A Somber Warning: 2 Kings #14
This is an exposition of 2 Kings 10:1-36. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 9, 2016.
Intro:
A unique thing happened during the first presidential debate between Mr. Trump and Secretary Clinton. There was no reference to God by either candidate. There was no appeal to God, Divine Providence, personal faith or even reference to “civil” religion so common in the American political process. That signals a change. It is further evidence that we are losing ground as far as religion’s seat at the political table. Oh, there is still the effort to reach out and court the church’s vote but no longer the need to speak of God’s hand guiding or God’s favor on us. While that is troubling in the sense that we are becoming increasingly secular in may not be all that bad when you consider the danger of faux faith or pretend commitment expressed merely to court the vote of a particular group. If you take faith seriously, if you believe God actually exists, pretend faith is never a good thing. To pay lip service to God while having no intention of living out the truth of such claims is to invite the judgment of God. If you need proof of that just read the Old Testament. In fact our text this evening could easily serve as exhibit A. Our text tonight is the 10th chapter of 2 Kings.
Text: 2 Kings 10:1-36
In 2 Kings 9 Jehu is anointed king of Israel. You remember he was sitting with his council when the young prophet burst into the room. The prophet insisted on a private meeting and anointed Jehu and said he was to annihilate Ahab’s family. As he approached Jezreel the watchman announced someone was coming. I rider when sent out to see if he came in peace. Jehu made it clear he had not come in peace and for the man to get in line and join him. A second rider is sent and the same thing happens. Finally Joram and Ahaziah go out themselves. Joram is killed and his body dumped in Naboth’s vineyard. Ahaziah is then struck down. Jezebel is then tossed out of the tower and trampled. Later the dogs ate everything but her head, hands and feet. In 2 Kings 10 the butchery continues.
It is not easy reading.
Troubling questions arise.
How is this advancing God’s agenda?
How does this serve the Kingdom?
There are summary statements in 2 Kings 10:11, 17 and 28.
10:11 – So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab…
10:17 – …Till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD…
10:28 – Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel…
It is easy to get caught up in the details of the chapter and miss the larger point. So we need to back out a bit and ask what does this tell us about God, about our service to Him, about how we relate to Him? When we do so a message begins to shine through…
Thesis: The life of Jehu serves to warn us of the danger of ambition wedded to half-hearted religious devotion.
The word God gave to Elisha to give to Jehu just happened to fit nicely with Jehu’s own longings and desires. For me there is no other explanation for why he engages in this task with such zeal. As we walk through the passage it is clear he goes above and beyond the call in his dealings with the relatives of Ahaziah. We also must note his comment to Jehonadab, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD” (10:16).
As we work our way through this text we will note a somber warning, a sobering revelation and a frightening realization.
- First, the somber warning: The judgment of God is both terrifying and thorough. (10:1-17)
- Second, we note a sobering revelation: Zeal for God and even faithful service to His cause is no guarantee of genuine devotion nor a sign of true spiritual life. (10:16, 18-29)
- Finally a frightening realization: It is possible to be greatly used of God in the accomplishment of His will and yet suffer His righteous judgment yourself for your half-hearted devotion. (10:30-33)
Conclusion:
The frightening revelation being that one can be used by God and judged by God.
You can be used by Christ and rejected by Christ – Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? 23 And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
Just because you have in some way been used by God in the past does not mean you are viewed with His pleasure. That, is a frightening realization. May the story of Jehu haunt us and cause us to fear God and seek to remain faithful.