his favour are legitimate rulers. (2) Israel was a people of the Lord. Ouly God, therefore, had the right to appoint its rulers, and to determine the limits within ,vhioh royal power should be exercised. It was by their setting at nought of all the limits of a tbeocra~ic constitut~on that Ahab and his house had forf~ited the throne. (3) Jehu was made krng by the direct act of God. God had taken the kmgdom from Ahab's house and given it to him. It followed however, that if he, in turn, departed from God's commRmlments, he would incur the same fate. 3. The terrible charge. The prophet next declared to Jehu the terrible duty imposed upon him as the executor of God's judgments. It was certainly work from which any man might shrink, though to Jehu it does not seem to have been repugnant, as paving his own way to the throne. We notice: (1) The ground of the judgment: "That I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets," etc. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Ps. c1,.-vi. 15). Whoso touches them, touches him (Acts ix. 4). He will not allow the least injury done to them to pass unavenged (Matt. xviii. 6). (2) The range of the judgment: "The whole house of Ahab "-king, queen-mother, the royal household, every one, great and small, having in him the accursed blood. It was a root- and-branch extermination that was decreed. (3) The terribleness of the judgment. Dreadful as this execution was, it was in accordance with the ideas of the time. In some sense it was a necessary concomitant of such a revolution as Jehu was about to bring about. From the Dirine side it was justified as an act of vengeance against a wicked house. Ahab's house did not fall without warning, for it had already the doom of Jeroboa.m's and Ba.asha's dynasties to warn it from evil courses. Special signs of tl,c Divine wrath were to attend the end of Jezebel, the prime instigator of Ahab's wickedness. It was foretold that the dogs would eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there would be none to bury her. How fearful a thing it is, as shown by these examples, to fall into the hands of a living God (Heh. x. 31) I Great persecutors have often met a terrible end. III. JEHU PROCLAIMED. 1. Jehu and his captains. The whole circumstances of the prophet's visit had been so strange, his appearance had been so wild, and his calling out of Jehu for a private interview so remarkable, that the captains who had witnessed the scene were naturally much astonished. Their first question, accordingly, when Jchu reappeared among them, himself somewhat agitated, and his hair streaming with the oil which had been poured upon it, was "Is it peace? Wherefore ea.me this mad fellow to thee?" Men under any spiritual excitement seem " mad fellows" to profane minds (Hos. ix. 7; Acts xxvi. 24; 2 Cor. v. 13); but there may have been something in this messenger's dishevelled appearance-the result of his haste-his eager, hasty manner, and the strange fire that burned in his eye, which gave them the impression of one not altogether accountable for his actions. Hie ha.sty flight a.t the end of the interview would add to their surprise. Jehu, in reply, sought to evade explanation. His words, "Ye know the man, and his communication," mean either, " You have taken a ri.,.ht 0 estimate of him a.s a madman, and therefore need not concern yourself with what he said;" or, "You are yourselves a.t the bottom of this trick, and know vt:ry well wherefore he ea.me." The latter is, perhaps, the better sense, and may indicate that J ehu wished to sound bis companions before going further. Their eager, " It is false; tell us now," shows how greatly their curiosity was aroused. Jehu thereupon told them frankly what had happened. 2. Jehu proclaimed king. The respon11e on the part of the captains was immediate. Jehu must already have been a. general favourite, or the proposal to make him king would not have met with such easy acceptance. As with one accord, tbe captains threw off th~ir upper garments, spr~ad them on the stairs made Jehu mount above them, and, blowmg the trumpets, forthwith proclaimed him king. Would that when God comes declaring to men the anointing and exaltation of" another King, even Jesus," his words found a.s ready a. response 1--J. 0.
Vers. 14--31.-Jehu as avenger. No sooner is Jehu proclaimed king than, with characteristic decision, he gives orders that no one be permitted to leave the city to carry news to Jehoram; then, mounting his cba.riot, he drives off furiously to Jezreel. Whatever Jehu did, he did "with all his might" (Eccles. ix. 10). It is this_ vigorous decision of character which made him so suitable a.n instrument in executmg God's vengeance on the howie of Ahab. cm. 1x. 1-37.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 205