What will you do?

Jehu was called to do some very difficult ministries.  He was called by God to eliminate Baal worship and the worshippers from the land of Israel.  That meant going up against the existing power structures of his day.  It also meant putting people to death.  He didn’t ask for the call, but he was faithful to it.  So…

• Jehu assassinated Joram and Ahazia (2 Kings 9:14-29).
• Jehu executed Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37).
• Jehu slaughtered Ahab’s descendants (2 Kings 10:1-17).
• Jehu struck down the prophets of Baal (2 Kings 10:18-27).

In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel. (2 Kings 10:28 NLT)

Jehu was faithful to God and to God’s specific call on his life.  Baal worship was wiped out.  Worship for the LORD was reinstated.

He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin. (2 Kings 10:29 NLT)

His work was not perfect.  While the people worshipped the LORD once again, they were worshipping in places other than the Temple in Jerusalem.

Sometimes I find myself tempted to not take the next step with God because I might not get it right.  I want to walk with God, but I want it to be a perfect walk.  Even if I get that step 99% right but I fall short with 1% of it, I tend to focus on the 1% that I got wrong.  That shortfall is used against me to try to get me not to do the 99% either.  But, when God prevails in my life, I take the next step, and then the next step, and then the next.  Even if it is imperfect, it becomes a walk together with God.

Nonetheless the LORD said to Jehu, "You have done well in following My instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation." (2 Kings 10:30 NLT)

How about you?  Do you hear God’s call for your life?  When you recognize it, are you tempted not to take it because you may not fulfill it perfectly?  Do you take the step anyway?  God is calling you to walk with Him.  What will you do?

God will set things right.

When we see evil around us, it’s hard to wait on the LORD.  God is being patient, but that means we need to be patient as well.  So, we wait.

Jehu went back to his fellow officers, and one of them asked him, "What did that madman want? Is everything all right?" "You know how a man like that babbles on," Jehu replied. (2 Kings 9:11 NLT)

When God calls us to be a part of the solution, however, it’s even more difficult.  Now we know a piece of God’s plan.  Now we know that we have a part in it.  Our decision becomes more immediate and personal.  “Will I do what God has called me to do?”

"You're hiding something," they said. "Tell us." So Jehu told them, "He said to me, 'This is what the LORD says: I have anointed you to be king over Israel.'" (2 Kings 9:12 NLT)

Jehu was an integral part of God’s plan.  He would be the arm of the LORD, bringing justice to the people of his day.  Once he knew God’s plan and his part of that plan, Jehu had only one decision to make.  Would he do what God called him to do?  He finally told his fellow officers what the LORD said.  This was an important first step for Jehu.  Once he says it out loud, it is harder to back out.

Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram's horn, shouting, "Jehu is king!" (2 Kings 9:13 NLT)

Jehu will do his part of God’s plan.  Through Jehu, God will set things right.

How about you?  Do you trust God to set things right?  Has God given you a glimpse of His plan?  Has God made your part of that plan clear to you?  Will you allow God work in and through you to set things right?

God does see what is happening.

When he arrived there, he found Jehu sitting around with the other army officers. "I have a message for you, Commander," he said. "For which one of us?" Jehu asked. "For you, Commander," he replied. So Jehu left the others and went into the house. Then the young prophet poured the oil over Jehu's head and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the LORD's people, Israel.” (2 Kings 9:5-6 NLT)

I don’t know about you but when I see evil in the world around me, I struggle.  I end up wondering how long it will continue.  I end up wondering where God is in it all.  I end up wondering if God sees what is happening.  Then, I remember what God communicates to us through Scripture.

“You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of My prophets and all the LORD's servants who were killed by Jezebel. The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out. I will destroy every one of his male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah. Dogs will eat Ahab's wife Jezebel at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury her." (2 Kings 9:7-10a NLT)

God tells us that this will not go on forever.  God tells us that He has a plan.  God sees what is happening…better than any of the rest of us.  God just has an agenda that I need to see.  Peace in the storm comes when I make God’s agenda my own.

The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

God can wipe out people who are doing evil.  God would rather bring them back home.  As long as we are alive, God is giving us a chance to start walking with Him again.

Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. (2 Kings 9:10b NLT)

How about you?  Do you get down or frustrated when you see evil in the world around you?  Are you confident that God sees what is happening? Do you see God’s agenda?  Are you willing to make God’s agenda yours?

God will not be mocked.

Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the south) are now being led by kings who are not walking together with God.  They are leading their people to do things like burning their children up on altars as a sacrifice to Baal, sleeping with temple prostitutes as worship of Baal, and killing prophets of the LORD who oppose Baal.  The people of God are not walking together with God.

Meanwhile, Elisha the prophet had summoned a member of the group of prophets. "Get ready to travel," he told him, "and take this flask of olive oil with you. Go to Ramoth-gilead, and find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi.” (2 Kings 9:1-2a NLT)

Sometimes, when we look around us, we see people doing some pretty terrible things as well.  Sometimes, they are doing those things while claiming to walk together with God.  Sometimes, they do those terrible things all in the name of God (saying that God led them to do it).  When we see this, it is really easy to lose heart.  “What is God doing,” we may ask. “Isn’t God going to do something about this?”

“Call him into a private room away from his friends, and pour the oil over his head. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you to be the king over Israel.' Then open the door and run for your life!" (2 Kings 9:2-3 NLT)

It is in those moments that it comforts me to remember the truth.  It may seem like God is not doing anything.  Maybe it feels like God can’t do anything.  But the truth is that God has a plan.  God’s plan is already in action.  God will not be mocked.

So the young prophet did as he was told and went to Ramoth-gilead. (2 Kings 9:4 NLT)

How about you?  Do you struggle with evil in the world?  Does that evil show up close to home?  Does it bother you to see people living out evil and claiming that they are doing it because they are called by God?  Does it help you to remember that God will not be mocked?

Look what you did!

Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to rule over Judah in the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel. (2 Kings 8:16 NLT)

We’ve been following the kings of Israel, who were leading the northern tribes, and the kings of Judah, who led the southern tribes of God’s chosen people.  The kings of the north (Israel) have been doing bad – leading their people to worship false gods and live out things that the LORD considers to be detestable.  The kings of the south (Judah) have been doing good – walking with God and leading their people to do the same.

But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the LORD's sight. But the LORD did not want to destroy Judah, for He had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever. (2 Kings 8:18-19 NLT)

Jehoram breaks the positive streak in the south.  He marries one of the king’s daughters from the north and, instead of influencing her do walk with God, he follows her lead and worships Baal.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that it’s her fault.  She didn’t make him jump ship.  She didn’t cause him to worship Baal.  Jehoram was his own man.  Not only that, he was a king in the line of Judah and David.  Jehoram can point the finger of blame at his wife, but it simply won’t up in the court of the LORD.  Jehoram will be told, “Look what you did!”

When Jehoram died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Ahaziah became the next king. Ahaziah son of Jehoram began to rule over Judah in the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel. (2 Kings 8:24-25 NLT)

Sometimes we hope that our children will do better than we do.  We hope that we will pass down only the good (and none of the bad) from generation to generation.  Whether we pass down good or bad, though, is not completely in our hands.  Especially as they get older, our children decide for themselves.  They become responsible for their actions.  We can only watch as these young adults decide whether or not they will walk together with God.

Ahaziah followed the evil example of King Ahab's family. He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Ahab's family had done, for he was related by marriage to the family of Ahab. (2 Kings 8:27 NLT)

How about you?  Do you try to justify your actions by blaming a spouse?  Perhaps you blame your parents?  Or, do you take responsibility for your actions?  Do you deserve to hear, for good or for bad, “Look what you did!”