him from being asked beyond his knowledge and commission?
c. For what other reason(s) could there be?
(3) As part of the anointing, what was Jehu told to do concerning the following persons?
a. Ahab (Compare to 1 Ki. 21:21-22)
- What were the reasons given then and now?
b. Jezebel (Compare to 1 Ki. 21:23-26)
- What were the reasons given then and now?
- Why would God allow this wicked queen to survive such a long time (some 12-13 years after the death of Ahab)?
(4) Consider the persistent questioning of the fellow officers:
a. Did they know that the young man was a prophet?
b. Why would they mock him as a mad man? (see Paul’s comment about himself in 1 Cor. 4:13)
(5) What might be the reason that Jehu was reluctant to tell his fellow officers the truth at first?
(6) Now that the anointing was made public, what did Jehu decide to do right away? (v.15)
(7) With the two consecutive messengers joining Jehu, the king should have had an inkling about what was going to happen:
a. How did the watchman describe Jehu’s driving?
b. What might this tell you about the person of Jehu?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
9:21-29—The Death of Joram and Ahaziah
(1) Since Joram was resting in Jezreel to recover from his battle-wound, why did he choose to ride a chariot to greet Jehu? Should he not just wait for him to come and greet him instead?
(2) In the exchange between Joram and Jehu both mentioned “peace”:
a. What did Joram mean by “peace”?
b. What did Jehu mean by “peace”?
(3) What did Jehu ask his chariot officer to do? What prophecy was he referring to? (See 1 Ki. 21:19)
(4) What lesson(s) can we all learn from the fulfillment of such a prophecy?
(5) What lesson can we learn from the death of Ahaziah, the king of Judah? (see biblical comments about him in 2 Ki. 8:25-29)
9:30-37—The Death of Jezebel
(6) Jezebel obviously had heard of the death of her son, Joram:
a. Why did she call Jehu “Zimri”? (see 1 Ki. 16:9-13)
b. Why did she take the time to put on make up? Consider the following:
- To entice Jehu with her beauty
- To prepare to die in dignity as a queen
- For another reason
(7) How did she die?
(8) What happened to her body?
(9) How did it fulfill the prophecy of the Lord? (1 Ki. 21:23)
(10) What was the reason for her fate? (1 Ki. 21:25)
(11) What lesson(s) can we learn from the fulfillment of such a prophecy?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) What did the guardians of Ahab’s sons (likely grandsons given Ahab had died for about 13 years by then) decide in response to the threat of Jehu?
(2) These guardians obviously had looked after these children for some time, and to behead each of them was certainly ruthless and cruel: Do you think they really had any choice?
(3) What reason did Jehu give for the killing of Ahab’s family? (v. 10)
(4) Was he justified in so doing? Why or why not?
(5) According to the relatives of Ahaziah, what was their purpose of visiting Samaria? (v. 13)
(6) How did their words convict them of their sin?
(7) Why did Jehu spare the life of Jehonadab? (See Note below)
(8) What was the biblical comment concerning what Jehu did to the family of Ahab? (v. 17 and 1 Ki. 21:21)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“Jehonadab the son of Rachab was the tribe-father of the Rechabites (Jer. 35:6). The rule which the latter laid down for his sons and descendants for all time, was to lead a simple nomad life, namely to dwell in tents, follow no agricultural pursuits, and abstain from wine; which rule they observed so sacredly, that the prophet Jeremiah held them up as models before his own contemporaries…This Jehonadab was therefore a man distinguished for the strictness of his life, and Jehu appears to have received him in this friendly manner on account of the great distinction in which he was held, not only in his own tribe, but also in Israel generally, that he might exalt himself in the eyes of the people through his friendship.” (K&D, 245)
(1) Why would the prophets of Baal believe Jehu’s claim to worship Baal?
(2) What steps had he taken to ensure the assembly of all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests in the following way?
a. They would gather together (v. 20)
b. They would not suspect him (v. 24) and
c. They would not be able to escape (vv. 22, 24)
(3) Would you say Jehu was wise or cunning?
(4) How complete was his extermination of Baal worship? (vv. 25-27)
(5) What was the biblical verdict on the life of Jehu? (vv. 30-31)
(6) How then would you describe the meaning of his “zeal for the Lord”? (v. 16)
(7) Why did the Lord decide “to reduce the size of Israel”, beginning with the time of Jehu?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Athaliah is the granddaughter of Omri, i.e. daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (see 2 Ki. 8:18, 26):
a. Why did Athaliah want to destroy the whole royal family?
b. In what way was she like her mother, Jezebel?
(2) Where were the other brothers of Ahaziah, i.e. sons of Jehoram (and Athaliah)? (see 2 Chr. 21:16-17)
(3) Who was Jehosheba? (see 2 Chr. 22:11 as well)
(4) Why and where did she hide Joash?
(5) The Chronicler gives, in greater detail, the account of the protection of Joash (see 2 Chr. 23) which involved more than the royal guards but priests and Levites:
a. What do you think was the reason that the people would support Joash and not Athaliah despite her ruthlessness and power?
b. Why was Jehoiada so committed to restoring the reign to Joash? (see 2 Chr. 23:3)
(6) What did the process of anointing involve? (v. 12)
(7) What was the significance of presenting the king with a copy of the covenant (i.e. the Law of Moses)? (see Deut. 17:18-20)
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) What propelled Athaliah to seize the throne and kill the entire royal family in the first place?
(2) Did she ever look upon the kingdom of Judah as God’s? Why or why not?
(3) Now that she cried “Treason”, was she not aware that she committed treason (and worse) in the first place?
(4) What lesson can we learn from her deeds and her end?
(5) In reestablishing a throne after David, why did Jehoaida make a covenant in these ways?
a. First between the Lord and the king and people
b. Then between the king and the people
c. How important was each? (Deut. 17:18-20）
(6) What was the immediate result of the making of these covenants? (v. 18)
(7) How important was such an action?
(8) Joash was only seven years old when he became king. What then would be the most important thing for him to succeed as a godly king?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) How important was priest Jehoiada to Joash?
(2) What might be the core reason for Joash to stray away from the teaching of the priest after his death? (See 2 Chr. 24:17ff)
In any case, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord for quite a long time, and the repairs of the temple was one of such deeds:
(3) What happened to the temple of the Lord before the reign of Joash? (see 2 Chr. 24:7)
(4) The words spoken by Joash to the priests in vv. 4-5:
a. Do you think it was an official edict?
b. What essentially was he asking the priests to do?
(5) We have no idea how much time had lapsed since his instruction to the priests, but nothing had been done to the temple:
a. What new instruction did he give them in vv. 7-8?
b. Based on the words of Joash, do we know what had happened to the money received by the priests all these years?
(6) Apart from simply giving the priests a mandate, Joash wisely implemented a very practical and open procedure, with checks and balances, to ensure that the priests would follow through with his instruction. (vv. 9-12)
a. How should the money be collected?
b. Where would this chest be placed?
c. Who would count the money? Why did it involve two people?
d. Who would replace the priests to supervise the repair work of the temple?
e. Who would handle the payment to the tradesmen?
(7) What was the sole purpose of the use of this money? (v. 13)
(8) Would such a decree by Joash threaten the livelihood of the priests? Why? (v. 16)
(9) What are the principles that can still be used when it comes to the handling of money in the church or Christian ministry?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?