“the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.” 2 Kings 9:20b
One of the commissions given to Elijah during his Ministry was to appoint a new King for Israel. We are lead to believe that this responsibility had been handed off to Elisha to fulfill before his Departure. A Prophesy of Elijah regarding King Ahab and his Family’s demise began to be fulfilled with his death, and the death of his son Ahaziah. In Today’s Reading, the rest of that Prophesy unfolds with the death of King Joram, Ahaziah’s brother, and the remainder of Ahab’s House.
Here, in Chapter 9, we are introduced to Jehu, who has just been anointed as the new King of Israel. Today’s Verse are the words that describe him by a watchman in Jezreel where King Joram is recuperating from a battle wound. Jehu is quite the character – to put it mildly! He was an Intense, Intimidating, Bloody, and Ruthless Man. But He Was God’s Man! God had instructed Elijah to anoint him as Israel’s next King. He did not Assume the Kingship by Battle and Stealth, or receive it as a Child of the King. NO! God had Appointed him as King! And Elisha fulfilled that desire, as we saw in the opening of the Chapter.
Throughout History, God has chosen and used many unsavory characters to accomplish His Will. It doesn’t mean that who He has chosen is one of His People. But they are “Special” in the sense that they fulfill a Role for His Glory. Jehu reminds me of someone today, but I will leave that for another day!