God’s Judgment Cleans House

Transcript

GRS 2-106
4/13/2008
God’s Judgment Cleans House
2 Kings 9
Gil Rugh

We are in Second Kings Chapter 9 in your Bible, so if you turn to Second Kings Chapter 9. We are really in the time framework of Elijah’s ministry and then the successor to Elijah after he is transported to heaven in Second Kings 2. We have picked up the ministry of Elisha. As you remember Second Kings is dealing primarily with the kings of the northern kingdom. The parallel account in Second Chronicles will focus more fully on the kings of the southern kingdom. So even though we would go back and forth we don’t have as much material on the kings of the southern kingdom in The Book of Kings.

We considered Second Kings 8 in our last time together and I want to draw your attention to a couple of verses because I want to make you aware of another prophet who is function that at least you ought to be aware of probably the oldest of the writing prophets, but in Second Kings Chapter 8 Verse 20, “In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves,” and so you have the conflict. Verse 22, “Edom revolted against Judah to this day.” Edom, the nation of Edom are the descendents of Esau, the brother of Jacob. They were a plague to the Israelites even though they are family.

You remember when Israel had come out of Egypt and came up and the events preparing for the Promised Land and so on. In Numbers Chapter 20, Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their land. It made their time much more difficult and arduous but we haven’t heard from Edom for hundreds of years. Now they come back on the scene and they are continuing to be a thorn in the side of Israel and oppose Israel and do what they can to join the enemies of Israel. Edom is located to the south of the Dead Sea and east that territory there.

Turn over to the prophet Jonah, and I tell you to go to Jonah because we really want to go to Obadiah and Obadiah is just before Jonah. The prophet Obadiah, shortest book in The Old Testament, not really well known in fact it is a short book. It is not quoted at all in The New Testament and Obadiah probably carried out his ministry about 845 B.C. in the southern kingdom. I say probably because we have to identify his time period from other events since he doesn’t give us any material about himself, he doesn’t relate his material to the days of king so and so. And his prophecies are directed against Edom, the descendants of Esau.

Most commentators think that in light of the content of the book and the events in Israel’s history that we have probably the event that we read about in Second Kings Chapter 8 would be the time period where Obadiah is carrying on his ministry just a reminder that there were other things going on. If that is the proper date for Obadiah and you can read the commentaries on prophetic material over the book of Obadiah and they will walk through the different assaults on Jerusalem and which one is involved Edom particularly and so on that put this together. This would make Obadiah the oldest of the prophets, the oldest of the writing prophets of course, what I mean by that.

There would be subsequent writing prophets but that would more as we get toward the time closer to the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom. We will have more of a time of prophets. While you are at Obadiah you will note how it begins, the vision of Obadiah: thus says the Lord God concerning Edom, and so it is a prophecy concerning Edom which remember are the descendents of Esau. Verse 2, I will make you small among the nations. You are greatly despised. The arrogance of your heart has deceived you. You who live in the cliffs of the rock in the loftiness of your dwelling place who say in your heart who will bring me down to earth. Though you build high like an eagle, though you nest among the stars from there I will bring you down declares the Lord.

Some of you will be traveling to Israel and I believe you are going to visit the city of Petra. That is what it is being described here. That was the capital of Edom and it seemed too impenetrable. You visit there and you go back to that city with the great high cliffs and the narrow entrance you can see how they would be so convinced no one can ever successfully assault us. But Verse 6, O how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures searched out. Verse 10, because of violence to your brother Jacob you will be covered with shame. You will be cut off forever. The day that you stood aloof on the day that strangers carry off his wealth, foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem. You too were as one of them. Now you see they not only opposed Israel, they joined the enemies of Israel and even if they weren’t directly part of a conflict they were there support the enemies of Israel. So this relentless opposition, God says is more serious because Israel is brother to Edom.

Since Jacob and Esau, the two brothers who are the fathers of these two lines. Edom should have been warmer to the needs of Israel and treated them with kindness. So just an awareness that Obadiah probably is carrying on a prophetic ministry but the Scripture tells us nothing more about Obadiah’s ministry. So we only know what’s in the content of his book but he is probably carrying on a prophetic in the southern kingdom. The only portion we have of his work is what is directed against Edom, the enemy of Israel.

All right come back to Second Kings 9, Kings is concerned about the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, two prophetic ministries centered in the northern kingdom. It didn’t mean that they didn’t have any impact or influence or thing to do with the southern kingdom but they are centered in the northern kingdom and that’s where the focus of their ministries are carried out. As Chapter 8 concluded we have the events that set the stage for what is taking place. In Chapter 8 Verse 25 we have in the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king. He reigned one year in Jerusalem and his mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. If you remember that makes her the daughter of Ahab. Omri was the father of Ahab.

You have the line of Ahab as we have been noting has now spread its influence into the southern kingdom. He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab. So it’s disastrous intermarriage. Then he went to Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead. Ramoth Gilead is on the east side of the Jordan. They are doing battle there with the king of Aram or as we know it Syria. The Arameans wounded Joram; Joram the king of the northern kingdom.

So king Joram returned to be healed at Jezreel and pretty much if you travel straight west from Ramoth Gilead and cross back over the Jordan into what we think of Israel proper you would run into Jezreel. He was wounded in battle. He leaves the battle, the army stay there, they are still engaged and he goes back to the Israelite city of Jezreel to recover from his wounds. Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick. So here now we have the setting, both the king of Israel and the king of Judah; Israel referring to the northern ten tribes, Judah the southern, both kings now are present at Jezreel and the sovereign plan of God has brought it all about because both kings will die at this location.

So Chapter 9 opens up, now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins and take this flash of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you arrive there search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers and bring him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head and say, “Thus says the Lord I have anointed you king over Israel.” Then open the door and flee and do not wait.” Time for judgment has come to the house of Ahab. And Elisha the prophet is the instrument to bring about the change and you see how God works.

In the normal flow of events the kings are set up, the kings are obeyed. Here it is God’s plan to appoint a man to rebel against his master and put him to death along with all of his descendents. The way it is to be carried he is to go and meet Jehu and Jehu is leading the army of Israel. He is at Ramoth Gilead. So you go, you search him out, you call him out from among his fellows and you take him into an inner room and you anoint him with oil and say I have anointed you king over Israel. Then you open the door and run. You don’t have anything else to say, you don’t talk to anybody else. You have done your task, you get out of there.

So the young man, the servant of the prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. When he came behold the captains of the army were sitting. There was Jehu. I have a word for you O captain. Jehu said for which one of us. He said for you O captain. So he recognized by his dress. The prophets and the sons of the prophets they are recognized in Israel by the way they dress and so on. So when he appears and says I have a message and who is your message for. He says it is for you Jehu. That means it is a private message. So Jehu retires with the prophet into an inner room with the house for the anointing to take place.

He arose and went into the house, Verse 6, poured the oil on his head and said to him, and note this, thus says the Lord the God of Israel I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord even over Israel. You shall strike the house of Ahab your master that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel for the whole house of Ahab shall perish. I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. The dog shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel and none shall bury her. Then he opened the door and fled.

Now if you remember Elijah during his ministry had prophesied the coming destruction of Ahab. Come back to First Kings Chapter 21 and this is following the taking over of Naboth’s vineyard. Remember Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard for a garden next to his palace. Naboth wouldn’t sell to him so Ahab sulked. Jezebel said quit sulking, I will get the vineyard. She arranges to have Naboth killed and then they just take over his property. So then Elijah was sent and when he confronts Ahab, Verse 20, Ahab knows it is not good so he said to Elijah, “Have you found me O my enemy?” Elijah answered, “I have found you because you sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. I will bring evil upon you. I will not only sweep you away. I will cut off from Ahab every male both male and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, like the house of Baasha the son of Ahaziah because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger because you have made Israel to sin. Of Jezebel also the Lord has spoken saying the dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel. The one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs will eat. The ones who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat. Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel his wife incited him.”

Now down in Verse 29, Ahab humbled himself. Put on sackcloth, Verse 27, so God speaks to Elijah and says, Verse 29, you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me, because he has humbled himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s day. So now the evil is coming, the judgment of the Lord.

So back to Second Kings Chapter 9, interestingly as Chapter 9 will go on since we just read it in First Kings I want to prepare you for it, Jehu was there. He heard the prophecy given by Elijah. So when he is the instrument to carry it out he will say this is what we heard in Naboth’s vineyard when Elijah spoke to Ahab. So it’s just amazing the sovereignty of God as he arranges all the details and no one is ever in the wrong place at the wrong time or the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time, it is always exactly on God’s schedule.

Verse 11, now you know all the other military commanders are sitting there and they are really interested in what is going on here. We don’t know whether they could overhear anything or not but something significant when one of the sons of the prophets comes and says I have a message for you and takes you into an inner room, this is an indication there is a word from God. When one of the prophets comes to you individually with a word from God, that’s something important. So Jehu came out to the servants of his master and one said to him, “Is all well, why did this mad fellow come to you?” That’s the way the prophets were often looked at, mad, as they would often speak in trances and so on. He said to them you know very well the man and his talk. They said it is a lie. Tell us now. Jehu says you know this guy and besides you probably were listening at the door anyway right. We don’t know what is going on, you tell us. He said thus and thus he said to me. Thus says the Lord I have anointed you king over Israel.

Now everything changes from this mad fellow, what’s he talking about? He says he was sent to say the Lord has anointed me king over Israel. They hurried and each man took his garment, placed him under him on the bare steps, blew the trumpet saying, “Jehu is king.” And realized this is a serious, serious matter. Jehu is now the king of Israel. They accepted as fact. You know interesting how godless men respond in certain occasions. Here they recognize the authority of the Lord in replacing the existing king of Israel and of course they would be open to this since they have been joined with Jehu and they are the men close to him.

So, Verse 14, Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. But this is not wrong. This is according to the word of the Lord. This is a valid conspiracy of one overthrowing the king. Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram. And Joram, his forces, but Joram is not there as Verse 15 reminds us that king Joram had returned to Jezreel. So Jehu is out here with the army of Israel. This is Joram’s army because he is the king but he has retired to Jezreel to recover from his wounds which the Arameans had afflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said if this is your mind then let no one escape or leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel. Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel for Joram was lying there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

So a reminder of the set up we have Jehu no you can’t let word leak out; Joram can’t find out that I have been anointed king. This would enable him to prepare opposition so his intention is to get to Jezreel before anyone can leak word and deal with the king. So he jumps in his chariot and takes off for Jezreel. We are reminded that's where Joram lying recovering and Ahaziah king of Judah is there visiting him.

Verse 17, you have the picture, you have a watchman as you would and he is looking out into the distance, he is standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came. So Jehu when he gets in his chariot he is not traveling alone naturally the captain and military people are traveling with him. Now the inner circle knows but anybody else coming along just comes because the military commanders say we are going to Jezreel. Then whoever he says is going with me goes with him and it wouldn’t be so unusual that he is traveling at speed because the king is at Jezreel. So the watchman is there watching. He says I see a company coming. I can see this force of men coming in a great distance, clouds of dust and everything.

So the king said take a horseman and send him to meet them and say, let him say, is it peace? So a horseman went out to meet him and he says thus says the king, is it peace? Jehu says what have you to do with peace? Turn behind me. The watchmen reported the messenger came to them but he did not return. So he can see out there in the distance; he says you know the messenger got there but he stayed with them, he is not coming back. That question is it peace, he is really asking, and this is what Joram would wonder, did we gain victory at Ramoth Gilead? He is not asking is Jehu at this point he does not know for sure who it is but he is assuming this is bringing report in from the battlefield. Then that wouldn’t be unusual that men would be sent back and if they had won a victory and also the question is it peace? It is another way of saying have we won.

Jehu turns it around and say you don’t have anything to do with peace, don’t worry about it. None of your business right now, get behind me. Well, Jehu is a kind of man when he tells you don’t worry about it, you just get in line, you get in line, and so he does. This happens again because then they sent out another messenger and he does the same thing and he doesn’t come back. So the king is well enough; he says prepare my chariot I want to go out and find out for myself. Again he is not thinking this is a conspiracy. He is thinking it is a message from the battlefield he needs to hear. If it is bad news, he probably wants to be ready to get to a safer location but he is assuming it is perhaps good news.

So Verse 19, he sent a second horseman and the conversation is the same. So Verse 20, the watchman reported he came to them too. He did not return. Now they have gotten close enough he thinks he recognizes who he probably is. The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi for he drives furiously. I think my wife has thought at times I may be a descendent of Jehu. It’s just in men’s blood whether they are chariots or cars. Something about behind the horse or being behind the horses causes you to drive furiously. Then Joram said get ready. They made his chariot ready. Because if it’s Jehu I mean he is military commander. He served my father. I have got to find out what he’s got to say.

So Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah go out. I mean Ahaziah is king too. I have got to find out how the battle because I have been with this, I have joined my army with Joram in this battle. I have got to go out and find out what the message is. Did we win? Are they excited to get back and bring us the good news? If it’s Jehu I expect its good news. If we had lost I wouldn’t expect Jehu to be here. He should have died on the battlefield probably. So they each get in their chariot, they went out to meet Jehu and where is Jehu waiting? They found him in the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.

When Joram saw Jehu he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” Same question, basically did we win? His answer, “What peace so long as the harlot trees of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many.” There wouldn’t be peace for Israel as long as the harlot trees of your mother and her witchcrafts are so many. Now that’s a declaration. So Joram realizes what the situation is, he reigns in his horses and his chariots as the chariot turned about to flee and he cries out to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, treachery, O Ahaziah.” Now he realizes now we have got a rebellion. Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his arms. The arrow went through his heart. He sank in his chariot. Jehu is a military man. He is a fierce fighting man. There is no escaping. I mean by the time Joram gets his chariot turned around and starting out, Jehu pulls the bow full strength, all the way back, when that arrow hits Joram between the shoulder blades it is going with such force it comes out the other side through his heart and he sinks down in his chariot. But that’s not the end of it because we have another man from the southern kingdom who is related to the family of Ahab by marriage.

So Verse 25, then Jehu said, “The big car has officer. Take him up and cast him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for I remember,” now remember where we read, “I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father that the Lord laid this oracle against him. Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth” so remember the day after Naboth has been murdered Ahab is in the field of Naboth and Elijah comes and you know Ahab’s military commander Jehu is there. Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says the Lord. I will repay you in this property says the Lord. Now take him and cast him into the property according to the word of the Lord.

Amazing, here is a man, he is going to turn out to be a godless man. He has heard firsthand the prophecies, been the instrument that God uses to bring judgment, devastating judgment on the house of Ahab for their rebellion against the Lord and he will be a man that does to the Lord with his heart. You would think it would make an impact hearing with your ears the prophet Elijah giving this prophecy then being the instrument in the hand of God to bring about its fulfillment and declare that you are being used to fulfill that prophecy and died a rebellious person against the God of Israel just reminds us of how stubborn and sinful man is.

The Lord will use Jehu and Jehu will do some things in carrying out the word of the Lord but you will see as we come through his life he himself is a godless man. Then we pick Ahaziah who is on the run too. When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this he fled by the way of a garden house. Jehu pursued him and said shoot too in the chariot. So they shot him at assent of Gur which is at Ibleam but he fled to Megiddo and died there. They mortally wound him and he is able to make it to Megiddo but he dies. Necessary because we are cleaning house. Now we are not done, this will take a little bit of time but the judgment on the house of Ahab directly and indirectly has begun. Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave with his father’s in the city of David.

Now two people, two kings are dead. Now Jehu, we are just given a historical note here, in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab Ahaziah became king over Judah, and now he is dead. When Jehu came to Jezreel Jezebel heard of it. Now he comes into the city and of course word has been carried to Jezebel about the rebellion that has taken place against the king. So she gets herself all ready, she paints her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. She is remarkable for her brazen, arrogant, stubbornness to the very end. A person like this can’t be intimidated even in the face of her own death. She doesn’t waver a bit. She gets all fixed up if she is going to die she is going to die as a queen or a key person. So she is all ready.

As Jehu entered the gate she looks out the window and says, “Is it well Zimri your master’s murderer?” Word has come to her, he has killed the king. So she is all decked out now, leans out the window and says how are you doing your master’s murderer? And she calls him Zimri, your master’s murderer. Now Zimri was a man who had murdered his master Elah king of Israel. But he only ruled seven days and then he dies. And so she is taunting him. She calls him Zimri, the man who had killed his king and he only lasted seven days as king. So by calling him Zimri you know well you have killed the king but you won’t be any more successful than Zimri.

Come back to First Kings Chapter 16 Verse 8, in the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tirzah. He reigned two years. His servant Zimri commander of half his chariots conspired against him. Now he was at Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza who was over the household at Tirzah. Then Zimri went in and struck him and put him to death. In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah became king in his place. So that’s where Zimri kills Elah the king.

Verse 11, it came about when he became king as soon as he sat on his throne he killed all the house of Baasha, didn’t leave a single male. He destroys all the household and on it goes. And then down in Verse 18 when Zimri saw the city was taken he went into the citadel of the king’s house, burnt the king’s house over him with fire and died. He commits suicide because Omri, remember that’s the father of Ahab and Jezebel was whose wife Ahab’s, so you know her father-in-law was the instrument to bring the judgment on Zimri by overthrowing him and driving him to commit suicide.

So you see something of the attitude of Jezebel when you come back to Second Kings Chapter 9 and Verse 31, and she leans out the window and calls Jehu Zimri. What you are really saying is our household still prevail that you killed the king but you are not going to last. But she has met her match. Jehu looks up at the window and said who is on my side? Who? And two or three of the eunuchs officials looked out the window and he said throw her down. He didn’t say bring her down, he says throw her down. So when Jehu tells you to throw her down out the window she goes. So they threw her down and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses and he trampled her under foot.

So they throw her out the window and she comes smashing down on the ground and the stones and her blood spatters and then Jehu just drives his chariots so his horses trample all over her. And that’s such a gruesome sight he worked up an appetite. After he tramples her under foot with his chariot, he came in, he ate and drank. I mean these are fierce characters you have to deal in The Old Testament. Some way to work up an appetite, I don’t think I want to eat for a little while but he went in and after he drinks and eats and he is full, he says see now to this cursed woman and bury her for she is the king’s daughter.

I mean she is a king’s daughter, we ought to bury her, go bury her. But there is nothing to bury. They went to bury her, they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and palms of her hands. That’s all is left. The skull, her feet, the palms of her hands, everything else is gone and why? The scavenger dogs that roam the streets looking for scrapes and whatever found this blood splattered body, corpse, all trampled up fresh meat and they have feasted on Jezebel and they have eaten and all you have here the cleaned off bones of the hands, the feet and her skull. There they returned and told him and he said, “This is the word of the Lord which he spoke by his Elijah the Tishbite saying in the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel so they cannot say this is Jezebel.” That’s about as graphic as you could get.

You can look around the field and you see a lot of dog dung but it’s hard to find which pile is Jezebel. That’s pretty blunt. That’s about as complete a disgrace as could have been bestowed you know a proper burial like they said we ought to bury her; she is a king’s daughter. No burial for Jezebel. The dogs have eaten her. Nobody knows who is Jezebel anymore. That’s God’s judgment on the house of Jezebel for their sin. Jehu isn’t heard at all. Remember this as we proceed following the line of Jehu and the rule of Jehu to see where he goes. You would think this would make such an indelible impression on the heart and mind of Jehu that if anyone was going to make every effort to be a godly king in Israel it would be Jehu. But that won’t be the way it turns out. And he too will have to come under the judgment of God.

All right a few things to draw to your attention about this chapter. One point, don’t forget vengeance is mine I will repay says the Lord. Chapter 9 Verse 7, “You shall strike the house of Ahab your master that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel.” Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord. Repeated in Romans Chapter 12 Verse 19, Hebrews Chapter 10 Verse 30. Now you stop and think what did the relatives and family of these godly people who had died at the hands of Ahab, at the hands of Jezebel. We saw in a prior occasion one of the sons of the prophets’ wives who had been widowed, she is reduced to poverty by that.

Here you have Jezebel killing prophets godly people, do you think the family and relatives wonder where is the Lord? I mean the only ones who stand for the Lord and faithfully serve Jehovah are being slaughtered and God is doing nothing. But you know it’s all in God’s time. Had they helped in Jezebel escape the wrath of God? No. Vengeance is his and that means the timing of the vengeance is his as well. If we are honest all of us as believers have looked at terrible things that have happened, we wonder why does the Lord let that happen? Because vengeance is his not mine. He carries out his plan and he is never moved to act too soon and he never fails to act on time. He is never late. It’s always according to his purposes.

Another point God’s word is fulfilled in his time which follows up on that one down in Verse 25. We read about Jehu said to Bidkar his officer who had been with Jehu and heard the prophecy with Jehu. Take him up and bury him. I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father and the Lord laid this oracle on him. Now we will do it all. Look at the end of Verse 26 according to the word of the Lord. That’s always true of God’s word. That’s a terrible thing about sin. It’s a terrible thing about judgment. It will come.

People think because the Lord doesn’t act that he is not a just God. He won’t deal with it and because in his purposes he delays judgment, sinners think well then I got away with it. But you know sometimes you think well look at some people who have done terrible things lived to an old age and seem to die wealthy and didn’t have the problems that godly people have but you understand it’s not over. May be they did die and it seemed they escaped. They never met justice. But wait a minute, wait a minute, it is a point that none of the men wants to die but that’s not the last chapter, is it? And after this comes the judgment, Hebrews Chapter 9. So all in God’s time according to God’s plan.

The only way to escape judgment for sin is to flee to God’s mercy, God’s provision be covered by the blood and experienced his cleansing. That’s his provision. So we as believers need to be careful. We don’t get you know unsettled. God is in control. Don’t know how to react it if it had been one of my loved ones, part of my family that had been slaughtered by Ahab and Jezebel, would I be ringing my hands and thinking where is God. Why would he let this happen? He is sitting on his throne. Do I understand all of the details of why this godly person had to die? No, I don’t have to understand. I am a slave, I am a servant. I just have to trust him. You know he will do what’s right.

We look in the world we are free from persecution relatively. But still in our even good society we sometimes are left to think why does the Lord let this happen to me? Why did this come into my life? Why, why, why. You know like our children who have all the why, why, why. And all we can sometimes say is, you don’t need to know why now. Just trust me. And that’s what Lord says, you have my word. I am in control. But that doesn’t mean I tell you why all the time. I don’t know why tragedies happen all the time. The broad picture I can say because it was God’s plan for it to happen at this time but why? I don’t know. You know I don’t sit on the throne, I am a slave like the other person but I know God is sovereign.

The time came for Jezebel to meet judgment and that’s not the end of her judgment. We say oh that’s the kind of end a sinner like that ought to get. But that’s not the end that that sinner will get. That’s a graphic display of God’s wrath against the sinner. Because Jezebel has yet to appear at the great right throne of Revelation Chapter 20 for the final sentencing, and during these millennium since her death she has been with a rich man in Hades saying I am tormented in this flame. Hell is her destiny for eternity. So keep things in perspective. That doesn’t mean we are sitting there with glee that sinners will be judged. But there is a sense that it is righteous like the martyrs in heaven in The Book of Revelation, “How long Lord before you avenge our blood?” A little longer, a little longer because there it’s not time.

I think it would be its past time. Yes, but we are not operating on your calendar. We are operating on God’s calendar. If I remember that in all the details of my life that keeps everything in perspective. I don’t have to understand why. If the song says I don’t know what tomorrow brings but I know who holds tomorrow, that’s not the exact wording, but that’s what is good enough for us. And that's what The Old Testament unfolds even as we unfold the history. Everything is on track for the accomplishing of God’s purposes, and even the sin of men does not frustrate that plan.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for this simple but pointed account when it came time for judgment to fall on the house of Ahab, the family of Jezebel. Lord a picture of devastating judgment, punishment for the rejection of you, their mistreating of your servants and yet Lord it is a reminder you are a God of vengeance, a God of judgment. Your wrath is a terrible thing. Your love is great and measurable but so is your wrath. You are the infinite God, a God of infinite love, a God of infinite wrath. Lord we praise you for your grace that has brought salvation to us who are just as undeserving as an Ahab, as a Jezebel. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were rebellious, and yet in mercy and kindness you had your son suffer and die, raise the victor so that through faith in him we could experience the power of your saving grace. We know what it is to be cleansed, to be spared from judgment to have a hope for all eternity.

Thank you for your faithfulness to your word that every jot, every tittle, everything you have said will come to pass. Lord we are privilege to walk this life with full confidence, with unshakable confidence and even as you see fit to bring things into our lives we don’t understand, we don’t comprehend that seem at times to be overwhelming, to be crushing yet we have the full confidence. You are our father, your purposes for us are good and your work in us will ultimately bring us to the glory of your presence. We praise you for that truth in Christ’s name, Amen.