DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2014 August 30
Image 1: Guillotined Head (1855)
Antoine Joseph Wiertz (1806-1865)
Romantic and Symbolism Styles
Musee Antoine Wiertz, Brussels, Belgium
Image Source: All Kinds of History
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Image 2: Mass Execution of Christians at Fuda No Tsuji, Japan in 1623
Takayoshi Ezoe (Contemporary Artist)
Japanese Traditional Style
Takanawa Catholic Church, Tokyo, Japan
Image Source: Stutler-CC
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Image 3: The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572-1584),
Francois Dubois (1529-1584)
Renaissance Style
Cantonal Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland
Image Source: Wikipedia
Explanation: In 2 Kings 10 Jehu rid Israel of Baalism, first by beheading seventy of Ahab's sons, and afterwards by executing the priests of Baal. The three paintings above depict different aspects of Jehu's executions. The first depicts beheading. The second depicts victims identified by clothing. The third depicts city-wide slaughter. [Kings of Judah and Israel Chart]. [Chronologically and Thematically Related Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 22:8; 2 Chronicles 22:9-12; 2 Kings 11:1-3; 2 Kings 11:4-12; 2 Chronicles 22:11-12; 2 Chronicles 23:1-11; 2 Chronicles 24:3; 2 Kings 14:2; 2 Chronicles 24:4-7].
Jehu wrote letters to the officials of Jezreel who were residing in Samaria with Ahab's seventy sons, whom they had raised and trained. He told them to choose one of Ahab's sons to replace Ahab on the throne and come to meet him in battle. But the officials realized that they could not stand against Jehu, so they told him they were his servants and would do his bidding, but they would not make a king to oppose him. So Jehu told them to behead Ahab's sons and bring them to him in Jezreel by the next day. They did so. And Jehu said that they were now with him in his overthrow of the house of Ahab and that the word of the LORD through Elijah had been fulfilled. Jehu then completed the task by killing all who remained of the house of Ahab, killing his cabinet officers, killing his kinsfolk, and killing his priests (1-11). Jehu then departed from Jezreel to Samaria. On the way he met 42 brothers of Ahaziah, king of Judah, and killed them (12-14). He next saw Jehonadab the son of Rechab. When he discovered that he was on his side, he took him into his chariot and invited him to see his zeal for the LORD. When he arrived in Samaria he continued his slaughter of the house of Ahab (15-17). Jehu then called for all the prophets of Baal to come to Samaria, promising (deceptively) to serve Baal greatly. When they assembled he gave them special garments to identify them; and he separated the servants of the LORD from among them (18-23). When the priests of Baal began to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu told his men to let none of them escape on penalty of death. His men slaughtered them. and burned the Baal idols, and broke down the main Baal idol, and destroyed Baal's house of worship, turning it into a house of dung (24-27). So Jehu destroyed Baalism from Israel; but he continued in the idolatry of Jeroboam who set up golden calves to represent Jehovah, thereby breaking the second commandment and reducing the concept of God to something resembling an animal. Nevertheless, for his zeal in executing the LORD's wrath against the house of Ahab, the LORD promised Jehu that his children to the fourth generation would sit on the throne of Israel (28-31). At that time Israel began to suffer military defeats by Hazael. The rest of Jehu's acts were recorded in the king's records. He reigned over Israel for 28 years; and when he died, his son Jehoahaz reigned in his stead (32-36).
2 Kings 10
1 And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters, and sent to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to them that brought up Ahab's children, saying,
2 Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;
3 Look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?
5 And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.
6 Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.
7 And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.
8 And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning.
9 And it came to pass in the morning, that he went out, and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous: behold, I conspired against my master, and slew him: but who slew all these?
10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
12 And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house in the way,
13 Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? And they answered, We are the brethren of Ahaziah; and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen.
14 And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive, and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.
15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.
17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.
19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.
23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.
24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.
25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.
26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.
27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.
28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
30 And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
32 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;
33 From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
35 And Jehu slept with his fathers: and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.
36 And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.
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