JEHU
Suggested Reading: 2 Kings 10
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
On display at the Archaeological Museum of ancient Corinth in Greece is a gold ring and many other artifacts. As far as we know, there are no golden calves, as in today's reading.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 2 Kings 10:29
However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God I decide for You 100%. May I be granted grace, intelligence, and a heart that is true to You in all things. I pray that I will put out of my life all idols, those things that take priority ahead of You. I realize that to worship is to ascribe worth to someone or something. I worship You Lord God, all else fades away in the focus of my life on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
In the late seventies I took my sons out of high school for the month of March and we back-packed throughout Israel. However, when we arrived at Vered Hagalil, a dude ranch just above the Mount of Beatitudes north of the Sea of Galilee, we rented horses for a day and rode across the hillsides and back for 20 miles or so. By the time we arrived at the northern stretch of the river Jordan I realized that while I was doing fine walking and carrying a large back pack, I was not in shape for long periods in the saddle. I was very sore on a certain part of my anatomy! I remember jumping into the river, clothes and all, propping my feet against a fallen tree trunk and lying upstream into the current. The fast flowing waters of the Jordan provided the best and most refreshing massage imaginable. When my spiritual muscles and joints are tired and sore, I picture myself doing the same as I lie back into the river of prayer and worship. It’s amazing how refreshed I am after doing this. I’m ready to mount up and go again.
Yours for the refreshing streams of God’s presence,
David
P.S. Below are pictures from our backpack & horseback trek across Israel, including the northern Galilee region and the rushing Jordan River.
My sons Reynold & Ron with me backpacking around Israel in 1978.
Riding across the hills north of the Sea of Galilee. Reynold (left) was 16 and Ron (right) was 14.
Me lying upsream in the Jordan having a blessed massage that I needed after a long horseback ride.
My boys next to a rushing Jordan River in Northern Israel.
At times of difficulty, anxieties and despair, we would do well to keep our eyes narrowly focused upon our Lord and to rely upon Him for our need. As difficult as it may be to do this, given the circumstances before us; our Lord hears our cry and wants what’s best for us even under difficult circumstances. Sometimes it’s attractive to go after the ‘golden calf’s’ or ‘golden rings’ of life, thinking they might bring quick relief or sustenance; but in the end these things will only bring more misery, loss and grief. I’m in complete agreement with David, as he so lovingly concluded in his prayer today “I worship You Lord God, all else fades away in the focus of my life on you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
Oh the memories you must have David, of your trip to Israel with your boys. Great picture of the three of you and your Canadian backpack! The camera is a wonderful invention, isn’t it?
Thank you for the photos, they made me feel like family. I pray that The Father will bless you and yours and that your sons will continue to show to their family the love that you so obviously show them while teaching them the priority of THE WORD. Bless you.
Well said Scott and as we keep our eyes and focus on THE ONE JESUS who bought us with His life, and seek His presence through the Spirit each day, we can be assured of overcoming our difficulties.
I agree David, what great pictures and memories you have…..your family has a great legacy……leading them to Jesus.
Thank you once again for sharing with all of us.
There is much to be learned as we study with you through The Bible.
That’s a wonderful analogy, David–visualizing yourself being renewed again in the Jordan River to rejuvenate your spiritual side! That is indeed what I feel every morning, reading and studying the Word of the Lord–it restores me and makes me feel anew! I am always uplifted and whole–praise God–the Lord within my soul! I don’t have photos as you do to reflect back on but I have every page of this blog to go back to re-read! Amen! 🙂 I can imagine your memories with your boys in Israel are very special indeed, to you! God bless you, David Mainse!
I found this chapter rather disturbing and read up further on Jehu because he was so violent and said he was cleansing the people, so to speak, for the purpose of the Lord. The act of beheading people seems to be an absolutely horrific callous and extreme form of murder to us, yet it was a common reality in their world and carries on today in jihad. I guess I am getting a bit off topic, but that stood out.
I read that Jehu appeared in Assyrian documents, besides the Hebrew Scriptures.
He was referred to as ‘Jehu son of Omri’. The ‘House of Omri’ was an Assyrian name for the ‘Kingdom of Israel’. It dated back to 841 BC–the earliest preserved depiction in a piece of art that was of an Israelite.
Blessings fellow saints!
I found this chapter (and others)disturbing as well. How does one share with an unbeliever about God and the importance of reading and studying the word when the grafics in some of these chapters are so horrific?
The Old Testament was teaching obedience to God and His instruction and purifying Israel, in extent, of unworthy people. It is hard to digest, in parts. The more we study, the more we learn. The Bible has repetitive themes because there are significant lessons for us to learn from the examples of others. The New Testament is all about Jesus, who God sent to earth as His Son, to redeem and save us. He died on the cross for the purpose of our being forgiven of sins, and, in turn, that we learn to forgive one another. We learn that we are born sinners and will do wrong to God, ourselves, and each other. That is human nature. It is up to us to learn to follow in the ways of goodness that God teaches (Ten Commandments) and what Jesus preached (forgiveness, love, compassion, salvation, redemption). It is our sin that needs to be changed, not who we are as people or our personalities or our make-up. It is our beliefs that become changed when we become believers in Christ and the will of God begins to reform us. Hope that helps a bit.
Dear Berverlee
Thank you so much for your wonderful explanation of the old and the new testament and also your very interesting findings on Jesu.
Keeping you in my prayers
Xxx Carole
Your hiking trip with your boys reminds me of my own trip to Israel in 1977 with my wife. It was part of an extended honeymoon, but we lived in a kubutz (Hukuk), in the same area where the pictures were taken. Those experiences remained with us for the rest our lives.
It was such fun thinking as you were telling about how far you were riding in the saddle, oh boy are they ever going to be sore at the end of that trip.
thankyou for that story and the pictures.
As you know, parts of the Old Testament are hard for me to read,so the saddle riding and and the results were comic relief’. This Sunday morning I am going to be prayed for in a church like yours David. Please be praying for me to have the faith needed for a package deal.
Gods Holy
Dear Elaine, Will be praying for you sunday
xxx Carole
Will keep you in my prayers Elaine…God Bless.
Catherine
Hi Elaine
Will also be praying for you!!!
I continually get double posts each day of the blog. Am I in the list twice??
well said BeverleeKay I was also over whelemed by all the violence this
morning, thankyou your explanation helped,Thankyou David .M. for those
riding pictures, how brave you all were.God Bless you all Love you ….R…
Dear David,
So generous of you to share with us these great pictures of you ,Ron and Reynold .It is quite fantastic how The Creater enables us to remember and relive these special moments in our lives .What an amazing God we serve .
Blessed day to you and dear precious bloggers,
xxx Carole
Thanks Beverlee
Hello David and fellow bloggers. I have been rereading over all the comments and blogging since last Sunday as I can take it in better when I’m home; also I make some notes. It has all been inspiring and enlightening. King Jehu made the statement, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord” so obviously he thought he was doing right to kill all the people he did and carrying out the instructions of the Lord. As you said, David he did not surrender his worship of the golden calves, the sins of Jeroboam. That must have been an exciting trip across Israel and would unite one’s heart to the people and land. Thanks for your prayers, Colleen and Diane and others as the Lord helped me through the heart catherization. Thanks David as this blog is invaluable in my walk with the Lord.
The David M for another great reading and the memories. Thanks also to my fellow bloggers for sharing your insights. I found it hard to understand the killing but as Beverlee Kay put it. God is just and holy. He knows the whole picture. We only see in part, Ger thanks for the up-date. Please continue to pray for my father-in-law he will be seeing his doctor in regards to treatment he has been diagnosed with cancer in his esophogus and it has spread to his Liver and Kidneys. I’m not sure whether he knows the Lord. God Bless everyone!!!!