The way of Jehu

Aggressive driving is a major factor in U.S. traffic crashes, playing a role not just in road rage but in a large number of fatal highway collisions each year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as occurring when “an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.”

While aggressive driving is difficult to quantify, a 2009 study by the American Automobile Association reported that based on data tracked by NHTSA’s Fatal Accident Reporting System, aggressive driving played a role in 56 percent of fatal crashes from 2003 through 2007, with excessive speed being the No. 1 factor. Speeding was also the leading driving behavior associated with fatal crashes in 2019 (17.2 percent), followed by driving under the influence (10.1 percent), according to NHTSA:

Following improperly

Improper or erratic lane changing

Illegal driving on road shoulder, in ditch, or on sidewalk or median

Passing where prohibited

Operating the vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, or negligent manner or suddenly changing speeds

Failure to yield right of way

Failure to obey traffic signs, traffic control devices, or traffic officers, failure to observe safety zone traffic laws

Failure to observe warnings or instructions on vehicle displaying them

Failure to signal

Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit

Racing

Making an improper turn

2 Kings 9:17–20 NLT

17 The watchman on the tower of Jezreel saw Jehu and his company approaching, so he shouted to Joram, “I see a company of troops coming!” “Send out a rider to ask if they are coming in peace,” King Joram ordered. 18 So a horseman went out to meet Jehu and said, “The king wants to know if you are coming in peace.” Jehu replied, “What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!” The watchman called out to the king, “The messenger has met them, but he’s not returning.” 19 So the king sent out a second horseman. He rode up to them and said, “The king wants to know if you come in peace.” Again Jehu answered, “What do you know about peace? Fall in behind me!” 20 The watchman exclaimed, “The messenger has met them, but he isn’t returning either! It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he’s driving like a madman.”

At the beginning of 2 Kings chapter 9, Elisha the prophet had commissioned a young prophet to go and anoint Jehu to be the King of Israel.

Furthermore, his mission was to destroy the family of Ahab and Jezebel. To avenge the murder of the prophets of the Lord that had been put to death by Jezebel.

And so Jehu does exactly what he had been commissioned to do. He gets in his chariot and rides to Jezreel to find Joram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, who is hiding in Jezreel.

As he approaches Jezreel, the watchman that is in the tower sees him approach from a distance and calls out to Joram that a company is approaching, being led by this chariot in the front.

Joram commands that they send out a rider to inquire if the company is approaching in peace.

When that rider doesn’t return, Joram gives command to send out another rider to find it if they are coming in peace.

When the second rider doesn’t return either, the watchman informs Joram that he thinks he knows the identity of the driver of the approaching chariot.

It must be Jehu…because he is driving like a madman!

the King James version says, it must be Jehu because he is driving furiously!!

Still another translation says .... surely it’s Jehu, the driver is driving like a maniac.

Jehu had earned a reputation. A reputation that could be identified by the watchman standing in the tower. He was close enough to see Jehu’s facial features, he stature, the rank on his uniform, the color of his hair or wether it was a Ford or Chevy chariot he was driving.

The only quality about Jehu that was visible, was the way that he was driving and just based upon that…he knew that it was Jehu!

There are a few telling points about the way of Jehu…

1. Jehu was a man of consistency…

He had worked, over time, to gain the reputation of a man that was aggressive and relentless in his pursuits.

That watchman would have never been able to positively identify Jehu if he drove that way under certain conditions, but not under others.

He would have never been able to recognize Jehu from such a distance if depending on what mood he was in, or how his day went or what day of the week it was…some days he drove furiously…others days he drove timidly….

But the watchman declared with absolute certainty…Thats got to be Jehu…because that is the way of Jehu…I don’t have to get close enough to see his face…The rank on his uniform…the way he combs his hair…I’m absolutely positive that is Jehu, because that is the way he ALWAYS drives his chariot!

Consistency…you know those people that you never know what you’re gonna get…You have to wait until they get close enough so you can see what kind of mood they are in…what their attitude is like…Are they happy today? Sad? Excited? Angry?

We need to be a consistent generation…Not up one day and down the next…

Not, pastor you can count on me one day…and don’t show up to church for 2 weeks straight the next.

Not I want to be used of God one day…and in love with the world the next.

Not in the altar one Sunday…and sleeping on the back row the next Sunday.

None of this, I’ll be a worshipper if everything is going good, but I’ll with hold my praise if I’ve got problems…

I’m tired of being on fire for God during camp meeting and youth congress and then carnal when I get back home!

I want the enemy to be able to tell its me coming from a long way off! When he sees an exuberant worshipper, I want him to know its me coming…because that is the way of Jehu!!!

It should be that when you walk in the room, people know before they every see your countenance…they are a worshipper…they are overcoming…they are victorious…

You should be able to tell when you see me from a distance, because I’ve been consistent…i’ve been dedicated…I’ve been dependable!

thats the way I am!

2. Jehu was a man of distinction…

he had separated himself from the pack.

Jehu wasn’t he only one in Isreal that drove chariots…

At one point in the kingdom of Isreal, under Solomons kingship we know they had at least 4,000 chariots (1 Kings 4:26)…

and yet the way of Jehu was unlike any other!

there may have been others drove chariots…but nobody did it like Jehu!

We spend too much time trying to do it the way that everybody else is doing it…When God is looking for someone that will stop trying to be like everyone else! Stop trying to fit in…and stand out!

You cant stand out if you fit in!

You can’t be distinguished and be a duplicate!

Our human nature is to try to fit in…We want to look like everyone else…Act like everyone else…Wear what everybody else is wearing!!!

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; A peculiar people!

I believe that hell can tell the difference from a distance when Apostolics get together and begin to praise the Name of Jesus..

3,999 chariot drives of Isreal…no distinction…nothing unique!

There may be 4,000 other chariot drivers, but nobody is going to drive the chariot like I do!

But I believe that the watchmen of hell are focused in on what is going on in this room tonight…there is something different about the approach of what is going on in this room tonight…

God is looking for a people that are consistent and distinguished…

Jehu was more than an aggressive driver

There would be little merit to preaching about Jehu is his passion simply marked his chariot driving.

If he passionately drove his chariot, but passively pursued the things of God.

and here is the problem. Many of us earn reputations about things that we are passionate about.

they know us by our passion for the Dallas Cowboys

they can identify us by our passion for food

We have earned a reputation for our passion for fashion

or our passion for posting on social media

and yet when it comes to God…we are apathetic…passionless…and passive.

Man Jehu…I saw you driving that chariot…and you were a maniac…a madman!!!

I saw you at the Cowboys game…and you were a wild man!

I saw your reel on Instagram and i saw your energy and you enthusiam

But when I see at church…its like you are a different person!

2 Kings 10-15-16

English Standard Version Chapter 10

15 And when he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16 And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.”

Come see my zeal…my passion…my enthusiasm for the Lord!!!

In other words…Jehu was more than just an aggressive driver!

He was more than just a furious chariot driver…he was furious in his love for the Lord!

He was more than just a madman guiding his chariot…He was passionate about the Kingdom of God!

I believe today, God is asking for some young people that will be more than aggressive drivers!

More than passionate Cowboys fans!

More than enthusiastic fans of fashion.