Jehu the Son of Hanani

2022-11-09

Jehu the son of Hanani was a prophet who preached during the reigns of Baasha king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah. His news was typically bad. He is not to be confused with Jehu king of Israel.

His father Hanani was likely the same Hanani who rebuked Asa king of Judah. Asa trusted God at the invasion of a million Ethiopians and Lubims, but would not at the invasion of Baasha, and Hanani called him out on it. He was imprisoned.

Jehu, following in his father’s footsteps, proclaimed the word of the Lord to Baasha king of Israel, who did wickedly in his idol worship. “Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat” (1 Kings 16:3-4). His prophecy was confirmed when Baasha’s son Elah was slain by Zimri.

Jehu also rebuked Jehoshaphat king of Judah for his actions. An otherwise good king, he was rebuked for hanging out with the likes of Ahab. “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God” (2 Chronicles 19:2-3). God graciously saved the king’s life when helping wicked King Ahab, even though Micaiah told them of certain failure at Ramothgilead. You would think that Jehoshaphat, who otherwise honored the word of the Lord, would have learned. However, he allied himself with two of Ahab’s successors, and his son intermarried with the royal family of Israel.

Jehu, like other prophets, chronicled the word of the Lord and the history of the kings. “Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel” (2 Chronicles 20:34).

Jehu knew what he was getting into, considering his father was imprisoned for preaching the Word. Yet he also preached the Word of God when it was not popular, first to Baasha, and then to Jehoshaphat. This is the task for every Christian.

This is a part of the Old Testament Prophets series. To go back to the table of contents, proceed here.