TODAY’S READING: II KINGS 9-12
OVERVIEW:
Jehu executes judgment; Joash is spared and becomes king; Joash repairs the temple.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Two chapters of today’s reading deal with Jehu and two deal with Joash. Both men will do God’s work, but neither with a pure heart for God. The results will be short-lived and self-promoting; the Lord won’t get the glory and praise.
Jehu was prophesied by name years earlier by Elijah (I Kings19:16) to completely remove the lineage of the wicked Ahab. The promised avenger could have given great glory to God to show the trustworthiness of God’s promises, but did not because of extreme cruelty and pride. In chapter 9, Jehu executes judgment on Joram, the king ofIsrael, Ahaziah, the king of Judah and Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. In chapter 10, Jehu continues with all of the descendants of Ahab and all of the Baal worshippers inIsrael. He accomplishes the tasks with intimidation (II Kings 10:3, 4), ruthlessness (II Kings10:14), pride (II Kings10:16) and trickery (II Kings10:18, 19). Jehu is rewarded for removing Baal and the house of Ahab, but because he continued with the worship of the golden calves and disregarded the law of the Lord,Israelmoves closer to captivity (II Kings10:32).
Chapters 11 and 12 take us to the other kingdom,Judah. When Ahaziah is killed by Jehu, his mother, Athaliah, kills all of her grandsons, in order to take the throne. The Lord hides one baby boy, Joash, from the slaughter. A faithful priest, Jehoiada, raises the boy for six years and then orchestrates his coronation as the king ofJudahat the age of seven. Athaliah is removed and Joash (also called Jehoash) is a good king all of the days of Jehoiada. But the demise of Joash is explained in II Chronicles 24:17. Joash followed the Lord while Jehoiada lived, but after his death, Joash listened to the wrong counsel. His spiritual discernment and commitment to the Lord, came from another man. Sadly, Joash didn’t have that personally and it led to the severe judgment of God, not just in Joash’s life, but in the entirelandofJudah.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As THE AVENGER – II Kings 9:7 (Revelation 6:9).
As THE INTERCESSOR – II Kings11:17(I Timothy 2:5; Romans8:34).