TO CHEW ON: "You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel." 2 Kings 9:7
One day after Ahab had died and his son Joram was king, Elisha sent one of the prophets on a special errand. “Take a bottle of oil and go to Ramoth Gilead,” he said. “Find Captain Jehu and secretly anoint him king.”
When the prophet found Jehu at the army barracks he said, “I have a message for you.” They went into the house so they could talk privately. There the prophet poured oil on Jehu’s head and said, “I anoint you king over Israel. You are to destroy all the family of Ahab. This is because Ahab and Jezebel destroyed God’s servants the prophets.” When he was done, the prophet opened the door and ran.
Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.
“What was that about?” Jehu’s fellow soldiers asked when he came out.
Jehu told them what the prophet had said. Then they took off their cloaks and spread them on the floor under Jehu’s feet just like they would for a king. Someone sounded a trumpet and everyone shouted, “Jehu is king!”
At the time of Ahab and Jezebel, it probably seemed to the prophets and other people who followed God that He had forgotten them. But God never forgets. At the right time, He called Jehu to punish Ahab’s family for the bad things they had done.
Has someone hurt you? Are you tempted to get even? Instead, why don’t you ask God to work things out in His way, like He did for the prophets in Israel.
PRAYER: Dear God, I trust You to be fair with me and those who have hurt me. Amen.
SUPERSIZE IT: Revenge - Not Ours to Take
It’s natural to want to get even with those who have hurt us. But if we belong to God, He has promised to take care of revenge for us:
"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." - Romans 12:19
Instead of taking revenge on enemies how should we treat them (Romans 12:20-21)?
1. If our enemy is hungry we should _________
2. If our enemy is thirsty we should __________
3. We should overcome evil with __________
Answers
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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