|
|
2 Kings 10 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
When this chapter begins you get a sense that Jehu is going to be a ferocious warrior for the Lord. He eliminates Ahab’s family, doing everything the Lord has asked. He follows that by completely wiping out the prophets of Baal through deception and trickery. With the prophets of Baal trapped inside, the slaughter begins. But he isn’t done yet. He turns the temple of Baal into a latrine. Literally – a trash dump.
“A place for human excrement; so all the versions understand it. Nothing could be more degrading than this.”
Adam Clarke
What these acts turned out to be, in actuality, were good deeds to benefit himself rather than God. We see this with the immense hypocrisy of allowing the golden calf worship to continue. Many believe Jehu was seeking personal glory and acting out of pride in his elimination of Ahab’s family (especially because he executed more people than required). In some ways, Jehu was a paradox. He annihilated Baal worship but was never totally sold out to God.
“How much easier it is to see and rebuke the sins of others, than to take heed to our own ways! It is comparatively easy to detect and destroy the sinner, without personally yielding to the claims of God ourselves.”
F.B. Meyer
These are strong words. How many of us are in the same boat? How many of us are quick to point out the “greater sins” of others while we indulge ourselves with “common sins.” I do not want to be known as someone who only followed Jesus to a certain point. I don’t want to be known as a Christian who pointed out the speck in another’s eye before addressing the plank in my own.
Jehu did some good things. Some would even say they were great things. The truth is, he was not sensitive to the heart of God. He was only sensitive to God’s task list. When our relationship with God is built on trust and love, we change. When it’s built on following the rules and executing commands, we become lukewarm. In reality, Jehu probably suppressed the truth of his own idol worship because he had done enough “good” by ridding the nation of Baal.
I don’t want to be known for getting lots of tasks done for God. I want to be known for loving like Jesus.