Moralism and King Jehu (2 Kings 9-10)

In 2 Kings 9-10, we get a sobering message of the destruction of moralism. Moralism can be defined as the outward obedience to God’s rules without righteousness on the inside. Many of us find safety in a good, clean life on the outside thinking “If my life doesn’t look bad, then I am doing the will of God.” But is that the example of King Jehu?

To set the stage, Ahab and Jezebel began to reign over Israel and they did tremendous evil in the sight of God. They did not follow Moses’ commands for the King found in Deuteronomy and they killed many of God’s prophets. They were utterly rebellious to God and his ways.

After Ahab’s reign, his sons ruled the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel; Joram and Ahazaiah. However, Ahab’s sons followed his and Jezebel’s example and ruled in sinful disobedience to God.

In 2 Kings 9, God sends Elisha to anoint Jehu as King. God raised Jehu up to bring judgment on Ahab’s household and restore Israel. And the good news is that Jehu did it. He overthrew and killed Ahab’s household including Jezebel showing God’s judgment on the wicked kings. Jehu was obedient and his life, throne, and kingdom was secure and safe… on the outside.

Let’s read the summary of Jehu’s life in 2 Kings 10:30-32: “The Lord said to Jehu, ‘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.’ But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin. In those days the Lord began to cut off the portions from Israel.”

Jehu outwardly obeyed the commands of God to destroy Ahab’s household, but his heart was not right so he fell back to the sin of a disobedient life and kingship. 2 Peter 2:22 says, “A dog returns to its own vomit and a sow (pig), after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” Jehu was a pig on the inside so after he obeyed went back to sloshing in the dirt of the pig pen. God’s destruction came on a man and kingdom who outwardly did what God said but inwardly didn’t change.

What is the testimony of your life? Do you abstain from sex because you are righteous, or do you think you are righteous because you don’t have sex? Do you try to earn righteousness by not getting hammered on the weekend? If we live rightly before we are changed on the inside rightly, we fall condemned. But, if we are changed by the blood and resurrection of Jesus first and live rightly afterward; we stand righteous in Christ. So the question is this: Are you miraculously changed or simply have the appearance of obedience?