Along The Way: God
Has My Hand, But My Heart?
(Written By Kevin A. Hall 07.01.17)
The newly appointed King Jehu was zealous for God. He assassinates King Joram (2 King 9:24); then
King Ahaziah (1 Kings 9:27). He confronts Jezebel; encouraging loyalists to
throw her from the window. He tramples her with his horse and carriage (2 Kings
9:33). He commanded the “slaughter of the 70 sons of Ahab” (2 Kings 10:7). The
fear of the new king was upon the entire nation. No one dared oppose him. Along
the way, he slaughters family members, wives, princes and princess of Ahab’s
household. Finally, he assembles all the priests of Baal and kills them in one
sitting, destroying the Baal pillars, altars and house. King Jehu “eradicated
Baal out of Israel” (2 Kings 10:28) and he was faithful to kill “all who
remained to Ahab” (2 Kings 10:17). In other words, he was faithful to do
“according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah” (2 Kings 10:17b).Even though he carried out God’s commands, “he was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord” for himself (2 Kings 10:31). We can be faithful to works, yet be far from God. I struggled with Jehu's story for a while because he was appointed by God to fulfill this task. Let me go back for a little..What was his task?
" I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel. You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her." Then he opened the door and fled (2 Kings 9:6b-10)
Jehu was faithful to the task, even though he was deceitful in his commitments on several occasions. Think about that - He did whatever it took to accomplish his goal. I pray this does not describe you. Israel sinned; their leaders sinned; their hearts were far from God and so God promised judgment. Jehu was the vehicle for justice. He would render godly vengeance upon the enemies of God. He was passionate in delivery. Yet, after he had finished his assignments, we see him enter into a relaxed state. Don't we do that after engaging in the work of ministry or the business of family life? We relax! My issue with Jehu was his partiality in bringing reform to the nation. He rid the nation of Baal worship as God instructed, but failed to remove worship in the high places - this was worship of the golden calves instituted by King Jeroboam years ago. Why not go all the way Jehu? Politics! There is always something about politics, whether in the world or in the church. If you've been in church long enough, then you will understand what I mean by church politics.Politics will cause some to get a blind eye. Politics will cause some to become self-centered. I can't help but think of what self-centeredness has done to the political climate of 2016-2017 in our world. People will do and say anything for political gain. This is exactly what happened to Jehu. He felt he needed to serve his interests, or was it the interests of the nation? You see, during king Jeroboam's reign, he allowed the creation of a cult that practiced "convenient worship".
When the kingdom was ripped from King Solomon's hand, he was given ten tribes to rule and King Solomon's son Rehoboam given essentially two tribes. King Jeroboam feared "that if the people continued to travel to the temple three times each year for the major festivals, the sentiment for the house of King David would reassert itself in the north (his 10 tribes)". How do you fix that issue? How do we keep them from leaving our church? Well you provide "convenient worship". Give the people something fake, telling them its real so that your interests are served. Selfish! Self-centered! Immoral! So he erected shrines and symbols intended to represent true worship of Yahweh (1 Kings 12:26-30). People were allowed to worship in these "high places", while embracing pagan thought that high place worship brings you closer to god. Politics I tell you! Men will devise avenues to satisfy their own interests. I pray you are not a manipulator like Jeroboam or Jehu. Some say this same thing is happening in our churches - we go for the convenient, we compromise core doctrine for temporary gains. All this while the spiritual health of our congregations are in decline. I encourage you to embrace true doctrine. No half-stepping. No compromising. Our world is coming to an end. Jehu concerns me because he was appointed by God. His example encourages me to be humble under the hand of God. "Lord, I wish to follow you all the way". Those looking outward - in may say "I am blessed, but am I"? "Am I serving with integrity with the Bible as my normative source for theology"? Jehu reminds me of a person that lives off emotions and experience rather than truth. God desires those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. When we make a clean sweep of the "stuff", the Baal's in our lives; after we've attended conferences and prayer meetings...then what? Hand (outer) or Heart (inner)?
"But and hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).
When the kingdom was ripped from King Solomon's hand, he was given ten tribes to rule and King Solomon's son Rehoboam given essentially two tribes. King Jeroboam feared "that if the people continued to travel to the temple three times each year for the major festivals, the sentiment for the house of King David would reassert itself in the north (his 10 tribes)". How do you fix that issue? How do we keep them from leaving our church? Well you provide "convenient worship". Give the people something fake, telling them its real so that your interests are served. Selfish! Self-centered! Immoral! So he erected shrines and symbols intended to represent true worship of Yahweh (1 Kings 12:26-30). People were allowed to worship in these "high places", while embracing pagan thought that high place worship brings you closer to god. Politics I tell you! Men will devise avenues to satisfy their own interests. I pray you are not a manipulator like Jeroboam or Jehu. Some say this same thing is happening in our churches - we go for the convenient, we compromise core doctrine for temporary gains. All this while the spiritual health of our congregations are in decline. I encourage you to embrace true doctrine. No half-stepping. No compromising. Our world is coming to an end. Jehu concerns me because he was appointed by God. His example encourages me to be humble under the hand of God. "Lord, I wish to follow you all the way". Those looking outward - in may say "I am blessed, but am I"? "Am I serving with integrity with the Bible as my normative source for theology"? Jehu reminds me of a person that lives off emotions and experience rather than truth. God desires those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. When we make a clean sweep of the "stuff", the Baal's in our lives; after we've attended conferences and prayer meetings...then what? Hand (outer) or Heart (inner)?
"But and hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).
Jehu's allowances of high place worship was more for political gain than spiritual. If only he had continued the spiritual reform, then the nation would have experienced certain spiritual blessings.If only we would "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous ways, then He would add to us all the things we need". It was advantageous for him to destroy Baal worship, but not the golden calf worship. God was clear about idolatry:
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me (Exodus 20: 2-5). Christians can be faithful to the letter of the law, but still lose their soul. Jehu was zealous and God commended him (2 Kings 10:30).
God rewarded him for his external obedience. But like many believers, he did not have a personal relationship with God. Israel suffered because of his heartless dedication. "There was a general decay in piety and an increase in profaneness because of Jehu's carelessness" (Henry). We must never excuse sin in our lives, submitting works for relationship; or else we too will suffer loss. Jehu was "God's instrument, but not His servant" (Nasb). We can be actively involved, yet distant. How about you? Need a heart check-up? Remember, God holds everyone accountable for their actions (2 Kings 10:32).
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me (Exodus 20: 2-5). Christians can be faithful to the letter of the law, but still lose their soul. Jehu was zealous and God commended him (2 Kings 10:30).
God rewarded him for his external obedience. But like many believers, he did not have a personal relationship with God. Israel suffered because of his heartless dedication. "There was a general decay in piety and an increase in profaneness because of Jehu's carelessness" (Henry). We must never excuse sin in our lives, submitting works for relationship; or else we too will suffer loss. Jehu was "God's instrument, but not His servant" (Nasb). We can be actively involved, yet distant. How about you? Need a heart check-up? Remember, God holds everyone accountable for their actions (2 Kings 10:32).
References:
The Life Application Study Bible (NASB). The United States of
America: Zondervan (2000)
Smith, J. The History of Israel. Joplin, MO: College Press
(1995)
Matthew Henry Commentary. Retrieved online: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/2-kings/10.html
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