Milo

Thu, Sep 25, 2003, 01:00 

A 17th-century Irish prelate reached the heights of scientific sophistication in estimating Earth’s age, writes Mary Mulvihill

In 1650 the archbishop of Armagh, James Ussher, began counting all the “begats” in the Old Testament. He also studied ancient Egyptian and Hebrew texts, analysed how the ancient calendars were calculated and came up with a date for the Creation.

The world, he concluded, had begun one weekend in 4004 BC – specifically, on the evening before October 23rd.

These days most people laugh at the Irish clergyman’s work. Yet in 1650 it was the height of scientific sophistication, and many other erudite scholars were computing similar sums.

There was even heated academic debate about whether time would have begun on the Saturday evening or the Sunday morning.

Modern geologists can use complex dating techniques to assess the age of a piece of rock. But transport them back to 1650 and they’d find that the only way to calculate an age for Earth was to follow Ussher’s technique, treating the Bible, “God’s truth”, as an accurate historical record.

Ussher chose October 23rd for his moment of Creation as, under the old calendar, it was the autumn equinox, a traditional start to the year.

He believed the 23rd would have been a Sunday, as time would surely have begun on the first day of the week, and he specified the previous evening, as traditionally this was when each day began. Many scholars agreed with Ussher that Earth was about 5,650 years old.

The Venerable Bede, for example, believed the Creation had happened in 3952 BC; Isaac Newton plumped for 3998 BC. The date was still hotly disputed, however; John Lightfoot, an eminent Hebrew scholar at Cambridge, believed the Creation took place at 9 a.m. on the day of the equinox and not, as Ussher suggested, the previous evening.

When it came to printing English Bibles, however, and adding a chronology in the margins, Ussher’s calculation was the one chosen, and in time his work was accorded the same respect as the scriptures themselves.

The work was still widely accepted in the late 19th century, but by then scientists were exploring other ways of calculating Earth’s age, based on the amount of salt that had accumulated in the oceans, for example, or the time Earth took to cool from a molten mass to a solid planet.

Ussher, who was born in Dublin in 1581, was from a merchant family whose name survives in the city’s Ussher’s Island.

He was one of the first students to attend Trinity College in Dublin, starting at the age of 13, and his book collection later formed the nucleus of the college’s library.

He was a renowned scholar, a professor of theology at Trinity and a keen astronomer who used a telescope to verify for himself the theories of Galileo, Kepler and Copernicus.

He was in England in 1642 when civil war broke out and remained there, managing to be both a royalist (he attended Charles I at the scaffold) and a friend to Oliver Cromwell.

When Ussher died, in 1656, he was buried, at Cromwell’s request, in Westminster Cathedral.

• Ussher is one of the scientific pioneers featured in Mary Mulvihill’s award-winning Ingenious Ireland (TownHouse)

MARCH 24

Reading 83

JUDAH’S FALL 2 Kings 21–25

“I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle”(2 Kings 21:12).Manasseh’s 55-year reign dragged Judah into detestable sins. Even a brief revival under Josiah could not reverse the plunge to judgment. The highway of sin leads to one destination only.

Background

Josiah’s vigorous and successful reign took place during a time of Assyrian decline. In the 630sB.C that great empire was weakened by internal strife. In 626 Babylon revolted, and in a stunningly quick rise made its bid to replace Assyria as the dominant world power. Nineveh fell in 612B.C, and the final battle was fought in 605 at Carchemish. Josiah died in battle in 609 attempting to keep an Egyptian army under Pharaoh Neco from joining the Assyrians. Despite the fact that Babylon then was dominant, Egypt consistently encouraged uprisings in the Palestinian states. Judah’s kings were frequently led into rebelling against Babylon. In consequence, Judah suffered a series of Babylonian invasions and deportations. The final invasion came in 587, when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. In 586 the city was destroyed and its people deported to Babylon. The few Jews who remained murdered a Babylonian governor and garrison, and fled to Egypt. The Books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel graphically portray spiritual and political conditions during the last decades of the nation, and specify the sins for which Judah was judged.

Overview

Manasseh’s 55-year rule set Judah firmly on the course of evil (21:1–25). His grandson, Josiah, led a bright but brief revival (22:1–23:30). Wicked kings then succeeded one another (v. 31–24:20), until Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the people of Judah were carried into Captivity (25:1–30). KING LIST

Years	Judah’s Rulers
697–642	Manasseh
642–640	Amon
640–609	Josiah
609	Jehoahaz
609–598	Jehoiakim
598–597	Jehoiachin
597–586	Zedekiah
586	BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

Understanding the Text

“He has . . . led Judah into sin with his idols” 2 Kings 21:1–18. Manasseh’s brutal, idolatrous reign led God to pronounce irrevocable judgment on Judah (cf. vv. 12–15). What Manasseh’s lengthy rule did was to impress a pattern on Judah’s society. That pattern became so deeply ingrained that all Josiah’s efforts at reform were unable to change it. Habakkuk, who ministered in Josiah’s time, complained to God that Judah’s society was marred with entrenched injustice despite restoration of temple worship (cf. Hab. 1:2–4). A famous study traced the members of two New England families. One produced a long line of ministers, schoolteachers, and college professors. The other produced a series of criminals and murderers. In families, as in Manasseh’s Judah, the lives we live can set the pattern for future generations. “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord” 2 Kings 22:1–20. Josiah’s early religious commitment was shown in his efforts to repair the temple of the Lord. He was unguided, for apparently during the rule of Manasseh most copies of the Old Testament Scriptures were destroyed. Then a copy of the Law, which some take to be the entire five books of Moses, was found. A shaken Josiah realized how disobedient Judah had been. Inquiries addressed to Huldah, a prophetess, brought back word that Judah’s fate was sealed. But because Josiah had been humble and responsive to God, the disaster would come only after his death. God is still looking for people who are shaken by society’s abandonment of biblical principles of holiness and justice. When we are humble and responsive, God will bless us individually whatever may happen to our land. Josiah’s zeal was so great that he set out to rid Judah of all those practices against which God’s Word spoke. The list of his actions suggests the extent of Judah’s apostasy. What we can appreciate about Josiah is his example of total commitment. We can ask nothing more than to be like Josiah, who “turned to the Lord . . . with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength” (23:25). Josiah’s 31-year reign over Judah did not change the direction of his nation. But Josiah’s consistent efforts to serve the Lord won him the divine accolade. God does not require us to be successful. He does, however, call us to be totally committed. “So Judah went into captivity, away from her land” 2 Kings 25:1–26. Against the urging of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who called for submission, Judah’s last kings kept on rebelling against the Babylonians. The third time Babylonian forces appeared before Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the city and its temple to be razed, and the majority of its people taken into Captivity. The few who remained assassinated the Babylonian governor and his garrison, and fled to Egypt, leaving the land void of Abraham’s descendants. The Babylonian Captivity seems on the surface a great tragedy. Yet it proved to be an unusual blessing. In Babylon the Jews turned to the Scriptures to understand what had happened to them. They decisively rejected idolatry; after the Captivity the nation was never again drawn to the worship of false gods. And in Babylon the synagogue system of study and prayer was instituted; a system which has kept the focus of Israel on Scripture to the present day. Even in the most terrible of judgments God remained true to His commitment to do His people good. Whatever happens to you or me, we can know that God is committed to us. He loves us, and He will do us good.

DEVOTIONAL

A Visit to Topheth (2 Kings 22–23)

One of the actions Josiah took in his zeal for the Lord was to desecrate Topheth, where sacrifices were made to “Molech.” The reference to Topheth turns my thoughts to a modern horror which is very like the ancient practice. What was a “topheth”? And what was a sacrifice made to “Molech”? A topheth was a district set aside for a class of sacrifices indicated by the Hebrew letters m-l-k. These were sacrifices in which children up to four years of age were presented as an offering made to a god or goddess from whom the offerer sought some benefit. Perhaps the benefit was a little more money. Perhaps better health. Perhaps a better job. Whatever it was, these parents seemingly thought nothing of bringing living children to the place of sacrifice and, as pounding drums drowned out anguished cries, burning them alive. The modern horror? It’s the practice of some of laying the lives of their unborn children on an abortionist’s altar—with the same motives. A baby will cost too much money. A baby now will spoil the vacation we planned. A baby now will tie me to my house, just when I’m making progress on my job. A baby will be inconvenient—so I’ll exchange the fetus nestled within me for what I hope will be a better quality of life for me. But are the two practices really equivalent? In all honesty, we have to say they are. The infants of the ancients were individuals. Undeveloped, not yet adults, but separate and distinct persons from the parents on whom they had to depend. The fetus of today is also a separate and distinct person, with each cell marked off by a unique pattern of genes and chromosomes that are absolutely different from the pattern found in every cell of the mother’s body. The unborn child is not part of the mother, but an individual in his or her own right. An individual moderns seem all too ready to treat with the same indifference as the ancients treated infants and toddlers. So next time you hear some impassioned argument for the right of women to do what they want with their own bodies, don’t be confused. What the pro- choice position asks is nothing less than the right to rebuild Topheth, where parents can offer up the lives of their children in the hope of a better life for themselves.

Personal Application

Each individual is precious in God’s sight, however young or old he or she may be.

Quotable

My shining feet will never run on early morning lawn; my feet were crushed before they had a chance to greet the dawn. My fingers now will never stretch to touch the winning tape; my race was done before I learned the smallest steps to take. My growing height will never be recorded on a wall; my growth was stopped when I was still unseen and very small. My lips and tongue will never taste the good fruits of the earth; for I myself was judged to be a fruit of little worth. My eyes will never scan the sky for my high-flying kite; for when still blind, destroyed were they in the black womb of night. I’ll never stand upon a hill, spring’s winds in my hair; autumn’s winds of thought closed in on Motherhood’s despair. I’ll never walk the shores of life or know the tides of time; for I was coming but unloved, and that my only crime. Nameless am I, a grain of sand, one of the countless dead; but the deed that made me ashen grey floats on the seas of red.-Fay Clayton

MARCH 23

Reading 82

ONE KINGDOM SURVIVES 2 Kings 18–20

“The Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” (2 Kings 18:7).Hezekiah is praised as a king who trusted God and held fast to Him. One person who is fully committed to the Lord truly can make a difference in the fate of a nation!

Background

The material on Hezekiah is organized by theme rather than chronology. His healing (2 Kings 20) took place before the Assyrian invasion (2 Kings 18–19). Hezekiah’s first years of independent rule, from about 715 to 705 B.C, were spent in religious reforms. He then boldly rebelled against Assyria, which was weakened by internal strife. He attacked and defeated Assyria’s vassal, Philistia, and set about strengthening Judah’s defenses. In 701B.C a new ruler, Sennacherib, turned to the west to deal with the rebel coalition headed by Judah and supported by Egypt. The Assyrians swept along the seacoast and attacked Judah from the west, destroying the key fortified city of Lachish (see illustration). Sennacherib then prepared to attack Jerusalem. The dramatic story of how he was turned back is told in 2 Kings 19–20, and again in 2 Chronicles 32 and Isaiah 36–39. Sennacherib never returned to Judah. Twenty years later he was assassinated by two of his sons.

Overview

Hezekiah’s godly character is praised (18:1–8). He rebelled against Assyria, leading to an invasion by Shalmaneser and destruction of many fortified cities (vv. 9–16). But when Hezekiah appealed to the Lord, Assyria was turned away from Jerusalem (v. 17–19:37), and the Southern Kingdom was preserved. The account of Hezekiah concludes with the story of an earlier healing and an unwise welcome of envoys from Babylon (20:1–21).

Understanding the Text

“Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel” 2 Kings 18:1–8. Hezekiah’s commitment to God is seen here in his vigorous purification of the land of idolatrous practices. Second Chronicles 29–31 goes into detail on the positive steps he took. He purified the temple, called Judah—and even invited the men of Israel—to a Passover celebration, and organized worship at the Jerusalem temple. These religious reforms were given priority in the early years of Hezekiah’s independent reign. Only when Hezekiah knew Judah was right with God did he set out to strengthen his nation politically. Hezekiah’s successes against Philistia and Assyria rested on the firm foundation of relationship with God, for he realized that God alone could make him successful. We too need to put God first. Our success in any endeavor must have as its foundation a right relationship with the living God. “Has any god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?” 2 Kings 18:17–37 The ancients often measured gods by the military might of the land in which they were worshiped. By this criteria the gods of Assyria seemed supreme. The “field commander” (the title rab shekka probably indicates an administrative rather than military rank) spoke fluent Hebrew, and his shouted message was psychological warfare directed to the people of Judah rather than the king. The Assyrian call for surrender emphasized Judah’s weakness, promised to resettle Judah’s population in an even more fertile land, and ridiculed God’s ability to save His people. It was true that Judah and Jerusalem were now weakened and vulnerable. But the Assyrian erred in equating the God of Judah with the idols worshiped by other peoples. Pictorial reliefs of the siege of Lachish decorate Sennacherib’s palace in Assyria. Assyrian records detail the spoil taken from Judah (cf. 2 Kings 18:14) and claim to have “shut Hezekiah up like a caged bird in Jerusalem.” But the great king failed to take Judah’s capital before rushing home. “So that all kingdoms on earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God” 2 Kings 19:1–19. Hezekiah laid the Assyrian challenge before the Lord, and asked Him to act for His name’s sake. This is the firmest foundation for prayer. When our desire is to glorify God, and what we pray for will bring God glory, we can pray with utmost confidence. “I have heard your prayer” 2 Kings 19:20–37. Isaiah the prophet was given God’s answer to deliver to Hezekiah. Isaiah’s response is in the form of a dirge poem, following a distinctive 3:2 pattern in Hebrew. Sennacherib had mocked God (18:21–24). Therefore God would “put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth” and drag the Assyrian back “the way you came” (19:25–28). Hezekiah was reminded that this was the year of Jubilee—the year to proclaim freedom (v. 29)-and so Sennacherib “will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here” for the Lord Himself would defend it (vv. 32–34). That very night an angel of the Lord decimated the Assyrian army. In the morning the camp was filled with dead bodies! Sennacherib broke camp and returned home, never to return. You and I can never predict the means God will use to deliver us when we put our trust in Him. We can, however, be sure that God can and will act. “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall” 2 Kings 20:1–8. In turning his face to the wall Hezekiah dismissed Isaiah. He also focused entirely on the Lord, and put his hope in prayer. The incident reported here happened some years before the Assyrian invasion, but after Hezekiah’s religious reformation of Judah. Hezekiah’s prayer reflects the feelings of many who find themselves suffering despite walking before God “faithfully and with wholehearted devotion.” Doesn’t the godly person deserve better at the hand of God? God did hear Hezekiah’s prayer, and considered his faithfulness. The king was promised healing and was also promised that God would defend Jerusalem from the king of Assyria. “Hezekiah received the messengers” 2 Kings 20:12–21. Hezekiah’s display of his treasures was unwise at best. The amount listed in Scripture included at least a ton of gold and, according to Assyrian records, nearly 30 tons of silver, which Assyria later carried away! Ultimately this treasure itself would be torn from fallen Assyria by Babylon, and Hezekiah’s offspring would go into slavery. Hezekiah’s thankfulness for “peace and security in my lifetime” is sometimes criticized. Yet this lifetime is all we have, and God’s challenge to us is to live it well. Future generations must meet the challenge of their own time. Hezekiah recognized this reality, and was rightly thankful that God would give his people peace as long as he lived.

DEVOTIONAL

Thank You, Lord (2 Kings 20)

There is more to the story of Hezekiah’s answered prayer than meets the eye. God added 15 years to Hezekiah’s life. But note that 21:1 says that “Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king.” Manasseh, then, was born during the added years that God gave Hezekiah in answer to his prayer. Who was Manasseh? Hezekiah’s child grew up to become Judah’s most wicked king, whose 55-year rule set the Southern Kingdom on the route to certain destruction. Yes, God answered Hezekiah’s prayer, but it might have been better for Judah if He had not! The unstated lesson of Hezekiah’s prayer is a surprising one. At times, rather than plead for healing, we should simply say, “Thank You, Lord,” and rest in the firm conviction that whatever we receive from the hand of God is for the best.

Personal Application

Let every request we make be guarded by the phrase, “If it is for the best.”

Quotable

“Indeed, one step taken in surrender to God is better than a journey across the ocean without it. . . . Perfectly to will what God wills, to want what He wants, is to have joy; but if one’s will is not quite in unison with God’s, there is no joy. May God help us to be in tune with Him.”—Meister Eckhart

MARCH 22

Reading 81

THE FALL OF THE NORTH 2 Kings 14–17

“The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites” (2 Kings 17:24).The unbroken succession of wicked kings wore away the religious and moral foundations of Israel, and led inexorably to the fall of that nation to Assyria. One bad choice may not bring ruin. But a series of wicked choices surely will.

Background

Conditions in Israel deteriorated rapidly. Ruling houses were established by assassination or imposed on the people by Assyria. As history marched inexorably toward national disaster no one seemed to sense a need to turn back to God.

Overview

Amaziah of Judah was defeated and humiliated by Israel (14:1–22) before being succeeded by his son Azariah (Uzziah) (15:1–7). In Israel, Jeroboam II ruled 41 years (14:23–29). He was succeeded by a series of kings who ruled briefly (15:8–26), and under pressure from Assyria (vv. 27–31). In Judah the son of Jotham (vv. 32–38), Ahaz, bribed Assyria to invade Syria (16:1–20). The Northern Kingdom was crushed by Shalmaneser of Assyria, and the Israelites exiled from their land because “they forsook all the comands of the Lord their God and made for themselves . . . idols.” Assyria resettled the northern territory with foreigners (17:1–41). KING LIST

Date	Judah	Israel
793		Jeroboam II
792	Azariah
753		Zechariah
752		Shallum
752		Menahem/Pekah
750	Jotham
740		Pekahiah
732	Ahaz	Hoshea
722		EXILE
715	Hezekiah

Understanding the Text

“Glory in your victory, but stay at home!” 2 Kings 14:1–22 Amaziah’s victory over Edom fueled his ambition and he declared war on Jehoash of Israel. Second Chronicles 25 reports that he had trusted foreign gods, and the subsequent defeat was to teach Judah not to turn from the Lord. Apparently Amaziah was captured and taken to Israel, but released after the death of Jehoash and sent back to Judah. Those in power there apparently resisted the king’s return and assassinated him. How much better for all of us to remain close to the Lord and be satisfied with what He gives us. “Jeroboam . . . became king in Samaria” 2 Kings 14:23–29. The reign of Jeroboam II is dismissed in our text with a mere seven verses. Yet Jeroboam II was undoubtedly Israel’s most successful and notable ruler. The military power of Syria (Aram) had been destroyed by the Assyrians, and Jeroboam took advantage of this weakness. The territory Jeroboam captured rivaled that held in David and Solomon’s day. He occupied Damascus and gained control of the trade routes which linked the ancient world, winning revenues which made Israel rich. But Israelite society was disrupted, as those with new wealth bought up farmlands and forced the dislocation of the population. Cities became overpopulated and poverty increased. Heavy taxes were laid on all, and the rich corrupted the justice system in their favor. Both Amos and Hosea ministered in Israel during Jeroboam II’s time, and spoke out boldly against the era’s injustice and corrupt religion. In view of the political and sociological significance of the time of Jeroboam II, it’s striking that the Bible says so little about him. Perhaps the answer is found in perspective. Compared with eternity, worldly accomplishments count for little. God saw fit to give Israel relief from oppression under Jeroboam II. But neither king nor people used this last opportunity to turn to the Lord. “Azariah. . . . reigned in Jerusalem 52 years” 2 Kings 15:1–7. The revival of Israel’s fortunes under Jeroboam II were matched by prosperity in Judah during Azariah (Uzziah’s) long reign. As was the case with many of Israel’s and Judah’s kings, during this extended period Uzziah was co-regent with his father or his sons. According to 2 Chronicles 26 Uzziah’s leprosy was a punishment for infringing on the rights of the priesthood. He lived in beth ha-hophshith, which may mean a “house of freedom,” and indicate he was relieved of all duties. It is no blessing to be set aside and unable to contribute. How important to remember that Christians, even if disabled, can labor in prayer for others. Through prayer we can have a significant part in the lives of others and in the work of Christ. “Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver” 2 Kings 15:17–16:20. The dominance of Assyria is increasingly shown in the stories of Israel’s and Judah’s kings after 750 B.C Menahem paid Pul of Assyria 75,000 pounds of silver to prop up his claim to the throne. In essence Israel became a vassal state. Pekah lost northern Israel’s lands and many of her people to Tiglath-Pileser. Ahaz of Judah bribed Tiglath-Pileser to invade his enemies, Syria and Israel. The Assyrian was of course delighted to do so. Ahaz’s association with the Assyrian was spiritually disastrous, for when the king went to Damascus to submit to the Assyrian monarch he was fascinated with a new-style altar, and had it copied for use in Jerusalem. The offerings made on it by Ahaz fall in the category of fellowship offerings (16:15–16; cf. Lev. 1–7). Fellowship offerings symbolizing close relationship with God, made on a foreign altar in violation of Mosaic Law? It is easy to claim one has fellowship with God. But true fellowship with God is displayed by obedience to His Word. “Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea” 2 Kings 17:1–41. The final destruction of Israel came when Hoshea refused to pay Assyrian tribute and sought help from Egypt. Samaria was captured after a three-year siege, and the Israelites were deported. Then foreigners were brought in by Assyria to resettle the land. Israel, the Northern Kingdom, was no more. The question remains, would Judah, Israel’s sister to the south, learn from Israel’s destruction?

DEVOTIONAL

Heaven and Hell (2 Kings 17)

I know that many people are disturbed by the notion of hell. Heaven is one thing. But hell? A place of everlasting punishment? While the story of Israel’s decline includes no mention of eternal punishment, it does incorporate principles which bear on the question. In earlier chapters of 2 Kings few editorial comments were made. Except for a formula which told whether a ruler did right or evil in God’s eyes, the stories of Israel’s and Judah’s kings are told in simple, sparse prose, and readers are left to draw their own conclusions. But in this chapter the writer draws conclusions for us. The final disaster which befell Israel happened “because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God.” They “worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them.” “They rejected His decrees and the covenant” and “followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.” “They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire,” “practiced divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil.” The principle the writer established echoes throughout Scripture. God holds man responsible for his sins. The nearly 200 years during which God withheld final judgment on Israel speaks of His grace. But the invasion of the Assyrians reminds us that judgment will surely come. Heaven and hell? Yes. God’s patience today in withholding judgment on our sins still reflects His patience. The Bible’s warnings about hell remind us that despite God’s grace judgment will surely come.

Personal Application

We, like history, need to testify to others of both God’s grace and His commitment to judge sin.

Quotable

“A sentimental and hedonist generation tried to eliminate ’wrath’ from its conception of God. Of course, if ’anger’ and ’wrath’ are taken to mean the emotional reaction of an irritated self-concern, there is no such thing in God. But if God is holy love, and I am in any degree given to uncleanness or selfishness, then there is, in that degree, stark antagonism in God against me.”—William Temple

MARCH 21

Reading 80

A NEW NORTHERN DYNASTY 2 Kings 9–13“They blew the trumpet and shouted, ’Jehu is king!’ “ (2 Kings 9:13)A new beginning is a God-given opportunity. We can take advantage of it, or miss our chance and slip back into old ways.

Background

During the years spanned in these chapters Judah and Israel were severely weakened. The Black Obelisk of Nimrud shows Israel’s Jehu down on his knees before the Assyrian Shalmaneser, as retainers bring tribute. Soon Assyrian weakness led to resurgence of Aram, and during the rest of this period both nations were decimated in wars with Syria and unable to resist incursions by other peoples.

Overview

Jehu was anointed king of Israel (9:1–13). He killed Joram of Israel, Ahaziah of Judah (vv. 14–29), Queen-mother Jezebel (vv. 30–37), and the rest of Ahab’s family (10:1–17). Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel (vv. 18–28) but maintained the state religion instituted by Jeroboam (vv. 29–36). In Judah, Athaliah killed her grandchildren and seized power (11:1). Seven years later a grandchild who escaped, Joash, was made king (vv. 2–21) and reigned 40 years (12:1–21). In Israel, Jehoahaz (13:1–9) and Jehoash (vv. 10–13) succeeded Jehu, and Elisha predicted three victories for Israel over Aram (vv. 14–25). KING LIST

Date	Judah	Israel
852	Jehoram	Ahaziah
841	Ahaziah	Joram
841	Athaliah	Jehu
835	Joash
814	Jehoahaz
798–782	Jehoash
796–767	Amaziah

Understanding the Text

“You are to destroy the house of Ahab” 2 Kings 9:1–13. Jehu was selected by God to fulfill prophecy against the royal line of Ahab. Jehu was only too glad to accept the commission and anointing as Israel’s next king. Jehu exemplifies those who use religion to gain their own ends, without necessarily having a personal faith. Many are willing to “serve God” as long as God’s will seems to match their own. The true test of commitment is submission to God’s will when obedience seems to be against one’s own self-interest. Jehu of Israel submits to Shalmaneser “Throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the Lord” 2 Kings 9:14–10:17. Jehu enthusiastically set about the task of killing all members of Ahab’s family and his important officials. He frequently referred to the Lord, and quoted prophecy foretelling the destruction of Ahab’s house (9:25–26; 10:9–11). Yet his references to God were clearly self-serving. Jehu recalled a prophecy of Elijah which he overheard, and tossed the body of Ahab’s son in Naboth’s vineyard. But he ordered the burial of Jezebel, even though he knew dogs were prophesied to eat her flesh. In his public statements Jehu admitted he conspired against his master, but justified his acts against Ahab’s family on religious grounds. In fact, usurpers in the ancient Middle East commonly murdered all members of the preceding royal house. Even appeal to religion was not unusual, as in the case of the Hittite king Murshili II (mid-14th centuryB.C). The ambitious man is quick to seize on any excuse likely to rouse public support. Jehu was doing God’s will. But Jehu was doing God’s will for the wrong reason. Politicians today sometimes use God to appeal to certain voting blocks. We need to evaluate political use of religion very carefully, and even skeptically. “Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel” 2 Kings 10:18–35. The worship of Baal had long been promoted by the royal house of Ahab. As Baalism was one of the power bases of the old regime, it was natural for Jehu to seek to stamp it out. Why then was Jehu’s call of all ministers to a great religious fesitival effective? Why weren’t the devotees of Baal suspicious? It seems likely that as a high-ranking officer in Ahab’s army Jehu had worshiped Baal with the royal house. As a person quick to use religion for his own ends, he may even have seemed especially devout! Only if Jehu had frequently participated in such worship could his announced intention to serving Baal “much” (v. 18) have been believed! The text shows that even destruction of Baalism was not evidence of Jehu’s personal commitment to the Lord. His ends achieved, Jehu dropped religious reform and continued the counterfeit state religion established by Jeroboam (vv. 28–31). As the text says, he was not “careful to keep the Law of the Lord.” Jehu had used God to gain the throne; now he had no use for God. Yet in fact he had a desperate need for God, who “began to reduce the size of Israel” and permitted the Arameans to overpower “the Israelites throughout their territory.” No one ever reaches the point where a relationship with God makes no difference in his or her life. “Jehosheba . . . took Joash . . . and stole him away” 2 Kings 11:1–2. The story contrasts two women: Athaliah and Jehosheba. Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, married Judah’s king Jehoram. On hearing of the death of her son Ahaziah she killed her grandchildren to take the throne for herself. In contrast, Jehosheba risked her life to save the king’s infant son. The wicked take lives in the pursuit of ambition. The godly risk their lives for others in commitment to what is right. “All the years of Jehoiada the priest” 2 Kings 11:4–12:21. The infant son of Ahaziah was raised in secret until age seven, when he was acclaimed king and Athaliah was killed. Joash served God until the priest who had raised him, Jehoiada, died. Under Jehoiada’s tutelage Joash repaired the temple and reinstituted worship there. But after the death of the priest, the king abandoned God. Second Chronicles 24 tells us that Joash turned to Canaanite practices, and even ordered the death of a son of his old mentor Jehoiada who rebuked him. We need godly people close to us to help us maintain our commitment to the Lord. “Elisha’s tomb” 2 Kings 13:12–25. The report of a man brought back to life when tossed into Elisha’s tomb symbolizes the power of God to restore the nation as well as the individual. Nestled as it is in the report of Israel, crushed under Jehoahaz by the Arameans and finally resurgent as God enabled Jehoash to defeat them, the story serves as a parable for God’s people. Even when all hope is lost, God is able to bring life and victory. How vital then that God’s people return to Him.

DEVOTIONAL

One Accord (2 Kings 9–10)

It didn’t take long for word of Jehu’s attack on Ahab’s family or of his frequent mention of the Lord to spread. The news excited an unusual man, who hurried to meet Jehu. The man was Jehonadab [Jonadab] son of Recab. We know something about him from Jeremiah, who nearly 150 years later set bowls of wine before his descendants. They refused to touch it, saying their “forefather Jonadab” commanded them not to drink wine, and to live a nomadic rather than settled life. Apparently Jonadab, a rigorous and ascetic man, was repelled by the corruption in Israelite society and determined to lead a separated life. God commended the Recabites, for their faithfulness to Jonadab’s commands shamed a Judah all too willing to disobey the commands of the Lord (cf. Jer. 35). This Jonadab hurried to meet Jehu, undoubtedly to see if revival truly had come to Israel. When they met Jehu asked, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?” Jehu then invited the stern supporter of Yahweh to “come with me and see my zeal for the Lord” (2 Kings 10:l5–16). How Jonadab’s hopes must have risen as he witnessed extermination of the rest of wicked Ahab’s family, and then went into the temple of Baal with Jehu and saw him massacre every representative of that corrupt Canaanite faith. But then, with Jehu’s personal goals reached, his “zeal for the Lord” disappeared. He continued the cult of Jeroboam as Israel’s state religion, and turned his attention to his real concern, ruling. Nothing more is said of Jonadab. He disappeared until his descendants told Jeremiah the heritage left them by their ancestor. “Don’t settle down,” Jonadab told his sons. In other words, “Don’t fix your hopes on the ’zeal’ of politicians who use God for their own ends. Live your lives outside man’s society.” What does the incident say to us? No, not that we shouldn’t have a part in our nation’s political process. But surely that we must not fix our hopes on reforms to be accomplished here. Like the descendants of Jonadab, we Christians are strangers and pilgrims in a hostile world. We do what we can to influence it for good. But we always remember that God’s purposes are not summed up in who wins the next election, and it is those overarching purposes with which we identify.

Personal Application

Be a good Republican or Democrat. But make being a good Christian your priority.

Quotable

“Let us not esteem worldly prosperity or adversity as things real or of any moment, but let us live elsewhere, and raise all our attention to Heaven; esteeming sin as the only true evil, and nothing truly good but virtue which unites us to God.”—Gregory Nazianzen