God’s Justice May Seem Slow, But It Is Certain | 2Kings 9-10
2 Kings. We’re continuing along in our series through the book of Kings. We are in 2 Kings chapters 9-10 this morning. If you brought a Bible, go ahead and point your Bible to 2 Kings, chapter 9. If you don’t have a Bible or if you’re not very familiar with it, grab the one that’s under the chair in front of you, little hardback black Bible, and you’ll find our reading today on pages 315 and following. 2 Kings chapter 9 and 10. Here at PBC, we work our way through books of the Bible a little at a time. We’ve been working through this book of Kings and we find ourselves deep in the thick of the story. Here’s the big idea this morning.
Here’s the claim that I’ll be drawing out of this particular text. God’s judgment is certain. So make no peace with sin, but make peace with God through Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. Lord, we ask that you would give us eyes to see and ears to hear this morning. In these next 45 minutes, as we look at your word, I ask, Lord, that you would please speak to us. And as we have to think through sobering things, oh Lord, have mercy on us. Remove the distractions, the mist from our eyes and let us see your son clearly that we may all fall at his feet and repent of our sins and receive mercy as our brother has clearly talked about this morning. For the grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. Amen.
The book of Kings tells the fall of the nation and people of Israel. And when Israel falls, they fall hard. These two chapters that we’re considering this morning are intense and they are violent. And so brace yourself for one of the most brutal sections of all of holy scripture.
Yahweh had chosen a people for himself, the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. And he brings them to himself at a mountain called Sinai. And there he enters a covenant with them. The nations of the world would come and see the glory of God represented in and exemplified by these people. When Israel keeps the commands of God, they are blessed by God. And the people of the world will see this is what comes of those who are obedient to the commands of God. But when Israel fails to keep the commands of God, God lifts his blessing.
His judgment falls and they become a warning to the nations of the world of what comes of those who disobey the commands of the Lord. Well, Israel failed to keep the commandments of God. And Yahweh narrows the terms of his covenant. Let one man be faithful. Let one man represent all the people. As the king goes, so the people will go. So when the king keeps the commandments of God, the blessings of God will fall on the people. Israel’s kings were a mixed bag. Eventually, this one nation was divided into two kingdoms. One called Israel in the north and another kingdom called Judah in the south. And each kingdom had their own set of kings.
Over the four centuries that are covered in this book, those kings lead God’s people astray. They introduce false worship to false gods and introduced immorality to the people, even child sacrifice. And the Lord warns these kings through men called prophets. And the kings ignore these prophets. And eventually the whole thing unravels. The northern kingdom is completely destroyed in the year 722 BC. Something that Lord willing, Pastor Steve will speak of next week. The southern kingdom hangs on for a little bit longer, but eventually they’re all sent into exile in the year 586 BC. This is that story.
And so this book is written to those people. It’s written to those Jews, descendants of Judah, who have been exiled for their sin and are languishing in Babylon. And they’re asking the question, and this book answers the question, how did we get here? And that makes this book both hope and warning. It is hope because we see in this book that the Lord is merciful and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. And this book is a warning because we see that God is a jealous God who will by no means clear the unrepentant.
This passage in particular tells the reader, tells us that those who make peace with sin make war with God. And that makes this passage sobering. As we will see, God’s justice may seem slow, but it is certain. And in this passage, God’s justice comes in the form of a man called Jehu. And when justice and judgment come, they are quick. They are complete. So prepare yourself for one of the most savage scripture passages in all of holy scripture.
The Anointing of Jehu (2 Kings 9:1-13)
2 Kings chapter 9 verse one. Then Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tie up your garments and take this flask of oil in your hand go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, and go in and have him rise among his fellows and lead him into an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, “Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel. Then open the door and flee. Do not linger. So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead, and when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in counsel.
He said, “I have a word for you, O commander?” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, oh commander.” So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the LORD, the people of Israel. And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants, the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male bond or free in Israel.
And 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, and the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her. Then he opened the door and fled. When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know the fellow and his talk.” And they said, “That is not true.
Tell us now.” And he said, “Thus, and so he spoke to me, saying, Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.” Then in haste, every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps. And he blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
Jehu Sets Out for Jezreel (2 Kings 9:14-20)
What is about to happen in the following verses is 20 years in the making. We’re in the northern kingdom, in the kingdom of Israel. And if you’ve been with us in the series, you know she has had many evil kings. She’s got a few more and they’re all evil. Among the worst of her evil kings is a man called Ahab. He was a worshiper of a demon god called Baal. He’s married to a priestess of Baal, a wicked woman called Jezebel, who hunted the followers of Yahweh and killed them. Ahab is a weak man, a worthless man. Under his leadership, God’s people were led into rank idolatry and immorality. Ahab rejected God’s warnings through the prophet Elijah.
God had promised that he and his wife would be judged for their wickedness. Now, Ahab has already received his judgment at the end of 1 Kings. He perished in battle. But Jezebel, she lives. And now their son Joram is on the throne of Israel. And rather than taking his father’s example as a warning to himself, Joram follows in his father’s footsteps and worships Baal. Well, it’s been 20 years. It’s been 20 years. It’s worked out so far. Yahweh said that the house of Ahab would fall. Jezebel would perish. Jezebel’s doing just fine. And he’s the son of Ahab, and he’s doing just fine. Besides, there are 70 more sons of Ahab, safe and sound.
Where is the promise of judgment from Yahweh? The prophet Elisha commissions a young man to anoint the commander of the army of Israel as king in Israel. Jehu has been acting as the commander of Israel’s armies for a little while. He’s served under King Ahab. He served under King Ahaziah and now he serves under King Joram. But this is a coup and things are going to get messy. In the Bible names are significant. The meanings of names are significant. And the name Jehu means he is Yahweh. Now, it’s not that Jehu is an incarnation of God. It’s just that Jehu acts on behalf of Yahweh.
Think of him like the instrument of the Lord in the Lord’s hands. I suspect all of you know that anointing someone as king when there’s already a king is rather dangerous business. Kings don’t care for rival kings, especially not in their own kingdom. So, this is probably why Elisha tells this young man, “As soon as you anoint Jehu as king, find a door and flee.” The young man anoints Jehu and tells him of the Lord’s mission for him.
In verses 7 to 10, he tells him, “Through you, God will strike down the house of Ahab.” Through you, God will avenge on Jezebel the blood of the prophets she killed, the blood of the servants of the Lord she killed. Through you, God will cut off the entire household of Ahab, every male, and he will ensure that the dogs eat Jezebel, and none will bury her. The Bible wasn’t written in English. It was written in Hebrew and translated into English. In the original language, the phrase that is translated in your English Bible as males in verse 8 is a derogatory word.
You know that if you’re reading from the King James version of the Bible, you may have even enjoyed a bit of a chuckle here because literally that word means one who urinates against a wall. The men of the house of Ahab are contemptible and wicked men. They’re wall-pee-ers and God’s judgment is coming against them. This judgment that is 20 years in the making. God’s justice is slow, but it is certain. And as soon as the council hears the news that Jehu has been anointed king by the prophet, they take off their garments. They begin the coronation ceremony. They blow the trumpet. Jehu is king. And King Jehu, who’s a commander of armies after all.
He’s not one to sit around and read the tea leaves. He’s a man of action. Verse 15, he checks with his boys. You guys giving me the thumbs up to do this? Because if you do, I’m bringing the rain and it’s coming hard and it’s coming fast. And first order of business, Joram. Now, let me introduce you to King Joram. He’s the latest king in the string of wicked kings in Israel’s history. He’s the son of Ahab. And at the end of chapter 8, the poor fellow went out to battle against the Syrians and he was injured. And now he’s in the city of Jezreel recovering from his injuries.
And by divine providence, another wicked king, this one to the south in the southern kingdom of Judah, is visiting his friend in the hospital. Let’s keep reading. Verse 14. Thus Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram and all of Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Hazael, king of Syria. But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria. So Jehu said, he’s talking to his boys now. If this is your decision, then let no one slip out of the city and go and tell the news in Jezreel.
Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, had come down to visit Joram. Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came and said, “I see a company.” And
The Question of Peace (2 Kings 9:21-29)
Joram said, “Take a horseman and send it to meet him and let him say, is it peace?” So a man on horseback went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, is it peace?” And Jehu said, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around, ride with me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger reached them, but he’s not coming back.” Then he sent out a second horsemen who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, is it peace?” And Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Turn around and ride with me. Again, the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he’s not coming back.
And the driving is like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.” Jehu drives literally like a madman. This dude is intense. So the watchman on the tower sees the company of Jehu coming, sends word. Verse 17, is it peace? Is it well? It’s the Hebrew hash-shalom means wholeness, health, well-being. They’re asking the question, are we good? And we’ve seen that phrase in this book before, haven’t we? And the author is very intentional in his use of this phrase. It actually appears 10 times in these two chapters alone. Jehu, he is Yahweh, is bearing down upon the city wherein dwells the rebellious and injured son of Ahab.
And so the question in the air is, is there peace? It’s really the same question that the original readers of kings would have been asking while in exile in Babylon. Yahweh has descended on them and they’re asking is there peace? Jehu tells the messenger peace? What do you know of peace? So they send another same thing. And King Joram is at least smart enough to read the signs. He knows God’s justice has finally come and it is about to get real. Let’s pick up in verse 21.
Joram said, “Make ready.” And they made ready his chariot. and Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah, king of Judah, set out each in his chariot, and went to meet Jehu, and met him at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace can there be so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” Then Joram turned about and fled, saying to Ahaziah, “Treachery, O Aziah.” And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between the shoulders. so that the arrow pierced his heart and he sank in his chariot.
Jehu said to Bidcar his aid, “Take him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his father, how the Lord made this pronouncement against him. As surely as I saw yesterday, the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the Lord, I will repay you on this plot of ground. Now therefore, take him up and throw him on the plot of ground in accordance with the word of the Lord.” When Ahaziah, the king of Judah, saw this, he fled in the direction of Beth-haggan.
And Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him also.” and they shot him in the chariot at the ascent of Gur which is by Ibleam. When he fled to Megiddo and died there, his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David. In the 11th year of Joram, the son of Ahab Ahaziah began to reign over Judah. There is nothing accidental or random when the justice of God is concerned. Our Lord is laser focused in his judgments. The fact that the king of Judah had just so happened to be visiting Joram at the time that Jehu arrived is no coincidence.
The fact that they met at the property of Naboth the Jezreelite was also no coincidence. Now, you may remember, if you’ve been with us in this series, how Jezebel and Ahab falsely accused a fellow called Naboth of treason. They had him murdered all so that they could steal his vineyard from him. And Jehu was there when the prophet Elijah spoke the word of God’s judgment on the house of Ahab for this sin and for his other sins. And so when Jehu meets the son of Ahab on the very property upon which God spoke those words of judgment, he recognizes the hand of God is at work. King Joram repeats the question. Is it peace?
Jehu and Jehu’s answer is clear and it ought to serve as a warning for every man and woman and child who has ever sat under the hearing of this text. Verse 22. What peace can there be so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many? What peace can there be when you make peace with sin? We mustn’t move on from this question too quickly. Let it examine your heart this morning. God is the author of peace. God is the source of peace. God is the giver of peace.
What peace can there be when you make peace with that which belittles him, that which is contrary to him, that for which he sent his son to die, to free you from. So whether you are a Christian, whether you’re not a Christian, whether you think you’re a Christian, but you’re actually not, let this question hang over you. What peace can you have while you make peace with that thing that belittles God? Do not be deceived. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers. others will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) God will not be mocked. If you make peace with sin, you make war with God. Joram might have come down off his chariot and fallen on his knees and pleaded with God for mercy. And you know what? Had he done so, the Lord would have forgiven him. But he didn’t. Verse 23 says, “He turned about. He turned his horse and he ran. Beloved, listen. When the Lord exposes your sin, it is a mercy.
When the Spirit convicts you of sin, it is a kindness. It is a call to come and to receive forgiveness and to be cleansed of your unrighteousness. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, when you turn from your sin, when you turn to Jesus Christ, you can have a testimony just like our brother did. God will forgive you of your sins, cleanse you of your unrighteousness, and give you peace. But if you follow King Joram, if you turn your horse and run, the arrow of God’s judgment will find you. Once the king of Judah saw what had become of Joram, it was an opportunity for him to repent.
He too ought to have fallen to his knees in repentance, but he too turned his horse and fled. And God’s justice caught up with him. No one escapes. The Bible says that your sin will find you out. Oh, but I’ve been living like this for a long time. God ain’t bothered me so far. Friend, don’t presume upon the riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience. Because making peace with sin is storing up wrath for yourself on the day of judgment. Turn from your sin. Turn to Jesus Christ for mercy.
The Death of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37)
Let’s pick up reading in verse 30. When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. She painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who’s on my side? Who? Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses and they trampled on her. Then he went in and ate and drank.
And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her or she’s a king’s daughter.” But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by the servant Elijah the Tishbite in the territory of Jezreel. The dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say this is Jezebel. So Jezebel, the queen mother, sees Jehu coming. She probably watched the death of her son.
She certainly knows his intentions and she certainly knows that it’s her turn. This was her opportunity to repent. It doesn’t come out of nowhere. She sees judgment coming. She has plenty of time to fall on her knees. pray the Lord for mercy. But does she? She paints her eyes. She adorns her head as one final act of defiance. She’s the queen mother. She’ll have him know this. And she says, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” Now, you may not remember Zimri. He was a military commander just like Jehu who 30 years prior to this event betrayed his master the king and killed him and then went on to kill the household of the king.
Zimri was king in Israel for all of seven days and he was killed by Jezebel’s father-in-law. So this is a taunt. My family already dealt with Zimri. I’ll deal with you. Bring it. But Jehu is not intimidated. not in the least. And he could have sent some men up the stairs into the tower to bring her, but that would have been messy. And he doesn’t need to. He simply calls out, “Who’s with me? Who’s on my side?” And a couple of eunuchs answer. Eunuchs were castrated males forced into the service of women. Queen Jezebel in particular. And so Jehu says, “Throw her down.” Jehustice comes from within.
Jezebel’s Eunuchs toss her out the window and her blood splatters on the wall. Splatters on the horses. They spook and Jehu tramples her with his horse. It is gruesome. And Jehu, true to form, verse 34, enters the city and sits down for a meal. Suits hardcore. But the truth is, our boy is not done. He’s not even close to being done. He’s just getting started. There are 70 more sons of Ahab. 70 more wall-pee-ers that have what’s coming. And then there’s all the prophets of Baal. And then there’s all the worshipers of Baal. He’s not even close to being done.
So he sits himself down and has a meal and rests for a little bit after he’s rested and full. He tells his boys, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her.” No, he must not have been listening when the young man gave him God’s orders. Because remember back in verse 10, the Lord promised, “No one shall bury her.” So they go and they find her body desecrated. Nothing left but the skull and the hands and the feet. The dogs had gotten to her just as Yahweh had predicted. Devastation was full. Judgment is final.
The House of Ahab Is Cut Off (2 Kings 10:1-11)
Chapter 10 verse one. Now Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, select the best and finest, fittest of your master’s sons, and set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house. So Jehu could have launched a surprise attack against these people. But where’s the fun in that?
It’s more boss to send letters telling them that you’re coming, letting them know, and giving them an opportunity to face you in battle. Verse four, but they were exceedingly afraid and said, “Behold, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand? So he who was over the palace, he who was over the city together with the elders and the guardians sent to Jehu saying, “We are your servants and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now, the king’s sons, 70 persons, were with the great men of the city who were bringing them up. And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered them, 70 persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.
When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” And then in the morning when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all these?
Jehu’s Zeal and Its Limits (2 Kings 10:12-17)
Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab. For the Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” So Jehu struck down all that remained of the house of Ahab and Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests until he left none remaining. So the leaders of the city and the elders and even the bodyguards of the sons of Ahab know they’re cooked. They turn on the sons of Ahab themselves and they mail 70 baskets of severed heads to Jehu. Jehust the kind of gift a man like him would enjoy. And true to form, he stacks them in two piles.
Grizzly pyramids of his enemy fallen. This is like William Wallace energy. Actually, the movie *Braveheart* is closer to *VeggieTales* than it is to this. This guy’s insane. Jehu who calls all the people to himself and he says it’s not you. You’re innocent. I killed my master. But who killed these men? Now we know. He knows. They don’t know. But you understand the implication of this. God has taken vengeance on those who’ve set themselves against him. Now verse 10 is central to the understanding of these two chapters. Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab.
Heaven and earth will sooner pass away than God’s word will fall. Verse 12. Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way he was at Beth-eked of the shepherds. Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah. And he said who are you? And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, 42 persons. And he spared none of them. And when he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab, coming to meet him.
And he greeted him, and he said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart? Is mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu answered, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up into the chariot. And he said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he had him ride in his chariot. And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria till he had wiped them out according to the word of the Lord that he spoke to Elijah. So Jehu strikes down 42 persons loyal to the king of Judah.
Now most commentators consider this overreach and I agree because the Lord commissioned Jehu to bring judgment upon the house of Ahab. He said nothing about Judah. But this is Jehu. This is consolidation of power. And it’s an important lesson for us all. Zeal for the Lord is good, but it must be tempered by God’s revealed word. In the fight for justice in our day and the protection of the preborn, for example, we must be zealous in this fight. And how we go about ending abortion really matters. We are not permitted to resort to ungodly tactics.
Jesus said, “Be wise as serpents, serpents but be innocent as doves.” And we must remember that the weapons of our warfare are not flesh and blood. This is a spiritual battle. Jehu meets a fellow named Jehonadab, who’s the leader of a fundamentalist clan devoted to the worship of Yahweh. And Jehu just wants to make sure this guy’s loyal so that he can join the crusade. He’s consolidating power. And here we read that he strikes down all the remaining of the house of Ahab. But there’s more yet to be done. If you’re feeling war weary from this passage, I think you’re meant to. It just keeps going and going and going. We’re almost done.
The Destruction of Baal Worship (2 Kings 10:18-28)
Next instrument of God’s wrath. The next thing he does is he turns his sight onto the worship of Baal. Chapter 10:18. Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers, and all his priests. Let none be missing. For I have a great sacrifice to offer Baal. He’s straight up lying. Whoever is missing shall not live. But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal. And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Ba. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent messengers throughout all Israel.
And all the worshipers of Baal came so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal. And the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. And he said to him who was in charge of all the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehoadab, the son of Rechab. And he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is no servant of the Lord here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu had stationed 80 men outside and said, “The man who allows any of these whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.” So as soon as he had made an end of the offering of the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down. Let let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal. And they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. And they demolished the pillar of Baal and demolished the house of Baal and made it a latrine.
To this day, a line has been drawn in the sand. You’re either with Yahweh or you are against him. There’s no in between. Any in the kingdom who have aligned themselves with the demon god Baal have aligned themselves against Yahweh. The apostle James did not mince words when he wrote friendship with the world is enmity with God. Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Make peace with sin. You make war with God. And the justice of God may seem slow, but it is certain. And this is the judgment of God upon Baal and the worshipers of Baal.
And Jehu, this man can’t be anything but what he is. turns the house of Baal into a latrine. And verse 28 says that Baal is wiped out in Israel. And that’s true. The worship of Baal is never mentioned again in the northern kingdom. However, the people just pivot to another god. I mean, it’s one thing to tear down false gods. It’s a whole other thing to establish the right worship of the true God which is something that Jehu never did and remains as a dark cloud over his great grave. The old gods come back. They always do.
Jehu’s Incomplete Reformation (2 Kings 10:29-36)
Verse 29. This is where we’ll wrap up. But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which he made Israel to sin. that is the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. And the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.
Jehu may have cleansed the kingdom of Baal, but he was not careful with his own heart. He did not reform the right worship of Yahweh. And here again, this man serves as a lesson for us all, especially those of us who entrusted with leading God’s people and those who aspire to for all the good that he did. Verse one is devastating. Verse 31 is devastating. Jehu did not walk in the law of the Lord. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam. That’s the sins of the golden calves. Friends, we may fight hard. We may fight faithfully against abortion, sexual sin, but are we making peace with a pornography addiction?
We may do great things in the cause of modesty and purity, but do we make peace with gossip, covetousness? We may steward our finances well, but are we hiding an addiction to food or to pills? We may counsel others to trust in God’s timing. But do we grumble about God’s timing in our own life? This is the Apostle Paul in Romans 2. You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who preach against adultery, do you entertain lust in your heart? Brother, pastors and those of you who aspire to the office of pastor, make no peace with sin in your heart. Make no compromise, big or small.
Regardless of what good the Lord does in your life, may the Lord spare us of verse 31. Let us be careful to walk in a manner fully pleasing to the Lord.
Peace with God Through Jesus Christ
Yahweh has come to all of us this morning. And the question that we’re asking that we all must ask is, is it peace? Is it peace? Oh Lord, there is only one way to have peace with God and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s the only one who had zeal for God’s house that was totally pure, totally right. Jesus Christ is the greater Jehu. His reforming of the worship of God was perfect. His heart without compromise. And let us all turn to him this morning. His life, his death, his resurrection has cleansed our hearts of unrighteousness. And in him alone is peace with God.
No matter what you’ve done this morning, you don’t need to try harder to not make peace with sin. You need to make peace with God through Jesus Christ. Submit yourself no matter what you’ve done to him. Knowing that his perfect vision, his purest heart will draw out your compromises. Will fix the false worship in your heart. He will show you mercy. He will show you grace. He will forgive you. He will cleanse you. Don’t make peace with sin. Make peace with God through Jesus Christ. Let’s pray. Oh Lord, this is a heavy text.
May its truth be written on our hearts and may it serve as a warning as we leave this place that we would not make peace with sin, but that we would settle in on the peace that we have with you through your son Jesus. In whose name we pray. Amen.