514
THE DESTRUCTION OF AHAb's FAMILY BY JEHU.
2 Kings ix. 36. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishhite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the Jlesh of Jezebel.
FROM nothing does the imbehever receive more sohd grounds of conviction, than from the facts recorded in the sacred history. In those facts there is undeniable evidence, that there is a God, who " ordereth all things after the counsel of his own will," and who is particularly " known by the judg- ments which he executeth." In confirmation of this truth we will shew,
I. How God's word was accomplished in the history before us —
[We lay no stress on the fulfilment of what was spoken to Jehu, because the declaration made to him was the immediate cause of his adopting measures for the attainment of the sove- reign power. But the accompUshment of God's word in the death of Jehoram and of Jezebel was independent of any human purposes whatever. The fate that awaited Ahab and Jezebel had long before been announced by the Prophet Elijah ; though on account of Ahab's repentance, the evil denounced against him, had been deferred, and the fulfilment of the tlireatening had been reserved for his children. Now it was particularly specified by Elijah to Ahab, that " where dogs had licked the blood of Naboth, they should lick his blood:" and that " dogs should eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel^." Behold then how exactly these prophecies were accomplished ! Jehoram was at Jezreel : but how came he there ? he had gone thither to be healed of the wounds which the Syrians had given him. But why did he not flee from thence, when he saw that Jehu de- tained the messengers that were sent to ascertain the reason of his approach ? He was altogether infatuated ; for instead of fleeing, both " he and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, to meet Jehu," and they actually " met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite^," where Jehu drew his bow against Jehoram, and smote him through the heart. And so remarkable was this accomplishment of the prophet's prediction, that Jehu himself was struck with astonishment at it, and ordered that the corpse should be there exposed to
a 1 Kings xxi. 19, 23. '' ver. 21.
371.] DESTRUCTION OF AHAb's FAMILY BY JEHU. 515
public view, in order that the justice of God, in so requiting the injury done to Naboth, might be manifest to all"^. The same infatuation seized Jezebel also ; for she, when she knew that her son Jehoram was dead, instead of fleeing, or consulting her own safety by submission, insulted Jehu, and was, by his order, thrown out of the window by her own servants, in the very place where God had foretold that death should come upon her. Jehu after some hours bethought him, that as Jezebel, though an accursed woman, was a king's daughter, it was not right to leave her dead body exposed in the streets ; and therefore he gave orders that she should be taken up and buried ; but, behold, when they came to look for her, nothing of her remained but her scull and her feet, and the palms of her hands ; for the dogs had devoured her : and this singular accomplishment of God's word respecting her, brought again to Jehu's recollection the prediction of Elijah, so minutely verified, not only without any design on his part, but even contrary to his design*^.
An attentive survey of such facts as these is of the greatest use : it convinces us that every word of God must be fulfilled in its season, and that " sooner shall heaven and earth pass away, than one jot or tittle of it should fail."]
From beholding the word of God thus verified in them, let us proceed to notice,