CROWNED | 2 Kings Chapter 10
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Week 7 / Day 32
Written by Tara Poche
INTRODUCTION
Picking up where we left off…
Yesterday, we saw the faithfulness of God to execute His Word. Prophecies that had been made years earlier came to pass. Jehu, the courageous commander, was anointed king of Israel. Jezebel, the evil wife of Ahab and mother of Joram, was killed exactly as Elijah had predicted. This was proof that the Lord would only tolerate the king’s sinful behavior for so long. As Ahab’s son, Joram, continued to rule in unrighteousness, the Spirit stirred Elisha into action.
Now, we come to 2 Kings 10.
When we finished yesterday, we mentioned that Jehu’s mission was not over yet. Only part of Elijah’s prophecy had come to pass. Let’s recap it one more time so we’re all on the same page.
“So now the Lord says, ‘I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel! I am going to destroy your family as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me very angry and have led Israel into sin.’
“And regarding Jezebel, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel’s body at the plot of land in Jezreel.’
“The members of Ahab’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.”
1 Kings 21:21-24
Dogs eating Jezebel’s body at the plot of land in Jezeel - check. I know, it sounds gruesome. However, there’s still the part about destroying every one of Ahab’s male descendants. Yes, Joram had been taken care of, but the king’s lineage was much more far-reaching than that.
READ
Now, let’s pick up in 2 Kings 10. Take a moment and read it for yourself. We will only highlight pieces of the story here.
REFLECT
In today’s passage, we learn that Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria (this likely included grandsons as well). Jehu immediately sends letters to everyone in Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city, and to the guardians of the seventy sons. He issues a challenge, instructing them to select which son they think would make the best representative for Ahab’s family and send him to fight Jehu.
The officials had certainly heard of the events that had taken place in Jezreel because we read in verse 4 that they were “paralyzed with fear” because they had already seen two kings fall to Jehu. They write back, insisting that there doesn’t have to be a fight, and they will do anything Jehu asks.
I can’t imagine that they anticipated what orders he would give. Let’s read it:
Jehu responded with a second letter: “If you are on my side and are going to obey me, bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
2 Kings 10:6a
There are several difficult passages of scripture to read throughout the Bible when people do what feels unthinkable. For me, this is one. As we continue to read verses 6 and 7, we learn that the leaders of Samaria had been caring for the seventy sons of Ahab, and the sons had lived there since they were children. These lifetime caretakers, people who watched the seventy sons grow from children, took action. We read that, as soon as the letter arrived, the leaders killed all seventy sons. Not only that, per Jehu’s instructions, they decapitated them, placed their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
If you’re like me and this passage affects you emotionally, take a moment. It’s okay to take a beat and admit that we don’t always understand why God does things the way He does. We aren’t always privy to the “why” behind the Lord’s “how.” But we can take comfort in knowing that He is sovereign over the just and the unjust.
Now, after the baskets arrived in Jezreel, Jehu quickly finished the deed by killing every relative of Ahab’s left in Jezreel. In fact, verse 11 tells us he also killed Ahab’s officials, personal friends, and his priests. There was absolutely no one left to survive Ahab, just as the Lord promised.
At this point, Jehu had one task left. On his way to Samaria to finish off anyone else from Ahab’s family line, he met one of his allies on the road. He told his friend in verse 16, “Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the Lord.” They proceeded to Samaria and finished the task. Additionally, Jehu destroyed all the priests of Baal in the land.
However, we learn as we read on that, even though Jehu destroyed Baal worship, he neglected to promote the worship of God. Then verse 31 tells us, “But Jehu did not obey the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.”
It’s easy to get caught up in the emotion when God is moving. The unmistakable word of the Lord comes to pass, and you get to be a part of it. Whether it’s being used at the altar to pray for someone, or teaching an incredible Bible study, or watching your child’s face light up with understanding as you explain something to them about God, being used by the Lord feels wonderful!
Sometimes we get so into the moment we say something like what Jehu said to his friend along the road. “Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the Lord.” Another version of the Bible says, “Come see my zeal for the Lord.” But when the rubber met the road, Jehu lacked the strength to see the entire mission through. He didn’t bring the people back to God.
The lesson we all need to learn today is this…Temporary zeal is meaningless without the steadfastness and commitment that holds out for the long run. Emotion will fade. We must pray and ask the Lord to give us the dedication to run the race to the very end.
RESPOND
Can you think of a time when you were deeply moved by what God was doing in your life or in the lives of others? How has that moment translated into long-term faithfulness - or has the excitement faded?
Are there areas in your walk with God where you’ve been more passionate about being seen serving Him than quietly obeying Him? What might God be revealing about your motive?
What spiritual disciplines or commitments have you allowed to become inconsistent after the initial excitement wore off? What is one step you can take today to cultivate perseverance?
If your relationship with God were measured by your consistency rather than your moments of passion, what would it reveal? Ask the Lord to help you remain faithful long after the excitement and emotion of the moment have faded.
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