2 Kings 9

Bible Passage:  2 Kings 9

Is it peace?

This is a question that appeared four times in the chapter we read today.

Today we read about the only king of Israel being anointed king by the command of God. He is the name that was mentioned to Elijah when God comforted him after he sought for death, thinking that he was the only one zealous for God.

1 Kings 19: 16-17

“Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.”

Jehu was a commandor of the army of Israel, and Elisha sent a somewhat sounds like a trainee-prophet to go and anoint him, pronounce him king and the trainee has to flee immediately after that.

We do not know how long did Jehu take to begin to respond to the calling of God. But we know that he went ahead to fulfill his calling and he knew that he was fulfilling the words of God spoken through Elijah.

He was initially not suspected of treachery towards the king when he got to the watch tower at Jezreel, being the commander of the king’s army. Two horsemen were sent by the king to him to ask “Is it peace?” He made the horsemen follow him one after another so that they did not return to the king, and the king decided he had to go and meet Jehu personally. So King Joram asked the third “Is it peace?”, before he realised that Jehu was going to kill him. We know that Jehu saw himself as the fulfiller of God’s will in bringing judgement to the house of Ahab from his words after he executed King Joram on the land that Ahab and Jezebel had wickedly obtained by murdering Naboth. Not only did Jehu kill Joram king of Israel, he also killed Ahaziah king of Judah, who was with King Joram at that time. Ahaziah is also related by blood to King Ahab. From the previous chapter we can read that his mother is the grand-daughter of King Omri, who was the father of King Ahab, and he was also the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

I guess the best part of this chapter is to read about Jezebel being killed. This is like the last episode of some drama serial or movie whereby the bad guy is finally faced with punishment and the evil is finally rid of the earth!

Jezebel asked the fourth “Is it peace?”, followed by calling Jehu Zimri, after the man who assasinated his master and king of Israel – Baasha. It is probably her way of calling Jehu a rebel and also suggesting that he will soon be overthrown by someone else, as in the case of Zimri who got overthrown by Omri who was the father of Ahab (I.e. her father-in-law).

It was specifically written that she painted her eyes and adorned her head when she knew that Jehu was coming.

Why do you think Jezebel adorned herself in face of impending death? Did she want to look dignified before her enemy or was she preparing herself for a royal burial? Or it is simply her vanity manifesting till the last? Her eunuchs apparently did not like her at all and some of them quickly responded to Jehu’s calling and threw her down. It was a gruesome death, but nevertheless, a happy ending.

So is there peace?!

If someone were to ask you “Is there peace?”, what will you think of? Usually we will think whether there is war in a country, or internal unrest in society, or at a private level whether our family or friends are getting along with each other. When we preach to people about Christianity, we also preach about gaining true peace.

How do we define peace? And is Jehu destroying peace or establishing peace?

Is God still a God of peace when he sends forth the army of Israel to destroy the people of Canaan or the enemies of Israel?

Not only do Christians talk about peace, we also talk about being a soldier of Christ to fight spiritual battles for Him, and this battle is ongoing and will be ongoing till Christ comes again. How does this peace and war co-exist?

“What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?”

The answer of Jehu to King Joram gives us our answer about Christian peace also.

There can never be true peace when sin is abounding.

There cannot be peace when everyone in society or in church is doing what he pleases, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.

There cannot be a Christian who can prosper in his faith without struggling against the sins of the world. It is impossible to enjoy the pleasures of the world and say that we have God with us.

Without God, there can not be peace.

May we all have the wisdom to understand the true peace and will of God, and have the courage to join the army of God, to fight the spiritual warfare, and not relax in the sea of sin of the world.