An Undivided Heart
4/1/26 Bible Thought (2 Kings 10)
Main Idea: A heart wholly true to God has no other gods.
A Look at the Text:
As we step back into the time of the kings, we are quickly reintroduced to Jehu, king of Israel. Jehu was supposed to be anointed king by the prophet Elijah to further eradicate Baal worship (1 Kings 19:17); however, he ended up being anointed by a servant of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 9:1-13).
We left off with the death of the wicked Queen Jezebel, and in today’s chapter, Jehu made quick work of the rest of Ahab’s household. Even more, he determined to eradicate Ahab’s god in Israel. Ahab, due to Jezebel’s influence, worshipped Baal and set up a house for Baal in Samaria (1 Kings 16:29-32). Even worse, Jezebel had the prophets of Yahweh killed; for this, Ahab’s household stood under God’s judgment (2 Kings 9:7-10).
Jehu thus acted as an instrument of God’s judgment upon the household of Ahab and upon the worshippers of Baal. In his eyes, this showcased his great zeal for Yahweh (2 Kings 10:16). Yet, despite his professed devotion, he fell short. He still participated in the worship of idols in Bethel and Dan.
While he fulfilled God’s Word, he fell short in God’s worship.
Bringing it Home:
Jehu is a tragic example of a divided heart. He was willing to execute God’s judgment, a task that many would have run from. Yet, he wasn’t willing to put away all foreign gods in Israel. Baal was gone, but the golden calves, possibly representing the “high god of the Canaanite pantheon, El,” [1] remained.
Yet a heart that is true after God is an undivided heart. A heart that is true doesn’t cast off some idols while harboring others. The apostle James once concluded something similar when he warned that it’s not enough to abstain from adultery if you still murder (James 2:11).
God desires whole-hearted devotion. We are to be living sacrifices (see Rom. 12:1) that are wholly consumed for our King. A sacrifice doesn’t get to choose which parts are burned up. It’s not enough to abstain from certain idols only to worship others.
God desires whole-hearted devotion.
Let us then be diligent in keeping our hearts before God (Pro. 4:23), refusing to make peace with sin, and humbly submitting our lives entirely to Him. A heart wholly true has no other gods. It doesn’t just cut off some, but all.
Challenge:
Do I selectively approve of certain sins in my life while repudiating others?
[1] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 155.