Reading: 2 Kings 6 - 10
My Verse: "Thus Jehu rooted Baal out of Israel. but Jehu did not give up the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin" (10:28, 29).
Jehu had so much going for him! Here he was one of the many captains in the army of Israel. You, LORD God chose him to be king of Israel. You gave him a very specific job to do, and that was to kill his own king, King Joram, and eradicate the entire family of King Ahab. "You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish . . ."(9:7,8). Jehu did this but did not give You all his heart. He was not fully committed to You, LORD God!
Jehu killed King Joram, "Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; and the arrow went out through his heart, and he sank down in his chariot" (9:24). Jehu then killed Jezebel. "And he said, Throw her down! So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he drove over her" (9:13). Jehu then killed all seventy grandsons of Ahab.
He showed great zeal in following Your directions, LORD God. He said "Know now that nothing which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab shall be unfulfilled for the LORD has done what He said through His servant Elijah" (10:10). Jehu then "slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all the great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining" (10:11). Jehu then "rooted Baal out of Israel" (10 28).
You, LORD God told Jehu that You would bless him for his obedience in this. "And the LORD said to Jehu, Because you have executed well what is right in My eyes and have done to the house of Ahab as I willed, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on Israel's throne" (10:30). Sadly, Jehu "paid no attention to walking in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart"(10:31).
So many do this very thing. We do what appears outwardly to be correct. We do what appears right in the eyes of man. But in our heart of hearts we are secretive, selfish and disobedient to You, LORD God. And the state of our heart is what truly matters to You.
All our good deeds are as filthy rags. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. . .” (Isaiah 64:6).
We seek to build good reputations but live lukewarm lives. The book of Revelation speaks to this. "I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (3:1b). "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (3:15, 16).
LORD God, thank You for this lesson of King Jehu who was so very zealous for You but only to a point. He did all the outward acts but would not give You what You want from each of us. He did not give You his heart. And so the consequences were that You allowed the kingdom to wither away. "So in those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel.(11 Kings 10:32).
This is what happens to our hearts. As the kingdom of Israel withered away so does our heart, when it is not fully committed to You and healed and nurtured by You.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "Thus Jehu rooted Baal out of Israel. but Jehu did not give up the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin" (10:28, 29).
Jehu had so much going for him! Here he was one of the many captains in the army of Israel. You, LORD God chose him to be king of Israel. You gave him a very specific job to do, and that was to kill his own king, King Joram, and eradicate the entire family of King Ahab. "You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish . . ."(9:7,8). Jehu did this but did not give You all his heart. He was not fully committed to You, LORD God!
Jehu killed King Joram, "Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; and the arrow went out through his heart, and he sank down in his chariot" (9:24). Jehu then killed Jezebel. "And he said, Throw her down! So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he drove over her" (9:13). Jehu then killed all seventy grandsons of Ahab.
He showed great zeal in following Your directions, LORD God. He said "Know now that nothing which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab shall be unfulfilled for the LORD has done what He said through His servant Elijah" (10:10). Jehu then "slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all the great men, his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him no one remaining" (10:11). Jehu then "rooted Baal out of Israel" (10 28).
You, LORD God told Jehu that You would bless him for his obedience in this. "And the LORD said to Jehu, Because you have executed well what is right in My eyes and have done to the house of Ahab as I willed, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on Israel's throne" (10:30). Sadly, Jehu "paid no attention to walking in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart"(10:31).
So many do this very thing. We do what appears outwardly to be correct. We do what appears right in the eyes of man. But in our heart of hearts we are secretive, selfish and disobedient to You, LORD God. And the state of our heart is what truly matters to You.
All our good deeds are as filthy rags. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. . .” (Isaiah 64:6).
We seek to build good reputations but live lukewarm lives. The book of Revelation speaks to this. "I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (3:1b). "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (3:15, 16).
LORD God, thank You for this lesson of King Jehu who was so very zealous for You but only to a point. He did all the outward acts but would not give You what You want from each of us. He did not give You his heart. And so the consequences were that You allowed the kingdom to wither away. "So in those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel.(11 Kings 10:32).
This is what happens to our hearts. As the kingdom of Israel withered away so does our heart, when it is not fully committed to You and healed and nurtured by You.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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