|
The wicked queen, Jezebel, was in
Jezreel; and when she heard that Jehu was come, she made herself ready to
see him. Jezebel was very bold, and hardened in her sins. She
had no fear of God; she cared for nothing but her own pleasures, and
vanities, and sins. And now Jezebel dressed herself very finely, and
painted her face, and looked out of the window of her house to see
Jehu. Jehu looked up at the window; and when he saw Jezebel, he
cried to the people who were in the room with her, "Who will help
me?" Two or three servants looked out of the window directly,
and Jehu said to them, "Throw Jezebel down." The servants
were willing to obey Jehu, for they did not love their cruel, wicked
mistress; so they took her up, and threw her out of the window; and her
blood was sprinkled upon the walls, and upon the horses; and Jehu trod her
under foot, and she died. Jehu now went into the house, and ate, and
drank, and rested himself. But when he had finished, he said,
"Go now, and see this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king's
daughter." So some of the people went to the place where
Jezebel fell, to take up the body. But what did they find?
Only her head, and her feet, and part of her hands. All the rest of
the body was gone. Where was it gone? The wild hungry dogs had
eaten it. They had torn it to pieces, and devoured the flesh, and
broken the bones; and none could know the dead body now, nor say,
"This is Jezebel." The people, who looked at the dreadful
sight, went to Jehu again, and told him what they had seen. Then
Jehu remembered what God had said, so many years before, by Elijah the
prophet, "The dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel in Jezreel, where
Naboth died." Wicked
Ahab, and Jezebel, and Joram were now punished for their sins, as God had
said; but many of Ahab's children still lived; and God had said that all
that wicked family must be destroyed; none must be spared. Jehu knew
this. God had commanded him to punish Ahab's family, and Jehu obeyed
the command. Ahab's sons were all at Samaria, with the great men of
the city, who brought them up. These great men were afraid of
Jehu. They had heard what he had done to Joram, and Ahaziah, and
Jezebel; and they said, "We cannot resist Jehu; it is best to submit
to him." So they wrote a letter to Jehu, and said, "We
will be thy servants, and do all thou shalt command us." Jehu
was pleased with this; and he wrote back to the great men of Samaria, and
told them to bring the heads of Ahab's sons to Jezreel the next day.
As soon as the men had read the letter, they took the sons of Ahab, and
killed them all; and cut off their heads, and put their heads in baskets,
and sent them to Jehu, at Jezreel. When Jehu heard that this command
was obeyed, he said to the messenger, "Lay the heads in two heaps, by
the city gate." Next morning, Jehu went out, and stood by the
gate, and said to all the people, "See here the heads of Ahab's
sons. I slew Joram; but who slew all these? Remember what God
said by Elijah the prophet,—that all the family of Ahab must be
destroyed. God's word is truth." Then
Jehu went to Samaria, and there he met the brothers of Ahaziah. Jehu
destroyed these wicked men too; and then all Ahab's family were dead, and
all Ahaziah's. Destruction
is the punishment of sin. It is sad to think of these poor men
perishing by the sword; but it is still more sad to think of their souls
perishing for ever. How dreadful must be the punishment of sin in
the next world!
|
