Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
2 Kings 10:21

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

End of Jezebel’s Baalism in Israel (10:15-36)

Jehu next put into operation a plan to rid Israel of all Jezebel’s Baal-worshipping followers. In this he had the cooperation of Jehonadab, a man who had led his people to give up the agricultural life (possibly because of its tendencies to Baal worship) and go back to the simple way of life followed by Abraham and the early Israelites (15-17; cf. Jeremiah 35:6-10). Through deceit and butchery, Jehu wiped out Jezebel’s Baal worshippers (18-27).

However, Jehu did not remove the idol worship established earlier by Jeroboam. This gives further indication that his anti-Baal campaign resulted from political, rather than religious, motives. Nevertheless, he destroyed the dynasty of Omri along with its particular form of Baal worship, and for this God rewarded him. His dynasty would last longer than any other in the northern kingdom (28-31).

As the story in Kings shows, Jehu went far beyond what was necessary to bring God’s judgment on the dynasty of Omri. His needless butchery, still talked about a century later, would be the reason why his own dynasty would come to a bloody end (Hosea 1:4).

Jehu’s massacre of all the nation’s leading administrators left the nation’s internal government weak and unstable (see 10:11). The slaughter of Jezebel’s descendants brought the long-standing treaty with Tyre and Sidon in the north to a sudden end. The murder of Judah’s king and his relatives lost Israel the support of her sister nation to the south. Jehu’s withdrawal of Israel’s troops from Ramoth-gilead to support his revolution weakened Israel’s eastern border (see 9:4-5,11-14). Syria’s king Hazael was quick to attack, and over a time seized most of Israel’s territory east of Jordan. Elisha’s prophecy was coming true (32-36; cf. 8:12).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

JEHU'S PLOT TO MURDER ALL THE WORSHIPPERS OF BAAL

"And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal; and he said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of Jehovah, but worshippers of Baal only. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed him fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men that I bring into your hands escape, he that letteth him go: his life shall be for the life of him."

Some scholars deny that Jehu actually offered sacrifices to Baal,Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 350. and some limit the slaughter here to the priests and prophets, but the text does not support either viewpoint. Jehu's hypocrisy was phenomenal, and his intention to deceive the worshippers of Baal was so acute, that he was capable of doing exactly what the text says he did. He went into the temple of Baal to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings.

"The house of Baal was filled from one end to the other" The pagan temples of that era were no small buildings. They included extensive courts and collateral areas where very large assemblies could be accommodated. The impression left by these words is that literally thousands of people were brought together at the house of Baal.

With this large gathering assembled within the precincts of the temple of Baal, the bloodthirsty Jehu was ready to spring the trap and destroy them all. It is not specifically stated that Jehonadab left the temple of Baal with Jehu, but presumably he certainly did.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

In order to understand how such numbers could find room, we must remember that the ancient temples had vast courts around them, which could contain many thousands.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 10

Now Ahab who was the husband of this wicked woman Jezebel, who himself was extremely wicked, had seventy sons. Evidently Jezebel wasn't his only wife. Now these sons had grown up in Samaria and in Jezreel. And they had been brought up by the tutors, and they were more or less leaders in these communities. And in his letter he said, "Now you have with you the sons of Jehu. So you anoint whichever one that you want, gather together your men of war, and anoint whichever one you want to be the ruler over you and come out and meet us in conflict." Well, the men in the cities said, "Hey, this Jehu is tough. He's already destroyed two kings, who are we to stand against him?" And so they sent letters back to Jehu and said, "Look, we're willing to submit to you and acknowledge you as the king over Israel." Then he said, "If you're sincere in this, then tomorrow send me the heads of the sons of Ahab."

So the next day, they delivered him a pile of seventy heads of the sons of Ahab. And thus again the word of the Lord was fulfilled in that God said He was going to cut off all of the descendants of Ahab. He was going to cut off that family line. And so God fulfilled that word.

Then Jehu met forty-two men who had come from Judah who evidently had not heard that Ahaziah their king was killed. And he said, "Who are you guys?" And they said, "We're all brothers of Ahaziah." And so he ordered that they all also be slain.

Then chapter ten, verse nineteen. Jehu said, "Alright, folks, call unto me all the prophets of Baal. For Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu will serve him much." Now he was doing this subtlety, it says, because he was intending to eliminate Baal worship. So he gathered together all of the priests and all of the people that worship Baal. He said, "We're going to have a great celebration offering our offerings unto Baal, and I want to lead you all in Baal worship." And so they gathered all of the people from Israel who had worshipped Baal into the temple of Baal. And he says, "Now are you sure there are no servants of the Lord here? Nope. All servants of Baal? Then put on your vestments." So they put on their vestments, their aprons and all, in their worship of Baal. And then he ordered eighty men. He said, "Alright, now go in and wipe them all out. And if you let any of them escape it will be your life for his." And so they went in and utterly wiped out all of the worshippers of Baal. And so Baal worship was eliminated out of the kingdom of Israel. Totally obliterated.

However, Jehu did not destroy the two golden calves that Jeroboam had set up in Dan and in Bethel, and continued in the worship of the golden calves, and thus did not serve the Lord completely or fully. He did eliminate the Baal worship, but not the worship of those golden calves.

Now the LORD said to Jehu, Because you have been so good in executing my judgment against the house of Ahab, your children will serve on those thrones to the fourth generation. But [unfortunately] Jehu did not take heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all of his heart ( 2 Kings 10:30-31 ):

So at this point, the kingdom of Israel began to diminish in its strength. Hazael began smiting the borders of Israel. On the east side of the Jordan River, the area that belong to the tribe of Gad, and Manasseh and the Reubenites, and they began to fall to Syria.

Now, I think that there is an important lesson here. When, going back now, the book of Joshua, when the children of Israel were ready to come into the Promised Land, they have been staying for a while on the east side of Jordan, the Jordan River, up in the area they had settled. Many of them in the upper area of the Golan on the east side of the Jordan River, the area of Moab, Gilead. And they came to Joshua and they said, "Hey, we really don't care to go over and live in that land that God promised. We're quite content to stay right here. We're cattle men and this is good grazing country, good cattle country and we're just very content to stay here."

Of course, Joshua got extremely upset. Or Moses. They first came to Moses. And Moses was extremely upset. He said, "Oh, you, I can't believe it! Don't you remember what happened to us at Kadish Barnea when the people failed to go into the land? How that we've been wandering for forty years because of it?" And they said, "No, no, you misunderstand us. We'll send our men in to fight and to take the land, but then after the land is taken, we just as soon stay back here on this side of Jordan." So they made a covenant that the men of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh would send the men across with Joshua to conquer the land, and once the land had been conquered, then they could return to the cities that they had built on the other side of the Jordan River, and they would not dwell then in the land that had been promised from the Jordan westward.

Now, when you go into the spiritual typology of the thing, again Egypt represents the bondage of sin. Pharaoh representing Satan actually and the bondage in sin. The Red Sea is representative of baptism, coming into a new relationship with God, a new life. And journeying towards the land of promise, and coming to the land of promise, there remained the last barrier, the Jordan River. Now in typology, the Jordan River is a type of, not physical death, and this is where a lot of people make a mistake especially in the Hymnology, Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home. I looked over Jordan, what did I see? Band of angels coming after me, coming for to carry me home. I won't have to cross Jordan alone. Jesus died for my sins to atone. And Jordan in hymns has been likened unto our physical death. Roll, Jordan, roll. Roll, Jordan, roll. I want to go to heaven when I die. Roll, take your old Jordan roll. But that breaks down, because after they cross Jordan, they still had a lot of battles to fight. There'll be no battles to fight in heaven. After they crossed Jordan, they even experienced defeat. There'll be no defeat in heaven.

But Jordan in the spiritual analogy represents my reckoning of my old life and old nature to be dead. It's that place of faith where I reckon my old life to be dead, and I enter into that life of the Spirit, the promised life of victory in Christ Jesus. So that there are many Christians who have come out of the world, but who have never entered into the full life of the Spirit possessing your full possessions that are ours in Christ Jesus. And their whole Christian walk is sort of a wilderness kind of an experience. And there are those who are content to stay on the other side of Jordan. They say, "Well, I'm happy. I'm satisfied you know with my Christian life. And I really don't see the reason why I need to commit everything or why I need to deny myself these worldly things and all. I'm very content and happy living on this side of Jordan. Living after the flesh. I really don't know that I need to walk after the Spirit or even desire to walk after the Spirit." And they really have no strong spiritual desires for the fullness of God within their lives. They're content in their nominal Christian state.

They are like the tribe of Reuben and Gad and Manasseh who said, "We're content to stay over here. We don't really care about going in." Now unfortunately, there are a lot of Christians in this position. Really are not pressing into the fullness that God has for them in the life and in the walk of the Spirit. But this is the danger. Because Reuben and Gad and Manasseh were the first to fall to the enemy. They're on the other side of Jordan, and they didn't have the defenses of the land that God had promised. And so often we see those who fail to enter into the fullness. Those who fail to come to the reckoning of the old man to be dead, crucified with Christ, and enter into the walk and the life of the Spirit are often those that fall into the captivity of the enemy. And so the spiritual analogy is very important here.

So these three tribes were the first to fall to Hazael, the king of Syria.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehu are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel ( 2 Kings 10:34 ).

Which books we do not have in our Bible. We do have the book, First and Second Chronicles, but those are the first and second chronicles of the kings of Judah. So as we move from Second Kings into First Chronicles, we will be more or less getting a repetition of this period of history. Only we will be getting it from only Judah's slant. They will tell you of the kings of Israel, but they won't give you much detail. They'll be giving you more information on the kings of Judah because it is the chronicles or the official records of the kings of Judah that we have, First and Second Chronicles. There were also the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. These books are referred to many times, but we don't have those books in our Bible. So another reference to the books of the chronicles of the kings of Israel, which we do not have.

So Jehu slept with his fathers: they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. And Jehu had reigned for twenty-eight years over Israel ( 2 Kings 10:35-36 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Jehu’s purge of Baalism 10:18-28

This purge evidently took place in Samaria (1 Kings 16:32). Jehu’s true religious preferences had not yet become known publicly. The various Hebrew words translated "pillar" in 2 Kings 10:26-27 indicate that Jehu desecrated two or more kinds of objects, probably flammable wooden and non-flammable stone idols. Jehu also converted the temple of Baal into a public latrine, the greatest possible insult to Baal, the god of fertility. His act made Baal’s temple an unclean place as well. Jehu thus effectively eradicated the Baal worship that Ahab and Jezebel had officially established as Israel’s religion.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And Jehu sent through all Israel,.... Persons to proclaim this solemn assembly:

and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not; some no doubt came cheerfully, having no suspicion of him, and the rather, as he might have been a worshipper of Baal in the times of Ahab; and as for what he had done to Baal's priests, they might consider that only as they were in connection with Ahab's family, whom to destroy was his political interest; and they were glad at heart their new king was so affected to Baal, and fond to see such a grand solemnity as they expected this to be; and others that might be suspicious of him, yet as they must die if they did not appear, and there was a possibility they might live, chose therefore to come:

and they came into the house of Baal; the temple which Ahab had built for him in Samaria, 1 Kings 16:32

and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other; not only the body of the temple, but all the outward court, every mouth, or corner, as in the original text: and this single house might be sufficient for all in the land; since the number of them might be greatly lessened by the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, as well as by the destruction the former made of the prophets of Baal; and by the schools of the prophets set up in various places, from whence prophets were sent out to instruct the people; and by Joram's putting away the image of Baal, which no doubt lessened the number of his worshippers.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      15 And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.   16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.   17 And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.   18 And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.   19 Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.   20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.   21 And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.   22 And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vestments.   23 And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only.   24 And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.   25 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.   26 And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.   27 And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day.   28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

      Jehu, pushing on his work, is here,

      I. Courting the friendship of a good man, Jehonadab the son of Rechab,2 Kings 10:15; 2 Kings 10:16. This Jehonadab, though mortified to the world and meddling little with the business of it (as appears by his charge to his posterity, which they religiously observed 300 years after, not to drink wine nor dwell in cities, Jeremiah 35:6, c.), yet, upon this occasion, went to meet Jehu, that he might encourage him in the work to which God had called him. The countenance of good men is a thing which great men, if they be wise, will value, and value themselves by. David prayed, Let those that fear thee turn to me,Psalms 119:79. This Jehonadab, though no prophet, priest, or Levite, no prince or ruler, was, we may suppose, very eminent for prudence and piety, and generally respected for that life of self-denial and devotion which he lived: Jehu, though a soldier, knew him and honoured him. He did not indeed think of sending for him, but when he met him (though it is likely he drove now as furiously as ever) he stopped to speak to him and we are here told what passed between them. 1. Jehu saluted him; he blessed him (so the word is), paid him the respect and showed him the good-will that were due to so great an example of serious godliness. 2. Jehonadab assured him that he was sincerely in his interest and a hearty well-wisher to his cause. Jehu professed that his heart was right with him, that he had a true affection for his person and a veneration for the crown of his Nazariteship, and desired to know whether he had the same affection for him and satisfaction in that crown of royal dignity which God had put upon his head: Is thy heart right? a question we should often put to ourselves. "I make a plausible profession, have gained a reputation among men, but is my heart right? Am I sincere and inward with God?" Jehonadab gave him his word (It is), and gave him his hand as a pledge of his heart, yielded to him (so giving the hand is rendered, 2 Chronicles 30:8), concurred and covenanted with him, and owned him in the work both of revenge and of reformation he was now about. 3. Jehu took him up into his chariot and took him along with him to Samaria. He put some honour upon him, by taking him into the chariot with him (Jehonadab was not accustomed to ride in a chariot, much less with a king); but he received more honour from him, and from the countenance he gave to his present work. All sober people would think the better of Jehu when they saw Jehonadab in the chariot with him. This was not the only time in which the piety of some has been made to serve the policy of others, and designing men have strengthened themselves by drawing good men into their interests. Jehonadab is a stranger to the arts of fleshly wisdom, and has his conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity; and therefore, if Jehu be a servant of God and an enemy to Ball, he will be his faithful friend. "Come then" (says Jehu), "come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord; and then thou wilt see reason to espouse my cause." This is commonly taken as not well said by Jehu, and as giving cause to suspect that his heart was not right with God in what he did, and that the zeal he pretended for the Lord was really zeal for himself and his own advancement. For, (1.) He boasted of it, and spoke as if God and man were mightily indebted to him for it. (2.) He desired it might be seen and taken notice of, like the Pharisees, who did all to be seen of men. An upright heart approves itself to God and covets no more than his acceptance. If we aim at the applause of men, and make their praise our highest end, we are upon a false bottom. Whether Jehu looked any further we cannot judge; however Jehonadab went with him, and, it is likely, animated and assisted him in the further execution of his commission (2 Kings 10:17; 2 Kings 10:17), destroying all Ahab's friends in Samaria. A man may hate cruelty and yet love justice, may be far from thirsting after blood and yet may wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,Psalms 58:10.

      II. Contriving the destruction of all the worshippers of Baal. The service of Baal was the crying sin of the house of Ahab: that root of this idolatry was plucked up, but multitudes yet remained that were infected with it, and would be in danger of infecting others. The law of God was express, that they were to be put to death; but they were so numerous, and so dispersed throughout all parts of the kingdom, and perhaps so alarmed with Jehu's beginnings, that it would be a hard matter to find them all out and an endless task to prosecute and execute them one by one. Jehu's project therefore is to cut them all off together. 1. By a wile, by a fraud, he brought them together to the temple of Baal. He pretended he would worship Baal more than ever Ahab had done, 2 Kings 10:18; 2 Kings 10:18. Perhaps he spoke this ironically, or to try the body of the people whether they would oppose such a resolution as this, and would resent his threatening to increase his predecessor's exactions, and say, "If it be so, we have no part in Jehu, nor inheritance in the son of Nimshi." But it rather seems to have been spoken purposely to deceive the worshippers of Baal, and then it cannot be justified. The truth of God needs not any man's lie. He issued a proclamation, requiring the attendance of all the worshippers of Baal to join with him in a sacrifice to Baal (2 Kings 10:19; 2 Kings 10:20), not only the prophets and priests, but all, throughout the kingdom, who worshipped Baal, who were not nearly so many as they had been in Elijah's time. Jehu's friends, we may suppose, were aware of what he designed, and were not offended at it; but the bigoted besotted Baalites began to think themselves very happy, and that now they should see golden days again. Joram had put away the image of Baal,2 Kings 3:2; 2 Kings 3:2. If Jehu will restore it, they have what they would have, and come up to Samaria with joy from all parts to celebrate the solemnity; and they are pleased to see the house of Baal crowded (2 Kings 10:21; 2 Kings 10:21), to see his priests in their vestments (2 Kings 10:22; 2 Kings 10:22), and themselves perhaps with some badges or other to notify their relation to Baal, for there were vestments for all his worshippers. 2. He took care that none of the servants of the Lord should be among them, 2 Kings 10:23; 2 Kings 10:23. This they took as a provision to preserve the worship of Baal from being profaned by strangers; but it was a wonder that they did not, by this, see themselves brought into a snare and discern a design upon them. No marvel if those that suffer themselves to be deceived by Baal (as all idolaters were by their idols), are deceived by Jehu to their destruction. 3. He gave order for the cutting of them all off, and Jehonadab joined with him therein, 2 Kings 10:23; 2 Kings 10:23. When a strict search was made lest any of the servants of God should, either for company or curiosity, have got among them--lest any wheat should be mixed with those tares, and when eighty men were set to stand guard at all the avenues to Baal's temple, that none might escape (2 Kings 10:24; 2 Kings 10:24), then the guards were sent in to put them all to the sword and to mingle their blood with their sacrifices, in a way of just revenge, as they themselves had sometimes done, when, in their blind devotion, they cut themselves with knives and lancets till the blood gushed out,1 Kings 18:28. This was accordingly done, and the doing of it, though seemingly barbarous, was, considering the nature of their crime, really righteous. The Lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God. 4. The idolaters being thus destroyed, the idolatry itself was utterly abolished. The buildings about the house of Baal (which were so many and so stately that they are here called a city), where Baal's priests and their families lived, were destroyed; all the little images, statues, pictures, or shrines, which beautified Baal's temple, with the great image of Baal himself, were brought out and burnt (2 Kings 10:26; 2 Kings 10:27), and the temple of Baal was broken down, and made a dunghill, the common sink, or sewer, of the city, that the remembrance of it might be blotted out or made infamous. Thus was the worship of Baal quite destroyed, at least for the present, out of Israel, though it had once prevailed so far that there were but 7000 of all the thousands of Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal, and those concealed. Thus will God destroy all the gods of the heathen, and, sooner or later, triumph over them all.

Kelly Commentary on Books of the Bible

But of this dreadful work all was not over, for Ahab had seventy sons (2 Kings 10:1-36). It seemed utterly beyond the scope of man's thought that such a family could fall seventy sons. Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. Jehu has to deal with them, and he was just the man to do it without a feeling. So he sent to the elders of Samaria. Jezebel had written a letter to the elders on another errand to dispossess Naboth of his inheritance. Most solemnly does God judge the deed now. Jehu writes a letter to the elders of Samaria that there might be a complete extermination of the seed of Ahab. "As soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master's sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour, look even out the best and the meetest of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house. But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?" So he wrote a letter the second time, and now his full and true meaning became evident. "If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons, and come to me to Jezreel by tomorrow this time."

The deed was done. "It came to pass when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel." And there they were found, and Jehu goes to vindicate the bloody deed. "It came to pass in the morning that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, Ye be righteous; behold, I conspired against my master and slew him, but who slew all these? Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of Jehovah which Jehovah spake concerning the house of Ahab; for Jehovah hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah. So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining." Thus the word of the Lord was most fully accomplished.

But Jehu was in the spirit of this unsparing vengeance, and as he goes there meets him the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah. They, too, were not a few. When he asked who they were, they answered, "We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen." How solemnly the hand of God was stretched out! Their father, brother of the king, had gone down with the king, and he had met his doom there. Now his brethren of the same seed royal had gone down to that house evil communications corrupting good manners. They had "gone down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen. And he said, Take them alive. And they took them alive and slew them at the pit of the shearing-house, even two and forty men." How plainly was the hand of God stretched out in judgment. "Neither left he any of them."

We see him next with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab. There was a certain measure of companionship between the two men, for Jehonadab was stern, according to his own principles, and Jehu, too, was carrying out in his way the work that he had been raised up of God for. But there was more than this in the mind of Jehu. It was not only the feeling of the need of judgment in the royal houses, but there was a worse evil against the name of Jehovah in Israel the worship of Baal. To this, then, he applies his skill. He proposes a grand feast of all the worshippers of Baal, gives himself out as if he were the patron of the worship, calls for all the worshippers and priests of Baal, and in the most careful manner looks that there shall be none of the worshippers of Jehovah among them. Accordingly all were gathered together into the same building, their hearts as elated as the hearts of those that clave to Jehovah must have fallen and sunk within them that one so bloodthirsty and so determined was the apparent patron of Baal, and the enemy of Jehovah. But here, at least, Jehu could keep his own counsel. And Jehu brings into the house his soldiers, his captains, and men of war, and they smote them with the edge of the sword. "And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel."

So far although it might have seemed to be, and no doubt was, a most fearful evil the utter dishonour of God which Jehu had laid his hands upon, still we see how little the heart of the man was according to God. "Howbeit, from the sins which 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." There was a plague spot, and every unregenerate and unrenewed man manifests it. He that cares for the will of God will not care for this part of His will to the disparagement of that. And this is just exactly what the apostle James says so truly, that the man that fails in one point is guilty of all, because, if there were a conscience towards God, that one point would have its value. James is not speaking of a failure. He is not speaking of a person who, desiring to do the will of God, breaks down through carelessness or levity. That alas! is the portion of every soul who is off his guard. What James speaks of is wilfulness and evil wilfulness, though it may be only shown in one particular way. But such is not a soul that is born of God. No man that is born of God will give himself up deliberately and wilfully to sin, even though it may be in the least thing. He may have to mourn, he may have to be ashamed, he may have to judge himself and hate himself, but that very thing shows that it is not a thing done deliberately and systematically, and without conscience. On the contrary, where he fails he grieves over his failure before God.

Now James describes nothing of this kind, but the plain, positive and uncared-for infraction of the law of God. Here we see it in Jehu. Whatever might be the zeal of Jehu against the guilty king of Israel, the guilty king of Judah, and the worship of Baal, there was a reserve, there was an inner chamber of the heart that was not reached yet, and there was an idol there, and that idol was that old idolatry the calves of gold. The reason is plain. Jehu cared for himself and not for God, and the golden calves were a political religion which it suited the policy of the ten tribes to maintain; for had the ten tribes had no calves of gold they had returned to the allegiance of Jehovah in Jerusalem. It was the grand means of having another centre, for had Jerusalem been the one centre for the ten tribes, as well as for the two, the twelve tribes of Israel had united, and had they united in worship of God they had united under the same king. But in order to make the breach, therefore, distinct and wide, and widening, between the two kingdoms, Jeroboam, the founder of the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, had devised this most crafty scheme. In order to make a kingdom he must make a religion, for if there be the dissolution of a common bond so important as religion, and if men's minds are divided in religion, you cannot count upon them in politics. That is just one of the great causes of political weakness in the present state of the world, for there is no such thing as cohesion, and consequently all political foundations are breaking in every land and tongue. So it was seen that it must be then. Jeroboam began this, and Jehu had no intention of giving it up. He dearly loved the kingdom; he dearly loved his place. He loved it better than God the man not born of God. Hence, therefore, whatever might be his apparent zeal, it had its limits. Nay, further, it utterly failed, for the worship of the calves was still maintained by Jehu. Unbelief is never consistent. Faith may fail, but still faith desires consistency. Faith cannot be happy without consistency. Jehu had no conscience about it. Jehu took no care to walk in the law of the Jehovah God of Israel with all his heart, for he departed not from the sin of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin.

The consequence was that Jehovah pronounces upon him. His comparative fidelity would be met by God, and to the fourth generation there should sit upon the throne of Israel kings of Jehu's house. Israel had a short lived tenure given to it, but out of that tenure Jehu's house was to command for four generations. So God accomplished. But there was to be no real permanent line, for Jehu had shown no real conscience towards God. How different from David! David's heart was to build Jehovah a house, Jehovah must take the first place: Jehovah would build David a house. He would give it to David's son to build Him a house. Thus it was then that God laid the foundation in that very thing of a permanent line of Judah not of Israel.

But we have here a remarkable instance of God's government. The fidelity of Jehu, as far as it went, brought him a measure of blessing in this world from God. Even a bad man, if faithful in certain things, may be owned by God, and God will never allow Himself to be the debtor of any man. Therefore if the faithfulness be only for the world, in the world the man will be paid. Jehu had no thought for eternity. In these days, then, Jehovah began to cut Israel short. It was plain that there could not be a blessing a real true blessing. Jehu still pursuing the road of Jeroboam made it impossible; and this accordingly is the way in which his reign closes.