Okay, 2 Kings chapter 9, 2 Kings
chapter 9, I'm taking the title for the message, it's found in
verse 22, 2 Kings 9, 22. And it came to pass when Joram
saw Jehu that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? That's the title
of the message. Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered,
what peace? So long as the whoredoms of thy
mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many, no peace, no peace. Is there peace, Jehu? When Joram king of Israel came
unto God's King, newly appointed, newly installed, newly anointed. Jehu is his name. He was desperate
to know whether Jehu came in peace or whether Jehu came with
war on his mind. Jehu's answer is very plain and
powerful. There can be no peace as long
as there is sin in your house." Absolutely true then, absolutely
true right now. Our Lord does not change. He
said, I am the Lord, I do not change. Now this is what I want
us to learn from this portion of the Word of God. I read earlier
in Isaiah 57 21, there is no peace saith my God to the wicked,
to the wicked. And then we read earlier again
in Isaiah 26, but there is perfect peace. for those whose mind,
heart, and affection are stayed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
is called five times in the New Testament, He's called the God
of peace. The God of peace that brought
again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ through the blood
of the everlasting covenant. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God only through our Lord Jesus Christ. I don't
know if you remember or not, but Sunday from Acts chapter
10, Peter's message to Cornelius said, God had anointed the Lord
Jesus Christ. He went about doing good. He
is the Lord of peace. He is peace. But know this, there
is no peace with God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 42, 13, Let us never
forget this same Lord is called a man of war. Did you know that? Lord of peace
and He is a man of war. Turn to Exodus 15. Do you remember
when God delivered Israel through the Red Sea? And they sang this
song, Exodus 15, 1. Then sang Moses and the children
of Israel this song unto the Lord. And Spake saying, I will
sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse
and his rider he hath thrown into the sea. The Lord is my
strength, my song, he's become my salvation, he's my God, I
will prepare him a habitation, my Father's God, I will exalt
him. The Lord is a man of war. The
Lord is His name. Oh, He's the Lord of peace. But
let us never forget, He must punish sin. He must punish sin. Turn to Psalm, or if you don't
want to turn, let me just read it to you, Psalm 24. Who is the
Lord, King, who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and
mighty, the Lord that is mighty in battle. Let me read this one
to you as well. Revelation 19 verse 7, verse
11, And I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse, and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he doth judge and make war. He is the God of peace. But he
is also the righteous judge who must do right. He is a man of
war against everything contrary to his way. He's a man of war. Jehu here is executing the will
of God in the death of all that he kills. It is not done as a
personal revenge against Joram or Ahaziah, but according to
the Lord's purpose, he wipes out all the enemies of the Lord,
all of Ahab's house, all of Jezebel's prophets of Baal, wipes them
all out. And he does so according to the
word of the Lord, the will of the Lord. Find 2 Kings 10 verse
30. The Lord said unto Jehub, Because
thou wast done well in executing that which is right in my eyes. You see, whatever the Lord does
is right. And hath done unto the house
that they have according to all that was in my heart. You see that? Thy children of
the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel. Jehu accomplished the Lord's
purpose in wiping out the Lord's enemies. He said, you've done
what was in my heart. And we know this about the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. What the Lord has done for us
is according to the perfect, eternal, and sovereign will of
God in accomplishing our salvation and bringing in everlasting peace
for us and everlasting righteousness for us He prayed, Father, I finished
the work that you gave me to do. Glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world
was. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our salvation, bringing in everlasting
peace, destroying all of God's enemies. Did he not? He went
forth conquering and to conquer. Our Lord Jesus Christ is called
Prince of Peace. He's called the King of Righteousness.
He's called the King of Peace. Thank God He made peace for us
with His own blood. Is there peace with Christ? Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ,
God is a man of war. You don't want to meet Him apart
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I've got three divisions
in this Message the first one is found in verse 15 down through
verse 26 Joram is killed in a portion of the field that belonged to
Nabath Naboth that is where Ahab and Jezebel had killed Naboth
when he stole his land And this is exactly as God said it would
come to pass back in first Kings chapter 21 verse Verse 23-29,
Elijah said, Okay, you're going to die for
what you've done. Joram was seeking refuge in Jezreel,
being wounded in the battle against Haziel, king of Syria. When he
sees the army approaching, he sends out messengers to see if
Jehu was coming in peace. Maybe he thought Haziel was coming
to do him in because he had been in battle with him over towards
Syria and Ramoth Gilead. Jezreel is over in Samaria on
the other side of the country. And he sees his army approaching.
As it says there in verse 17, there stood a watchman on the
tower in Jezreel. And he spied a company of Jehu
as he came. And he said, I see a company.
And Joram said, take a horseman and send to meet him. And let
him say, is there peace? So he sends out one messenger.
And the messenger said, the king said, you come in peace. And
Jehu said, I got nothing to do with you having peace. He arrested
him, put him in guard. And the king sends out the second
messenger. And the king said, is it peace
that you come? What have I to do with peace? He arrests him and puts him behind
the enemy, behind the line as well. Finally, in verse 20, Someone
looks out, there in verse 20, and the watchman saying, He came
even unto them, and again cometh not again. And the driving, or
the marching, is like one of Jehu, the son of Nimshah. They
knew this man. They knew. He had been trained
by them. For he drives fearlessly. And
Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready,
and Joram the king of Israel and Ahaziah the king of Judah
went out, each in his chariot, they went out to meet Jehu. And
they met him in the very portion of Naboth's land there in the
vineyard in Jezreel, just as God ordained it to happen. Both Joram and Ahaziah go out
to meet God's king. Providence so ordered it that
they meet in the very piece of ground that Ahab had stolen from
Naboth, and Jezebel had Naboth stoned so Ahab could steal the
vineyard. Joram is still seeking peace
that came to pass, verse 22. When Joram saw Jehu that he said,
Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, what peace. So long as the whoredoms of thy
mother, now she was the one who introduced Baal worship into
Israel, thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so, so many. J.U. answers back, there can
be no peace until sin is dealt with. That is also exactly true in
our salvation, is it not? There can be no peace with God. There can be no reconciliation. There can be no pardon. There
can be no righteousness. There can be no salvation until
our sin is dealt with to the satisfaction of God's holy law. There can be no peace. Thank
God for the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Our sin has
separated us from God. There is no peace, saith my Lord
to the wicked. Wait a minute, that's us. By nature, we're wicked. God
says there is no peace for the wicked. Our sin has separated
us from God. But thank God in the Lord Jesus
Christ, God was in Christ reconciling us unto Himself. God had made
Him to be sin for us. Oh, that's where our sin went.
God made Him sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Christ, substitution and satisfaction. And through that atonement, what
do we have? We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But there can be no peace until
sin is dealt with. How was this peace brought about? Don't turn, let me just read
this to you because you're very familiar with this. Colossians
chapter 1, For it pleased the Father that in Him should all
fullness dwell, having made peace. You see, we don't make peace.
We don't contribute anything to reconciliation and redemption
by the blood sacrifice. That's all that Christ has done
for us. Having made peace through the
blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things, unto himself
by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in
heaven and you that were sometimes alienated enemies in your mind
by your wicked works yet now he hath reconciled." That's our
hope. That's our... Joel Rimm couldn't
do anything to satisfy God's offended justice. He had to die. He had to die. Thank God we have
a substitute. the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice
what happens in verse 23 and verse 24. Joram turned his hand
when he finds out that Jehu comes with vengeance, the vengeance
of God and said, Oh, hey, as I there's treachery. And Jehu
drew a bow with his full strength. I mean, he brought it all the
way back. You bow hunters know what I'm
talking about. Brought it all the way back. And he took dead
aim at Joe Ram between his arms and the arrow went out at his
heart and he sank down in his chariot and he died. J. Hugh draws the bow, but not
at adventure. You remember when Ahab was killed,
that man drew a bow at adventure and let it fly and that arrow
found its target in Ahab and when they washed out his chariot,
you remember the dogs licked up the blood of that chariot
just as God said it would be? You see, God takes aim at his
heart and the arrow finds its target. It was God's arrow aimed
and ordained at his enemy's heart and it never misses the target. Not at all. You remember this
scripture? Turn and read this one with me.
You remember Psalm 45? We started last week reading
this message. Psalm 45, Luke verse 3. Psalm
45 verse 3, "...gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Most Mighty,
with thy glory and with thy majesty, and in thy majesty ride prosperously
because of truth, meekness, righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach
thee tremendous things." I get a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ
riding in the majesty of truth, meekness, and righteousness.
His right hand is a powerful hand. Thine arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under
thee." God's arrow never misses the intended target, not at all. Psalm, turn to Psalm 7, look
at this. Psalm 7, here's another Psalm
on that. Psalm 7 verse 11, God judges the righteous. God
judges the righteous. God is angry with the wicked
every day. If he turn not, he will wet his sword. He hath bent
his bow and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him
the instrument of death. He ordaineth his arrows against
the prosecutors. That was God's ordained arrow
that got Ahab. and got his son Joram as well. The Lord will execute his enemies
in absolute justice. The wrath of God, I thought about
this, the wrath of God against our sin, the wrath of God for
our sin will either be unleashed against us in Christ at Calvary
or It will be unleashed against us in eternal and righteous condemnation
in our own soul, either one or the other. God's justice will
exact its due, either in our substitute at Calvary or in us. The wages of sin is death. Sin must be punished. Why? Why? Can't we just sweep it under
the rug? No. That's the way I clean house
sometimes. I just sweep it under the rug. I shouldn't have told that. Now
she'll look under the rug. Sin must be punished because
God is holy. He can't look on sin with favor. The wages of sin is death. Listen
to this scripture, Habakkuk 1.13. Thou art a purer eye than to
behold evil, cannot look upon iniquity with favor. God cannot. And here's the second thing.
Verse 27 down through verse 29. Joram warns Ahaziah, there's
treachery, oh Ahaziah. Verse 25, then said Jehu to Biktar,
Biktar, his captain, take up and cast him in the portion of
the field and Naboth, the Jezreelite, for remember how that when I
and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the Lord laid
this burden upon him. Surely I've seen yesterday the
blood of Naboth, the blood of his son. Sayeth the Lord, I will
requite thee this platted ground, saith the Lord. Now therefore,
take him and cast him in the platted ground according to the
word of the Lord. You see, our salvation is according
to the word of the Lord. Now, here's the second thing,
verse 27. Ahaziah, the king of Judah, when
he saw this, he fled by the way of the garden
house. And Jehu followed after him,
said, smite him also in his chariot, and they did so. The going up
of Ger and Abilam, and he fled Megiddo, and he died there. And
his servants carried him in his chariot to Jerusalem and buried
him in a sepulcher with his fathers in the city of David. This was
the great, great, great, great grandson of David. In the eleventh
year of Joram, the son of Ahab, again Ahaziah to reign over Judah. Ahaziah was the king of Judah,
but he's also killed for his association and guilt and unbelief
and for associating with a known rebel, known as an idolater,
and it cost him his own life. He was entangled with the guilt
and misery and idolatry of Joram and Ahab. And God ordered his execution. Now this too was no accident. He just wasn't in the wrong place
at the wrong time. It was all ordained of God and
the Lord killed him. Turn to Deuteronomy 32. There
are no accidental deaths. The Lord says here, let me read
it to you. Deuteronomy 32. Deuteronomy 32,
21. See now that I... Deuteronomy
32, verse 39. See now that I, even I, am He,
there is no God with me. I kill, I make alive, I wound,
I heal. Neither is there any that can
deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven
and say, I live forever. If I whip my glittering sword
and my hand take hold on judgment, I render vengeance to my enemies
and will reward them that hate me. I will make my arrows drunk
with blood. My sword shall devour flesh.
and that blood of the slain of the captives from the beginning
of revenge is upon the enemy. Rejoice, you nations, with his
people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants and will
render vengeance to his adversaries." Now, don't miss this. and will
be merciful unto his land, unto his people." Oh, their judgment
to his enemies, mercy unto his people. Sovereign mercy, isn't
it? Sovereign love. He will bless
his people. And he will take vengeance upon
the enemies. Now, here's the last thing. Verse
30 down to verse 37. Here we see the righteous end
of Jezebel. Jezebel is slain by her own servants. They cast her out the window
at the command of Jehu. And the dogs eat most of her
body. And this is all according to the word of the Lord, 1 Kings
21-23. Jezebel is one of the most sinful
and awful persons we read about in Scripture. Her name is synonymous
and used for that name which describes a wicked person. How
many times have you heard, oh, she's a Jezebel? But that comes
from this woman. She's notorious. Her name is
synonymous to describe a wicked. It says down here in verse 34,
she's a cursed woman. And then, verse 37, God said,
let her be like dung. Dung. In Revelation 2, verse
20, her name is used to describe the false preachers in the church
of Thyatira. Don't turn on me, just read it
to you. I think I've got the right reference. Notwithstanding,
he said, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest
that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach
and to seduce my servant, to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols. Way over in the Revelation, God's
still bringing up Jezebel. Well, when Jehu comes in, verse
30, Jezebel, she hears about the entrance
of Jehu, she puts on her makeup, she fixes her hair, and she looks
out the window, verse 31, Jehu entered into the gate and said,
and she said, had Zimri peace? She tried to intimidate him.
She tried to put a tried to make him think, you're not going to
be successful. You're going to be just like Zimri, who rose
up and slew his master, and seven days later, he was dead. He burned
his own house down, committing suicide. Verse 32, he lifted
up his face to the window, that is Jehu, and said, I love this
statement, who's on my side? that remind you of something?
You remember what Moses said when they made that golden calf,
their Aaron and the children in the wilderness? Moses said,
who was on the Lord's side? Those who didn't come over to
the Lord's side, Moses had them all killed, remember? And there
looked out to him two or three of these eunuchs, chamberlains. And he said, throw her down. Boy, they were obedient to the
command. Why? Because it's God's decree. They couldn't do otherwise. They
could not do otherwise. They threw her down. Some of
her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses. And he trod her underfoot. Verse
34, when he was come in, he did eat and drink. No guilt trip
here. I'm doing the will of the Lord."
He came in in perfect, clear conscience. And after a while,
when they had all eaten, he said, go and see this cursed woman
and bury her, for she is the king's daughter. And they went
out to bury her, and they found no more of her than the skull
and the feet and the palms of her hand. Jezebel did not know
that God had anointed Jehu, and he was not acting upon his own
ungodly ambition as Zimri did. Jehu knows what his mission is.
He's not deterred, nor is he discouraged. Jezebel had long
triumphed in her kingdom. She had her wicked way for many
years, but the day of judgment did come. And so it must be for
all that are like unto her, she stands as an enduring symbol
of the wrath of God against sin. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son,
the wrath of God. The wrath of God. Thank God that
He said He delivered us from the wrath to come. You remember?
The Lord warns us, be sure your sin will find you out. Joshua
said concerning Achan, Behold you have sinned against the Lord
and be sure your sin will find you out. Now I repeat what I
said earlier. Be sure we understand that the
judgment of our God, the judgment of God against our sin will either
be satisfied either in our own death and eternal and righteous
punishment or it will be Gloriously satisfied in the death of our
substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, who endured the wrath of God
for us, bearing our sin in his own body on the tree. Christ
also once suffered for our sin, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us unto God. You see what love and mercy and
grace God has given to us, dealing with our sin in our substitute,
and putting that away to the satisfaction of God's own holiness
and His own justice, to magnify His mercy, to magnify His love,
and the salvation of His people. Verse 36, "...Wherefore they
came again and told him, And he said, This is the word of
the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite,
saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. And the carcass of Jezebel shall
be a dung upon the face of the field and portion of Jezreel,
so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. Just as Elijah had
said, by the word of the Lord it came to pass. Be sure you
understand every word of the Lord will be fulfilled. Every
promise of mercy, it will be fulfilled. All the promises of
God in him are yes and amen. And every threat of punishment
will be fulfilled. God makes no idle threats. Hebrews
10 says, He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under
two or three witnesses. How much sore punishment, suppose
you, shall be thought worthy who have trodden underfoot the
Son of God, and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith
He was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the
Spirit of grace. For we know Him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth to me. I will recompense, saith the
Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God. You remember
our message from Isaiah chapter 3 several years back. Say ye to the righteous, it shall
be well with him. Woe unto the wicked. It shall
be ill with him, for the reward of his hand shall be given to
him." The Lord is going to righteously judge every person, every Ahab
and every Jezebel. And this is what we are by nature. Ahab and Jezebel, sinners worthy
of death. But thank God, His grace has
made us to differ. And He's dealt with us in mercy
in our substitute. And we can say with the Apostle
Paul, I am what I am by the grace of God. By the grace of God.