Reading: II Kings 9 – 10
And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel: And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah: And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled (II Kings 9:7-10).
Jezebel had enjoyed a long and bloody reign at the side of her husband, Ahab, king of Israel (I Kings 16:29-31; 18:4), and her power and influence were still very much in evidence as two of her sons ascended to the throne one after the other. She had mocked God with apparent impunity, believing that her authority far exceeded the reach of any of His ‘holy men.’ She never gave thought to the innate, personal power of God because she was unable to grasp the idea of a living God that transcended the ‘gods’ that were crafted by the hands of men. Yet just because she spared no thought to the existence of God doesn’t mean that her life was not tied to Him. She was His creation (just as we all are), and as such she was His to judge (Is. 33:22; James 4:12). At God’s command, she met her end. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot (II Kings 9:33).
As a rule, Christians today go out of their way to avoid thinking about the vengeance of God. We prefer to focus on His mercy, grace, love and compassion, and we shy away from discussions and bible studies that cause us to look too closely at the ramifications of inciting His wrath. When we do come face to face with passages such as the ones in today’s reading, we comfort ourselves with the fact that this was the work of the God of the Old Testament, and that vengeance is not something that we have to be concerned with under the New Covenant established through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The problem with this line of thinking is that it is not Biblical. The Lord is constant and never-changing (Mal. 3:3; Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:8), which means that the God we serve today is the exact same God that regularly enacted vengeance upon His enemies in Biblical times. To Me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste (Deut. 32:35).
God’s grace is freely given to all who are willingly reborn into the body of Christ, but that does not mean that His judgment of sin has been suspended. Those who refuse to accept that grace still bear the full weight of their sins. For these lost souls, punishment under the law is assured.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death (Rev. 21:7-8).
Thought for Today: God is love, and true love has no tolerance for sin.
Christ Portrayed: By Elisha, who sent one of the sons of the prophets with oil to anoint Jehu (II Kings 9:1-6). Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to anoint believers (John 14:16-17; 16:13; Acts 1:8; compare I Sam. 16:13). The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth (lives) in you (I John 2:27).
Word Studies:9:23 treachery = treason; 9:30 tired her head = adorned her hair; 10:3 Look even out the best and meetest = Select the most capable.
Pray for Staff: Ryan McCrary • Government Official: Sen. Doug Jones (AL) • Country: Malta (411,277) Mediterranean Sea • Major Languages: Maltese, English • Religious Freedom • 98% Roman Catholic; 2% Other (Protestant, Buddhist, Baha’i, Indigenous, 6,000 Muslims, 100 Jews) • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice that Jesus’ blood has cleansed you from sin (I John 1:7,9). .
Optional reading Romans 7.