See My Zeal (2 Kings 10:16)

 


Wednesday, 29 October, 2025


Psalm 145

2 Kings 10:1-17

Matthew 19:1-15


See My Zeal (2 Kings 10:16)


And Jehu said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he had Jehonadab ride in his chariot.


If we look at today’s reading from one angle, we see a real “boys” type of reading. We have beheadings, and chariots, and a victorious king – lots of blood and guts and goodies and baddies.


From another angle, we see something horrific: slaughter and bloodshed, all, apparently, in the name of the Lord.


I have heard one way of approaching this sort of thing that seems to have worked in the past. That is, we take these Old Testament narratives and read them with the eyes of Christ. Yes, it was another age; but I think it would be chronological snobbery to say we are more spiritually enlightened than they. Rather, I think it was a different age in the sense that there were things going on that we have no idea about. When Christ died on the cross, not only were our sins forgiven, but there was a titanic, cosmic shift in the way things worked, and the way the supernatural interacted with the material. It was a different age.


Nonetheless, how do we read this with the eyes of Christ? Perhaps our sentence for the day has a hint: see the zeal of Jehu. His enemies were political; ours are spiritual. See the zeal with which he leaves none alive; how do we treat our spiritual enemies? What is our approach to the things in ourselves like greed, or impatience, or anger? Do we have the zeal of Jehu? Do we track down every last trace of wicked inclination and leave nothing left?


In Christ, God gives us what is needed for every last bit of inner darkness to be taken away. Christ gives us the Holy Spirit, the Lord dwelling within us. His holiness and power comes into us and inspires us to bear fruit like patience, long-suffering, humility and love.


What do you see as enemies within you, opposing your closer walk with the Lord? How can God the Holy Spirit inspire you with the zeal to pursue them like Jehu drawing Jehonadab onto his chariot?


God of persistent holy love: give us the spirit of Jehu to be relentless against all that is in us that keeps us from you.

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