READING FOR NOVEMBER 21, 2025: 2 KINGS 10, 1 JOHN 1, PSALM 119:65-72 2 KINGS 10 Yesterday we learned that God ordered Jehu to eliminate the House of Ahab, a wicked former king of Israel. Now in verse 1 we learn that there were 70 sons of Ahab still alive in Samara, the capital city of Israel. Jehu had lots of work to do to fully obey God’s com- mand. He decided to send messages to the sons’ guardians, challenging the sons to a fight. The guardians, aware that Jehu had already killed two kings, did not want to be on the losing side. So, they replied they wouldn’t facilitate a battle against Jehu, but instead do whatever he wanted. Jehu then directed them to bring the heads of the 70 sons to him, which they did.
Jehu was smart by having these guardians both facilitate his obedience to God’s command and secure his throne in Israel. As he made his way to capital city, he came across 42 relatives of Ahaziah, the former king of Judah whom he had recently killed. For reasons hard to explain, they told Jehu they were on their way to visit the sons of Ahaziah, who were grandchildren of Ahab and Jezebel. Not only had Jehu just killed Ahaziah and Jezebel, but it could be argued that these sons were indirectly part of the House of Ahab, whom God told Jehu to eliminate. At least that is how Jehu likely rationalized his murdering all 42 of them. As he continued his trip to Samaria, he met Jehonadab, part of the well-regarded family of Rechab. Proud of his zeal for the Lord, Jehu invited Jehonadab to accompany him to see for himself. Sure enough, when Jehu arrived at Samaria, he finished the job of eliminating the House of Ahab.
If we had any doubts that Jehu was not the squeamish type, the next episode removes them. He set up an elaborate ruse by saying he planned to worship Baal more than Ahab did. He told all the priest, prophets, and worshipers of Baal to join him for his offering of a great sacrifice to Baal. As an added incentive, he said those absent would be killed. His approach to marketing the event was successful in that there was a full house of Baal worshipers, and no followers of the Lord. After the sacrifice was made, he ordered his troops to go in and kill everyone. They also tore down the objects of worship. Thus, he brutally eliminated Baal worship in Israel.
Jehu’s gory obedience regarding Ahab seemed to please God: “Because you have done well in per- forming what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab in accordance with everything that was in My heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel” (vs. 30). Yet, God expects us to be completely devoted to Him in every area of our lives. Jehu didn’t take down the gold- en calves that King Jeroboam set up at the start of the Northern Kingdom. Thus, God allowed King Hazael to defeat Israel and take over vast areas on the east side of the Jordan River. Also, it seems the House of Jehu would close out the Northern Kingdom “I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. On that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel” (Hos. 1:4). The meaning of the reference to the massacre is uncertain.
READING FOR NOVEMBER 21, 2025 CONTINUED: 1 JOHN 1, PSALM 119:65-72 1 JOHN 1 John, whom we assume to be the writer of this epistle, sounds much as he does at the beginning of his Gospel of John. He claims Jesus already existed at the beginning. He claims he and his associates experienced this same Jesus through their senses of sight, hearing, and touch. This Jesus who interacted with them on earth was also the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father God. This Jesus, who was revealed to them, John now reveals to his readers so that they can have fellowship with John and his associates and make their existing joy complete. Notice we, as Christians, can only have the highest degree of fellowship with others when they also believe in Jesus. Notice, too, that even though we have experienced Jesus ourselves, we cannot experience complete joy in life until we tell others about Jesus.
John states that he heard directly from Jesus that God is light. Light (phos in Greek) seems to represent a pure radiance by which right thinking or living is made known to others. When we walk in darkness, we reject that knowledge and live in sinful ways. If we do this and yet claim to be Christians, we are liars. Walking in light is evidence that we have been saved by Jesus’s blood from our sins. Those who deny they are sinners and believe they don’t need to be saved are dangerously deluded. On the other hand, if we admit to being sinners and look to Jesus’s righteousness and sacrificial death for salvation, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all our sinfulness or unrighteousness. There is a very famous American who claims not to need for- giveness. Let’s pray he will confess his sins someday and for others around us who haven’t.
PSALM 119:65-72 The Psalmist says God has treated us as He promised in His word, which means treated well. The Psalmist seeks discernment and knowledge from God, because he has believed God’s word. Perhaps that means discernment for life’s many unforeseen circumstances require God’s intervention to help us apply biblical principles to situations not specifically addressed by the Bible. For example, the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us to attend Yorktown Methodist Church, but there should be biblical principles that help guide us.
The Psalmist confesses that he did not always follow God’s path. He seems to draw a connect- ion between being afflicted before and his current obedience to God’s word. Then he proclaims God’s goodness. Perhaps he suggests God’s allowing this affliction was part of God’s good plan to draw him back to obedience. Does God ever do this? Consider Jonah’s prayer in the big fish: “You threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current flowed around me. All Your breakers and waves passed over me. So I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight. Nevertheless, I will look again toward Your holy temple” (Jonah 2:3-4). The Psalmist says liescharacterize arrogant people. What should we do when faced with lies about us? Keep obeying and delighting in God’s Word. We don’t need to fight fire with fire. This writer has made that mistake before.
