Bible Studies
Jehu’s Policy of Tolerance and Intolerance (2 Kings 10:18-32a)
Series: Studies in Second KingsIntroduction:
1. Jehu is the new king in Israel.a. He had assassinated King Jehoram of Israel and also king Ahaziah of Judah.
b. He killed 70 men of the house of Ahab and intended to leave him without a survivor.
c. He killed 42 men of the house of Ahaziah and meant to eradicate all of Ahaziah’s
2. Since the days of Jeroboam Israel had worshiped idols at Dan and Bethel. Since the days of Ahab Baal worship had been a leading religion in Israel. Pluralism in religion was the common fare in Israel. Religious tolerance was a way of life, or so it would seem (Jezebel had intended to kill all the prophets of God and had planned to kill Elijah). 3. What would Jehu’s religious stance be, that of tolerance or intolerance? 2 Kings 10:18ff reveals the answer.Discussion:
I. Jehu’s policy would be one of intolerance for Baal worship and tolerance for worship of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel.A. Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel (18-28).
1. He did it by expressing his desire to be an enthusiastic advocate for Baal.
2. He summoned all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests to a very special assembly for Baal.
3. It was an exclusive assembly. No servants of the Lord were permitted.
4. He gave special garments to all the worshipers of Baal. I suppose they were their Baal uniforms?
5. They went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. It must have been a real “feel good” worship assembly.
6. But Jehu stationed 80 men outside and threated their lives if they let a single Baal worshiper escape.
7. Jehu killed all the worshipers, all the priests and all the prophets of Baal.
8. They brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. They broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine.
9. That’s religious intolerance!!
B. However, Jehu supported the religion associated with the golden calves in Dan and Bethel (29-31).
1. The Lord commended Jehu for his judgments upon Ahab and Baal. “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel” (v. 30).
2. Your judgment may be that Jehu should have been more tolerant of Ahab and Baal worship. But Jehu had acted as an agent of God in righteous judgment against sin.
a. If your judgment is that Jehu should have acted compassionately and saved the lives of the house of Ahab and the house of Baal, you will have overlooked the fact that God had repeatedly called the house of Ahab and the worshipers of Baal to repentance!
b. If your judgment is that one religion is as good as another you assume that all religions originate with men and have no real validity. But this text necessarily implies that the Lord is the only real God.
3. The religion of Jeroboam identified the gods at Dan and Bethel as the gods who had brought Israel up from Egypt. This may have been closer to truth than Baal worship, but still it was counterfeit. Jehu was too tolerant.
a. It was sin.
b. Jehu should not have tolerated the counterfeit.
4. The Lord demands exclusive devotion. See James 4:5-10. He is the one and only God and our devotion to Him cannot be mixed! It must be with single-minded devotion! There is no room in our relationship with God for the toleration of false religion any more than there is room in our relationship with our spouse for the toleration of other partners!
C. Because of his tolerance of sin the Lord began to cut off portions from Israel (32-33).
II. This episode raises questions of tolerance and intolerance for the 21st century. As Christians living in the U.S. are we to be tolerant or intolerant of false religion? Are we to be tolerant or intolerant of counterfeit worship of the God “who brought us up from Egypt?”A. I am amused by the discussions I read in social media.
1. Some say one religion is as good as another. They assume that there is no truth, that all religion originates with man. If this assumption is true they are right. One religion is as good as another and all of them are worthless. Tolerate them or not it is a matter of no significance.
2. I read others that are like Jehu. They are intolerant of some and tolerant of others. This assumes right and wrong. Something is true and something is false. Otherwise we should tolerate all equally.
B. Our government supports the principle of freedom of religion.
1. That means that our government protects the individual’s freedom to worship as they please. You can worship Baal, the idols of Dan and Bethel, the true and living God, or no god at all.
2. But some want the government to operate like Jehu—to tolerate some worship and be intolerant of other worship. Usually they want their worship tolerated and not the worship of others. “But,” you object, “Isn’t that what Jehu did?”
3. Do not confuse the U.S. government with the kingdom of God!!
a. It may have been founded on some principles borrowed from the Bible.
b. Some of the founding fathers may have believed in the Bible as a message from God.
c. But it is not the kingdom of God!!
d. Jehu lived under a theocracy—a government in which God is recognized as the supreme ruler and religious authorities rule the state belonging to God.
e. Such is not the case in the U.S. God is not recognized as the king of the U.S. God is the king in the church. It is the kingdom of God.
C. The people of God (Christians, the church) are/is the kingdom of God.
1. The people of God cannot tolerate false religion. It denies who they are.
2. The very mission of the people of God is to persuade and convert individuals to serve the true and living God.
3. We cannot do this by force (by governmental legislation, military might, etc.), but by transformed thinking.
a. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn. 18:36).
b. He told Peter to put up his sword (Matt. 26:52).
c. The weapons of our warfare are not swords and spears, but “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).
4. We need to put our focus into converting people to the gospel of Christ, not on influencing our government. I am not saying, “Don’t try to influence the government.” I am saying that we need to place our emphasis on the kingdom of God. When we convert people to Christ the government will be influenced. As people are converted to Christ the people of the world are transformed into the kingdom of God.
5. We need to spend less time trying to get “God back in school” and more time trying to get “God back in human hearts!” Less time on making this a “Christian nation” and more time on “making Christians.” Less time complaining and more time converting others to the kingdom of God.
6. We need to be intolerant of sin in the kingdom of God, while recognizing that we can’t go out of the world (1 Cor. 5:9-13). We can come out and be separate and invite others to do the same (2 Cor. 6:14-18).
Conclusion:
1. I fear that we, the people of God, are like Jehu—although doing some things right we are tolerant of sin. 2. Jehu was very enthusiastic in some areas and for that he is commended, but the Lord wants us to follow Him entirely. There can be no toleration of sin!
