When evil reigns it’s a terrible thing. And Israel had become so very evil. Joram had turned out to be a wicked king of Israel, much like his wicked father Ahab. The Lord had spoken Ahab during his lifetime that he and his wife Jezebel and his sons would die and their blood would stain the land of Nahab. Nahab was the good man Ahab had killed to get his land. And it happened just as the Lord had said.
Elisha then sent one of the sons of the prophets to go anoint Jehu King over Israel. One of the first things King Jehu did was go to battle with the Joram and even King Ahaziah of Judah in the south. He killed both Kings and then killed wicked Queen Jezebel. All of these fulfilling the prophecies that had been given to Ahab years earlier.
It didn’t stop there. Jehu continues to go and kill the sons of Ahab in Samaria, all 70 of them. His next target was to kill all the prophets of Baal which he did. Then they tore down the false temples and turned it into a latrine (2 Kings 10:27).
It was such a bloody start to his rule. But in doing these things he was carrying out God’s judgment against great evil. And yet even though it looked like he had a good start, he worshiped the golden calves that Jeroboam had set up and did evil.
The wickedness continued. Like a record on repeat where people started well only to end doing the same things they originally fought against.
It was then that “the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel” (2 Kings 10:32-33). Basically the area where modern-day Jordan sits was given to the Arameans. Perhaps this was part of his judgment? It doesn’t say.
But once again we read of evil, violence, and then a repeat to the very sins that were happening again. Over and over. The life of godliness is a lifelong journey and not one for a heroic moment and then a return to evil and wickedness.
The heart of Israel was bent towards sin, and as many times God offered them grace, they took it for a moment only to turn back again.
Turning it to Today
It has caused me a pause to think on the ways of God and godliness. Just this week I was watching a YouTube preacher who reiterated that we are “saved by grace through faith alone.” True. Very true. And I talked to a friend who believes that we do not need to repent of any sins and when I asked why, he responded, “grace.”
There seems to be a movement growing that says that it doesn’t matter to God how we live after we have made covenant with him. We are safe in his grace.
But as I look in the New Testament I find so many Scriptures to the contrary.
- “Repent” just in the Bible is used 76 times
- God’s grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness (Titus 2:12)
- If we keep on sinning and fall away after receiving a knowledge of the truth, it’s like crucifying the Son of God all over again Heb 6:6
- If we continue to persist in doing evil, it says we will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:16-24)
And then I read the Old Testament. The Israelites went through a “baptism” in the Red Sea (1 Cor 10:1-4). And while there was exceeding grace for them, they continued to persist in doing evil. And there came a point where God did bring judgment for it.
It is true that we are saved by grace through faith. But the outworking of that grace is a life that is on journey to godliness. There’s grace when we blow it. But we don’t persist in the doing of evil or rename it so it feels better to us. There’s much more to say about this, but it is clear that it does matter to God what we do.
This was never more true than this period of Israel. He raised up kings again and again, anointed them for leadership. But again and again they turned away from the LORD and did wickedness. And God did actually do something about it. He didn’t say it was fine anywhere in the Bible.
We must take the whole counsel of God and not just part of it. Grace abounds in the journey and it’s not revolving door salvation. But if we persist in doing evil, it does matter to God.
