Sunday 17 October 2021
Theme : " Cease with betrayals "
Text : 2 Kings 9: 14-27
14. So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimschi, formed a conspiracy against Jehoram. -Joram and all Israel were defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria; 15. But king Jehoram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted upon him, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. -Jéhu said: If it is your will, no one will escape from the city to bring the news to Jezreel. 16. And Jehu got in his chariot and went to Jezreel, for Jehoram was bedridden there, and Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to visit him. 17. The watchman standing on the tower of Jezreel saw Jehu's troop coming, and said, I see a troop. Jehoram said: Take a horseman and send him to meet them to ask if it is peace. 18. The horseman went to meet Jehu, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What do you care about peace? Go behind me. The watchman gave notice, and said, The messenger has come to them, and he is not coming back. 19. Jehoram sent a second horseman, and he came to them and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What do you care about peace? Go behind me. 20. The watchman gave notice, and said, He has come to them, and is not coming back. And the train is like that of Jehu son of Nimschi, for it drives foolishly. 21. Then Jehoram said: Brace! And they hitched up his chariot. Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah each went out in his chariot to meet Jehu, and they met him in Naboth's field of Jezreel. 22. As soon as Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is this peace, Jehu? Jehu replied: What, peace! as long as the prostitution of Jezebel your mother and the multitude of her spells last! 23. Jehoram turned bridle and fled, and said to Ahazia, Betrayal, Achazia! 24. But Jehu took hold of his bow, and smote Jehoram between the shoulders: the arrow went out through the heart, and Jehoram sank into his chariot. 25. Jehu said to his officer Bidkar, Take it, and throw it into Naboth's field of Jezreel; for remember, when I and you were riding together behind Ahab his father, the Lord spoke this sentence against him: 26. Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord, and I will reciprocate the same in this very field, saith the Lord. Take it therefore, and throw it into the field, according to the word of the Lord. 27. Ahaziah king of Judah, seeing this, fled by the way to the house of the garden. Jehu pursued him and said, `` Hit him on the chariot too! And they struck him on the rise of Gur, near Jibleam. He took refuge in Megiddo, and died there.
Let us remember :
The betrayal instigated by Jehu and his peers was closely linked to the will of God to fulfill the prophecy given by Elijah against Ahab. At the hour willed by God, his word is fulfilled whatever the circumstances. Likewise, the modus operandi does not matter, the main thing is that the prophecy be fulfilled. God had prepared the vengeance of Naboth, that innocent killed by stoning for refusing to give his field to King Ahab. It was Jezebel, Ahab's wife, who set up this plot and had him killed. God was angry and said this: Behold, I will bring calamity upon you; I will sweep you away, I will destroy whoever belongs to Ahab, whoever is a slave and who is free in Israel (1 Kings 21:21). For the evil that we suffer, when the day of God's vengeance comes; betrayal can be part of the accomplishment. Do not harm others, if not God can arouse betrayal in our surroundings in order to avenge those we oppress. Excellent Sunday. Amen