He also removed his grandmother Maacah from the position of queen mother because she made a statue of the repulsive goddess Asherah. Asa cut the statue down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
So the king of Israel called 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?” “Go,” they said. “The Lord will hand over Ramoth to you.”
Summon all the prophets, servants, and priests of Baal. Make sure no one is missing because I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” (Jehu was deceiving ⌞them⌟. He actually wanted to destroy those who worshiped Baal.)
But they didn’t turn away from the sins that Jeroboam and his dynasty led Israel to commit. They continued to commit those sins. In addition, the pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah remained standing in Samaria.
Elisha asked the king of Israel, “Why did you come to me? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets.” The king of Israel answered him, “No. The Lord has called the three of us in order to put us at Moab’s mercy.”
When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Is everything alright, Jehu?” Jehu answered, “How can everything be alright as long as your mother continues her idolatry and witchcraft?”
“As I live,” declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies, “someone who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains will come. Someone who is like Mount Carmel by the sea will come.
He said: The Lord roars from Zion, and his voice thunders from Jerusalem. The pastures of the shepherds are turning brown, and the top of ⌞Mount⌟ Carmel is dried up.
Even if they hide on top of Mount Carmel, I will look for them and take them from there. Even if they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command a sea snake to bite them.
False prophets were among God’s people ⌞in the past⌟, as false teachers will be among you. They will secretly bring in their own destructive teachings. They will deny the Lord, who has bought them, and they will bring themselves swift destruction.
The beast and the false prophet who had done miracles for the beast were captured. By these miracles the false prophet had deceived those who had the brand of the beast and worshiped its statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
But I have something against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. She teaches and misleads my servants to sin sexually and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Early in the morning he got up to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument in his honor. Then he left there and went to Gilgal.”