Leading the Charge

⁶ Then he arose and went into the house. And he poured the oil on his head, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel. ⁷ You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

¹⁸ So the horseman went to meet him, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’”
And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.”
So the watchman reported, saying, “The messenger went to them, but is not coming back.”
¹⁹ Then he sent out a second horseman who came to them, and said, “Thus says the king: ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.”
²⁰ So the watchman reported, saying, “He went up to them and is not coming back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!” 

³² And he looked up at the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” So two or three eunuchs looked out at him. ³³ Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down...

- 2 Kings 9:6-7, 18-21, 32-33a

     Today's passage may be a little confusing at first. These verses give details about the beginning of King Jehu's reign in Israel. In verses six and seven we see the Lord has anointed Jehu as king and has given him the task of cleaning out the abomination that is Ahab and Jezebel's rule. For years, Israel has suffered under their idol worship, disdain for God, and persecution of believers. Finally God says, "Enough!" and sends Jehu to do the dirty work. The first thing I want to point out is Jehu's obedience. Ahab was a successful warrior and feared by most. Along with Jezebel, he ran things the way he wanted and severely punished all who disagreed. Jehu does not seemed phased by this at all. He rides furiously toward Jezreel on a death mission. He has a command from God and he is set on completing what has been asked of him.

     The next two sets of verses give us valuable insight into the nation's attitude. Twice Joram sends a messenger to Jehu as he approaches, and twice that messenger joins the ranks of Jehu's men. They were tired of those who were in charge and ready for change. After taking care of Joram and Ahaziah, Jehu enters Jezreel in search of his next target, Jezebel. She calls to him out of a window and Jehu responds by telling her attendants to throw her down. Without any hesitation they toss her out of the window and into the street below. Apparently, they too were tired of the way things were going. It seems that the people of Israel knew that Ahab and Jezebel were evil and desired a change. However, no one was doing anything to make a change. The people of Israel needed a leader who would stand up and fight. All they needed was someone to say, "Follow me." Maybe I am that leader. Maybe I am the one who needs to be charging forward and doing something about the evil that surrounds me. Maybe I am the one who needs to be riding furiously out into the world, encouraging others to join with me. Without Jehu and his dedication, things would have stayed the same. I can picture the people of Israel drudging through their day, complaining about the powers that be and wishing things were different. It's time to stop complaining and wishing, and take a stand for the Lord. It's time to be a Jehu and lead an attack against Satan and his forces. We might be surprised by how many people join the charge, but you can't join a charge that doesn't exist. The time for change is now.