Lawlessness – The Error of Jehu

Jehu did well in killing wicked house of king Ahab of Israel & was commended by God for it. However, Jehu did ‘not’ walk in the “Law of God fully” (lawlessness). The verses below clearly state this.

“Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel.

However, as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, even the golden calves that were at Bethel and that were at Dan.

The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”

But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin.” (2 Kings 10:28 – 31)

For executing the blood-thirsty wicked house of Ahab as per God’s Intention of Judgment, Jehu gains the ‘reward’ of ‘his sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel’.

However, we see no mention of punishment for Jehu’s sins following after Jeroboam’s errors, worship of golden calves & not following the Law of God in the passage above.

Does it mean that God is partial toward Jehu just because Jehu did an Act of obedience but could practice ‘other lawlessness’ as described in that same passage & passages below? (the “massacre at Jezreel” incident includes the below)

“Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.”

He said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive and killed them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.” (2 Kings 10:13 – 14)

“When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there.” (2 Kings 9:27)

God is not impartial & there is no injustice with God. Few generations later, prophet Hosea reveals the “punishment upon Jehu” too:

“Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.” (Hosea 1:4)

Why?
For what ‘Jehu did rightly’, he & his sons were given the throne to the fourth generation (i.e. for the ‘slaying of the house of Ahab only’, which God clearly mentions in 2 Kings 10:30).

However, for ‘other lawless’ deeds of Jehu from ‘not walking in the law of God’ (“lawlessness”, 2 Kings 10:31) & for slaying those he was not supposed to (E.g. ‘King Ahaziah’s relatives’ & ‘others’; Note that God only mentions the slaying of the house of Ahab to be His Intention, not necessarily the rest despite they are evil too, the “massacre”), Jehu’s house is mentioned to be punished as well later in Hosea 1:4.

Jehu is punished later (punishment later, because for what he did right, his house will stand for four generations).

Thus, we may learn from Jehu’s lesson that ‘for what we do right’ (we may be rewarded as Christians too) but ‘for what lawlessness we carry on as Christians refusing to obey the New Testament law of God as revealed in Scripture’, we may be “punished later like Jehu as well”.

Truly, in God there is ‘no’ partiality for He even ‘ended the kingdom of Israel’ when it turned to ‘lawlessness’, and ‘not only for the house of Jehu’! (Hosea 1:4)

Thus, let us be aware of “lawlessness” and “obey His Word in the New Testament” to be the like the more faithful church which existed in earliest Christianity.

Due to “lawlessness” (not obeying His New Testament laws), ‘many’ Christians who ‘did ministry in His Name’ such as ‘prophesying’, ‘casting out demons’ & ‘great miracles too’ may be “denied” as these verses reveal:

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” – KING Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:22 – 23)