Jehu and Wholeheartedness

Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 10:29-31

When we look at our leaders so many of them claim to be good Christian people, but it is quite evident that few are what the Word of God declares a Christian to be. Some will run on platforms that are things that would be in line with Biblical values; others will attend religious services of their faiths and the cameras will show it. If you recognize the Scripture as the authority for how a Christian must live, you recognize even the ones who say the "right things" and attend "worship" often have not done what God has required, nor are they serving Him in spirit and truth. King Jehu of Israel was certainly a model of this behavior.

When it comes to zeal, Jehu did the best job that a northern king did. This is not saying much considering how wicked and idolatrous the kingdom was. When men fail to look at the law of the Lord even the “good” ones perpetuate rebellion. Let us consider the good Jehu did. He eliminated the household of Ahab (cf. 2 Kings 9-10:17). He was responsible for destroying all the worshippers of Baal (cf. 2 Kings 10:18-28). Both of these actions were admirable and certainly within the will of Jehovah.

Now for the bad. Jehu would not leave the sins of Jeroboam. The golden calves remained as a memorial to the idolatry upon which this nation was founded. Even good leaders who serve as ministers of God (cf. Rom 13:4) are still lost without obedience to the Lord in all matters of faith. All are lost outside of Christ, and to be in Christ is to be obedient to His will. We find that Jehu’s source of sin was that he took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. We must remember that God requires wholehearted service. We can fool other men with mere lip service, but the Lord knows who are His. Do not be a goodly evil man, be a Christian. The Lord expects nothing more and nothing less. If we are diligent in this, perhaps we will be able to persuade some leaders to become Christians (Acts 26:28).

Grace and Peace,

R.D. Beavers

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