Tuesday: Jehu: Doing God’s Work, But Why?

Key Idea: It’s possible to be used by God and still have a divided, prideful heart.

Reading: 2 Kings 10:1–11 “Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, “Now then, as soon as this letter comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, select the best and fittest 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, the two kings could not stand before him. How then can we stand?” So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city, together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and we will do all that you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your eyes.” Then he wrote to them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow at this time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were bringing them up. And as soon as the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel. When the messenger came and told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” Then in the morning, when he went out, he stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who struck down all these? Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the Lord has done what he said by his servant Elijah.” So Jehu struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, all his great men and his close friends and his priests, until he left him none remaining.”

Devotional Thought: In 2 Kings 10, Jehu carries out fierce judgment against the house of Ahab. This judgment wasn’t random or cruel—it was God fulfilling His word about Ahab’s family, a family that had led Israel into sexual immorality and idol worship. Jehu writes to the leaders in Samaria, telling them to choose a son of Ahab, put him on the throne, and fight. They’re terrified because they’ve seen Jehu take down two kings and a queen. Instead of fighting, they surrender and obey Jehu’s command to execute all seventy of Ahab’s sons. Jehu then publicly explains that this is about fulfilling God’s word through Elijah. On the surface, Jehu looks like a man zealously committed to God’s cause.

This passage shows us God’s absolute faithfulness to His promises—both of blessing and judgment. God had declared that Ahab’s line would be wiped out because of persistent, unrepentant sin and because they led a nation into evil. Jehu becomes the instrument God uses to bring that word to pass. The execution of Ahab’s sons and the destruction of his allies can feel brutal to us, but it highlights how seriously God takes idolatry and the corrupting influence of leaders. Yet even as Jehu is doing what God said would happen, we aren’t told that his heart is pure. The narrative sets up a tension: Jehu is doing what is “right in God’s eyes” in this moment, but will he remain faithful? Will his motives stay aligned with God, or will pride creep in?

Reflection Questions:

• Are you ever tempted to think that because God is using you, your heart must automatically be in a good place?

• Where might you be more focused on results than on obedience and humility?

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Prayer: God, thank You that Your word always comes to pass. Help me not to confuse being used by You with being right with You. Search my heart and purify my motives so that I serve You with integrity and humility. Amen.

Song of the Day:  I AM THEY - Here's My Heart: Song Sessions