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Saturday Devotion: 2 Kings 9 & 10

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Date: 17th October 2020: The God who is the Judge

What do you love about God? I imagine most would say that God is love, God is the Good Shepherd, God is the Father, and others. While these are true, we often miss this, God is Judge.

In 2 Kings 9 & 10, it is not a passage that we hear much and it definitely is not popular. Possibly causes confusion. Why? A lot of bloodsheds. King Ahad, Queen Jezebel, their entire family, and all prophets of Baal were slaughtered. Gruesome and horrific. Who was behind it? Jehu. More, God was behind it all. Through Elisha, God made him king of Israel.

What was happening?! From a biblical perspective, this was the fulfillment of the judgment of God towards King Ahad.

This is the truth, as much as God is the God of love and grace; He is also the God who is the Judge. In our culture (including Christian culture) this is not popular but God does not go by popular culture. He is the God who is the same, yesterday and tomorrow. He was Judge, He is Judge and He will be Judge.

In these 2 chapters, the judgment is clear and shocking. Difficult for us to take in. We ask, "Maybe there is some misunderstanding?" Yet the biblical record is simple and clear, Jehu was God's instrument of judgment.

Then we sometimes hear, "That is only in the Old Testament, the time of the law and we are now in grace." Yet we find a major part of Jesus's teaching is on the judgment. Judgment is a major part of the teaching of the New Testament. The book of Revelation is packed with it. Why? Because God is both the God who is love and the God who is judge.

We must live with the love of God. We must also live with the fear of God. The judgment of Ahad and Jezebel was real and so will the day of judgment be. Let us walk in love and fear, pleasing God.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28 - 29) 

Prayer:
God, you love all and you will judge all also. We find tension in this, yet it is clear in the bible. Teach us to understand it. When we in our limitation cannot understand or accept it, help us at least see perfect love and judgment took place at the same time, for our sake, when your Son died on the cross. In Christ's name, Amen. 

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