9 April | EVERYONE

THE CONTRADICTIONS OF JEHU

"Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel. However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Daniel […] But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.” 2 Kings 10:28-29, 31

Jehu, son of King Jehoshaphat, was a contradictory man. Anointed king of Israel, the Lord commanded him to put an end to idolatry and exterminate the pagan leaders (2 Kings 9:6-10). After receiving this divine mandate through one of "the sons of the prophets," Jehu began to accomplish his apparent work of spiritual reform. He killed “all who remained to Ahab in Samaria” (10:17) and “all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel” (10:11). Jehu's final work was the destruction of the Temple of Baal, where he gathered all the leaders and finished them off (10:18-27).

At the conclusion of his mission, God said to him, "because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation" (10:30). However, as we have read above, the text also says that Jehu's reformation was incomplete and did not fully depart from the sin rooted in the kingdom of Israel.

Jehu confused things. He put an end to sinners but not to sin. The result was sad. He "took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart." His life was full of contradictions. He cared about what was seen, but he did not deal with what was not seen.

God is looking for people who can serve with integrity without being divided inwardly and for courageous sons and daughters who are able to see the depths of evil and do not get lost only on the periphery of what is seen.

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Will you go all the way on your God-given mission, or will you leave it halfway? Only the complete work assures sufficient success, provided you allow yourself to be led by the Lord.