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2 Kings 9-10 – Self-serving Obeyers
The coup of Jehu is God ordained, but bloody. Jehu is told “The whole house of Ahab will perish” (2 Kings 9:8). Jehu obeys. Ahab had 70 sons who were in Samaria, the capital city. Jehu wrote a letter to the rulers and guardians of Ahab’s sons: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, bring me the heads of your master’s sons at this time tomorrow at Jezreel” ((2 Kings 10:6). They comply. Jehu is not finished. He pretends to worship Baal, the god of Ahab and Jezebel by saying, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot” ((2 Kings 10:18). This trick led to the deaths of all the prophets of Baal. Then Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel ((2 Kings 10:28). Mission accomplished through much blood. But Jehu is a soldier and commander, he is used to shedding blood. I shudder at the task he zealously undertook.
Afterwards, after all the purification of land from the worship of Baal, Jehu did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, worshiping the Golden Calves ((2 Kings 10:29). That is the sin which held the Northern Kingdom together religiously and politically. After everything, Jehu falls short.
But I want to go back to when the coup is ordained and connect that to the Golden Calves not being removed. A prophet comes and anoints Jehu as king in place of Ahab’s son Joram (2 Kings 9). Immediately, Jehu’s men shout in agreement with the prophet. Jehu is King. Jehu accepts without hesitation, and with zealous bloodlust. What have we learned? Obedience is easy is it is something we want, or something we are already capable of doing. But just like Jehu, we can come up short if we are not willing to go against that which is popular and convenient. Are we lie Jehu, just self-serving obeyers?
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