This chapter recounts more acts of Jehu (the one God raised up to destroy the house of Ahab).
“And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came… And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside… Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, ‘Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.’ …and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it… and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.” (v21,24-27 abr)
Jehu tricks all of the prophets and worshipers of Baal in Isreal to assemble for a massive ceremony. He then slaughters all of them and destroys the temple, turning it into a public toilet (literally). In verses 1-17 and 28-31 we learn that Jehu becomes the next king of Israel because he slaughters the entire lineage of Ahab (including Ahaziah’s family from Judah).
Why would God call someone to to slaughter hundreds (or maybe thousands) of people, and then reward them with a kingdom? The people killed by Jehu were far from innocent under God’s law, and they encouraged others to sin against God. God would have known they would never make the choice to be redeemed or follow Him. God (through Jehu) was just and within the Old Covenant law to execute these people.
Thankfully under the New Covenant there is a better way to handle God’s enemies than slaughtering them – prayer. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus tells us the better way is to love our (God’s) enemies and pray those who persecute us so that we may be perfect like our Father in heaven (see Mt 5:43-48).
If we’re having difficulty loving someone, I encourage us to pray for them. If we pray for someone long enough and often enough we can’t help but begin to love them.
Father God, our Gracious and Benevolent Lord, great and awesome is Your name. Father thank you for placing people in our lives that test our patience and cause us to come to You in prayer. Father would You please hear our prayers for these people and help us to love them. Would You also please minister to their hearts and transform their minds, renewing their spirit to one that honors You. We place these people into Your loving and gracious care. In the name of Jesus, who loved all people, including those who hated Him, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training