Not Having a Complete Heart for God

INTRO

Today’s lesson, as Kyle would say, is a bit of a humdinger. Let’s start with the background of this passage that’s found in chapter 8. Second Kings covers a three-hundred-year span from the reign of Ahaziah (the ninth king of Israel) around 863 BC through the fall of Israel to Assyria in 722 BC and on through the fall of Jerusalem and Judah to Babylon in 586 BC. This was a difficult time in the history of God’s people.

It’s easy to get confused in looking at these kings because there were two King Ahaziahs and two King Jehorams, one of each in each kingdom. Both Ahaziahs reigned only one year each, but their reigns did not overlap. The reign of the two Jehorams did overlap. Ahaziah of Israel reigned eleven years earlier than Ahaziah of Judah. In Judah, Jehoram (853–841 BC) preceded Ahaziah (841 BC), but in Israel, Ahaziah (853–852 BC) preceded Jehoram (852–841 BC).

TEACHING

2 Kings 9:1–10: Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu, the commander of King Joram (also known as Jehoram), as the new king to clean house in Israel (vv. 1–4). The prophet risked his own life to do so. According to the Bible, “Jehu is the only king of Israel who was anointed by an appointed servant of the Lord.”¹The anointing of Jehu as king fulfilled

Elijah’s prophecy given some 20 years earlier (1 Kings 19:15–16). There’s so much prophecy fulfilled in these two chapters because evil could only be stored up for so long. In the anointing, Jehu was told to strike down all of the house of Ahab and Jezebel (vv. 7–10).

2 Kings 9:11–13: When his men asked what happened, Jehu tried not to answer but finally admitted that the Lord had anointed him king over Israel (vv. 11–12). The men proclaimed Jehu as king (v. 13).

2 Kings 9:14–16: Jehu lost no time in planning the assassination of the king (v. 14–16). Joram, the current king of Israel, who was son to Ahab and Jezebel, had been injured in battle and gone to Jezreel to recover. Ahaziah, king of Judah, had also gone to Jezreel (2 Kings 8:28–29). Jehu ordered his commanders not to let anyone escape from Jezreel, located about 25 miles away, and his order included both the king of Israel and the king of Judah.

2 Kings 9:17–29: A watchman on the wall of Jezreel announced that Jehu’s troops were approaching, so Joram sent a rider out to ask if they came in peace (v. 17). However, the messenger didn’t return and joined Jehu’s army instead (v. 18). Joram sent out another rider with the same question, but he also joined Jehu’s army (vv. 19-20).

The kings of Israel and Judah went out to meet Jehu and asked him if he came in peace (vv. 21–22a). They met Jehu on the property of Naboth, where Naboth was murdered, so Ahab could have his vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–16). Nelson’s Commentary says, “To his credit, the battled weakened king came out and faced his possible opponent. He may have feared a military attack from his hotheaded captain. Perhaps he wanted to get him to realize that his plans would be acts of sedition against the legally constituted king.”²Jehu responded that there could be no peace because of the acts of Jezebel (v. 22b). “Jezebel’s spiritual adultery had brought heinous demonic practices into the kingdom and sealed its doom. As God had threatened, such activities would surely bring about the nation’s demise.”³(Deuteronomy 28:15, 25–26).

This shows the principle of reaping and sowing—what is planted is what will grow, whether godly or worldly. As Joram tried to escape, Jehu shot him with an arrow and Joram died (v. 24). Jehu had Joram’s body thrown into Naboth’s field, fulfilling Elijah’s prophecy from God in 1 Kings 21. King Ahaziah also fled but was shot, and he died in Megiddo (v. 27). Wiersbe suggests that Ahaziah tried to hide in Megiddo, but Jehu’s men tracked him down there and killed him. Ahaziah’s body was returned to Jerusalem where he was buried with the Davidic kings.⁴

“Had he not compromised with Joram, worshiped Baal, and followed his mother Athaliah’s, counsel, he would have been spared all this shame and defeat.”⁵Sin always leads to death but Jesus came to get us out of that cycle.

2 Kings 9:30–37: Jezebel heard what happened, so she painted her eyes and adorned her hair, remaining defiant to the end (v. 30). When Jehu showed up, she taunted him, calling him Zimri, the name of a traitor who killed his master to seize his throne (v. 31) (1 Kings 16:11–12). When Jehu found support in some of the eunuchs, he ordered them to throw Jezebel out of the window. Her blood was splattered on the wall and on the horses, and Jehu rode over her (vv. 32–33). This fulfilled another prophecy (1 Kings 21:22-23). Her body was thrown into a field and treated as garbage (v. 37).

2 Kings 10: Jehu continued to remove the house of Ahab. He killed Ahab’s seventy sons (vv. 1–11), Ahaziah’s forty-two brothers (vv. 12–14), the rest of Ahab’s family (vv. 15–17), and worshippers of Baal (vv. 18–27). Jehu was proud of his zeal for the Lord (v. 16). But Jehu didn’t walk in God’s ways (vv. 29–31). Nelson’s Commentary says, “Jehu’s destruction of Baal worship was a political act. His continuing the state worship policies established by Jeroboam 1 clearly shows his disregard for true spiritual revival in Israel.”⁶

CLOSING

Jesus came to set us free from sin. The only way to find this freedom is to make Jesus the Lord of our life–that means we give him everything. Jehu did not get rid of his idols, and it hurt his legacy. For us today, our time on earth is so short. It is a blink compared to eternity. I encourage you, give it all for the Lord. There is nothing on this earth, no deception or type of sin that is worth hanging onto. Walk in total freedom with the Lord and let Him use you.