Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 16
The Books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings are not just a history of Judah’s and Israel’s kings. They are also a history of its prophets (holy men). So, by their messages from God, these books are a history of how God dealt with their nations.
Jehu the prophet was active both in Judah and in northern Israel. That is unusual; more frequently, God sent his prophets only to one of these countries. Jehu is always called ‘the son of Hanani’. However, this could mean that he was the disciple or student of the prophet Hanani. Hanani received a message from God for King Asa of Judah in 2 Chronicles 16:7-10. This seems to be about the same time as Jehu received his message for king Baasha of Israel.
Asa was a good king who was loyal to the true God. However, Hanani’s severe message made Asa so angry that he put Hanani in prison. Baasha, on the other hand, was an extremely cruel and wicked man. In addition, Jehu’s message to him was much more severe than Hanani’s message to Asa. Usually, Baasha would not hesitate to murder someone who opposed him. Clearly, Jehu was risking his life when he declared this message. However, God had sent him, and so Jehu boldly carried out his duty.
We may ask what Baasha did to Jehu. We do not know; but it is clear that God saved Jehu’s life. Several years later, God sent Jehu with a message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Chronicles 19:1-3). After that, Jehu wrote a book that recorded the events during Jehoshaphat’s life (2 Chronicles 20:34).
Next part: God's judgment against Baasha (1 Kings 16:2-4)
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