It’s that time of year again — ant season! The past few days, we’ve been finding trails of ants marching their way into our home, crawling on us, our countertops, and into our food. So, this morning we decided to take action to eradicate them, putting cotton balls with peppermint oil in strategic locations. Trying to eliminate an unwanted threat is also a huge focus of our spiritual lives. Rooting and eradicating sin should be one of our top priorities in life.

So, to illustrate how we should address sin in our lives, let’s look at the example of the ninth king of Israel: Jehu (2 Kings 9-10).

Who is Jehu and What Did He Do?

  • After the kingdom was divided, the Northern tribes of Israel eventually turned to Baal worship, courtesy of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31).
  • When Elijah successfully attacked Baal worship at Carmel (1 Kings 18), Jezebel fixed her attention on him and called him a “dead man.” Dejected, Elijah runs to a cave where he wishes he were dead.
  • But, among other things, God explains his plan for vengeance to Elijah, involving a man named Jehu (1 King 19:16-18).
  • Fast-forward a few years, and Elisha’s servant anoints Jehu as king over Israel (2 Kings 9:1-13) — the first and only Israelite king to be anointed as king. And Jehu wastes no time!
  • Jehu assassinates Joram (king of Israel) and Ahaziah (king of Judah) in a single day (2 Kings 9:14-29). And in a proclamation of his faith, they bury Joram in Naboth’s field to fulfill God’s word (2 Kings 9:25-26).
  • He executes Jezebel in a humiliating fashion (2 Kings 9:30-37). Returning to Jezreel, he hunts and slaughters Ahab’s family and friends (2 Kings 10:1-17). And calling all the prophets and worshipers of Baal together, he kills them all, destroying their temple and turning it into a public toilet (2 Kings 10:18-27)!
  • All in all, an amazing reign as king! Arguably the best king that ever served in the North.

But … What Went Wrong?!

“But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.” (2 Kings 10:29)

  • He obeyed the commands that didn’t require him to change or sacrifice (Matthew 19:22).
  • He hated one sin while loving another (Romans 2:21-24).
  • His zeal impacted everyone around him but himself (1 Corinthians 9:27).
  • His incredible success masked his incredible failure (Matthew 7:21-23).

The Big Idea: Getting rid of sin from our lives is only effective if we go all the way.

Jehu’s Problem, Our Solution

“Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.” (2 Kings 10:31, CSB)

  • Be Careful. Are you alert, intentional, and consistent?
  • Be Humble. Is God able to use you for his purposes?
  • Be in the Book. How does God’s instruction change your life?
  • Be Wholehearted. What’s the hard, right thing you’re missing?
  • Be Different. Are you ready to repent?

Conclusion

While Jehu is a sad story of someone who almost eradicated idolatry from Israel’s lives, what about you and me? Are we going to carefully follow the Lord’s instructions completely? Will he be able to use us as effective tools for positive change?