Sermon Tone Analysis

What Peace Can There Be?

Before we get to 2 Kings 9, turn with me quickly to Luke’s gospel and the first chapter.

Luke 1:46-55 records Mary’s Magnificat - the song of praise that this virgin peasant teenage girl sings when it all sinks in: She has been visited by God’s angel Gabriel, been told that she will bear a son - whose name will be Jesus - and that SHE - of all people, will give birth to the promised descendent of great King David, who will take the throne, not just for a few decades, but for all of eternity.

Luke 1:50-55.

Laszlo Tokes, the Romanian pastor whose mistreatment outraged the country and prompted rebellion against the Communist ruler Ceausescu, tells of trying to prepare a Christmas sermon for the tiny mountain church to which he had been exiled.

In Communist Romania, Christians were not allowed to teach their faith to their own children.

Youth Ministry in the church was illegal.

As Christas of 1989 approached, the country was becoming a powder-keg of unrest.

The state police were rounding up dissidents, and violence was breaking out across the country.

Afraid for his life, Tokes bolted his doors, sat down, and read again the stories in Luke and Matthew.

Unlike most pastors who would preach that Christmas, he chose as his text the verses describing Herod's massacre of the innocents.

It was the single passage that spoke most directly to his parishioners.

Oppression, fear, and violence, the daily plight of the underdog, they well understood.

The next day, Christmas, news broke that Ceausescu had been arrested.

Church bells rang, and joy broke out all over Romania.

Another King Herod had fallen.

Tokes recalls, "All the events of the Christmas story now had a new, brilliant dimension for us, a dimension of history rooted in the reality of our lives … For those of us who lived through them, the days of Christmas 1989 represented a rich, resonant embroidery of the Christmas story, a time when the providence of God and foolishness of human wickedness seemed as easy to comprehend as the sun and the moon over the timeless Transylvanian hills."

[And] for the first time in four decades, Romania celebrated Christmas as a public holiday.

When you look at the world around you, today - does it seem as though everything is tilted toward the rich and the powerful: big government, big business, big media, big tech?

… but when you reflect on God’s way of working in the world through history - climaxing in the Incarnation, the ‘Enfleshment’ of God the Son … well, when you look at the world with a God’s-eye view … you can’t help but recognize that the Sovereign of the universe is actually tilted toward His humble children.

“He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.”

We see that here in our text.

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1 JEHU ANOINTED KING OVER ISRAEL, vv.

1-13

READ vv.

1-13

Chapter 9 begins in a place of conflict.

Last week, we saw Elisha anoint a foreigner, Hazael, to be king over not just a foreign nation - but a hostile foreign nation: Syria (Aram).

Elisha does the anointing through tears, because he knows the suffering this man will bring on his own rebellious, but still dearly loved people.

Hazael is being anointed not just to be a king - but to be God’s own leather best to discipline the wayward rebellious nation of Israel.

Chapter 8 ends with conflict going on between the united people of God: North and South on the one side - and the army of Syria on the other.

Ahaziah, king of the southern kingdom and Joram (Jehoram) king of the Northern kingdom - are joinee in a militarty alliance, with the battle taking place at Ramoth Gilead, southeast of the the Sea of Galilee, in present day Jordan.

King Joram gets wounded in battle and heads to a military hospital well back from the battlefield, leaving his military under the command of his officers.

Oh, the coincidences of life ....

But there are NO coincidences.

The theme of this passage, remember: God’s Word directs the course of history.

God has a plan here.

And the plan is explained in vv.

1-3

So, Elisha calls over one of his ministry students - one of the ‘sons of the prophets’ and sends him on mission.

“Tie up your garments’.

In other words - tuck your robe into your belt so you can run fast … (like tying a double knot in your shoelaces before you run a footrace_ take this speical jar of oil ad head for the battle-field.

I want you to find Jehu, son of Nimshi - get him away from whomever he’s with - take him to a private place … and then I want you to pour this oil over his head.

Anoint him to be Israel’s new king.

And once you’ve done that - I want you to get out of there just as fast as you got there.

That’s exactly what the preaching student does.

He arrives at the campt to a gathering of the top military brass.

Panting for breath - exhausted by his run, but focused on the mission at hand, he takes one deep breath an dpusheds the door open.

Seated around a table with various maps and charts laid out in front of them to pour over and strategize.

The young man clears his throat and calls out, Verse 5, “I have a word for you, O Commander.”

Jehu’s never seen this guy before and everyone around this table is in some sort of commanding role in this army - especially now, with the king gone.

So Jehu asks, “To which of us all?” “WHICH ONE OF US?”

“It’s you, O commander.”

Even here - see the invisible hand of God, direction - guiding the young prophet with precision to choose the right man among many to accomplish His purpose.

“It’s YOU sir.”

Jehu gets up and the two exit the tent for a private corner outside.

The young messenger carefully takes out his precious flask, opens it up, pours it out until the head of Jehu is drenched with the perfumed oil.

Then he says, verse 6, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel.”

So, Jehu will be king … but not just any king.

He will be a king with a very specific mission.

Now, we didn’t get this from Elisha’s commission - but here’s the full significance of Jehu’s anointing: “And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD.

(8) For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.

(9) And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah (Two northern kings who’s dynasties were wiped out by God before they could even get started.

(10) And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.’”

That sounds harsh.

But what does that even have to do with Joram?

Remember - this king is the son of Ahab and Jezebel - the most evil power-couple in the history of Israel.

And don’t get caught up in the brutality of this commission - don’t miss the reasoning behind it:

Verse 7, “You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master .... (WHY?) SO THAT I MAY AVENGE ON JEZEBEL THE BLOOD OF MY SERVANTS, THE PROPHETS AND THE BLOOD OF ALL THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD.”

Oh Christian - suffering Christian - suffering under the cruelty of injustice - hard to have peace inside - when there’s no peace outside … see God’s concern - over the cruelly shed blood of ALL OF HIS SERVANTS.

ILLUSTRATION -

The son of the prophet does his anointing, says his piece and as fast as he appeared just 5 minutes earlier, that’s how fast he’s gone - back for home without so much as a ‘see you later, guys’, to the officers he barged in on.

Jehu comes out of his meeting with the messenger and tries to pretend nothing just happened.

His fellow military men are still sitting around the table with the cards in their hands and well, they’re curious.

“What’s was that all about?”

Verse 11, “Is all well?

Why did this mad fellow come to you?”

The newly anointed king tries to play it off as nothing -

Verse 11 continues, “You know the fellow and his talk.”

“You know those crazy preachers ...”

Well, you know those crazy preachers .... he may have got away with that non-explanation.

… Except for ONE thing.

Jehu went out looking like the rest of his commanders, but he’s come back into the room … wet.

From the crown of his head, streaming down his face and drenching the top of his robe … there is oil.

And this isn’t unscented vegetable or olive oil, either.

It’s not motor oil, for that matter.

This is highly fragrant, expensive, perfumed oil fit for an occasion as auspicious as anointing a new king.

So the guys are not buying Jehu’s story.

“That’s not true,” v. 12, “It’s not about a crazy preacher … tells us - what’s REALLY going on.”

Jehu has nowhere to turn … he has to tell the truth.

So, unsure of how his fellow leaders will respond when they hear that HE has been singled out for the highest position in the nation, he confresses.

Verse 12, “Thus and so he spke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘I anoint you king over Israel.’”

Well - the response is nothing but positive.

Obiously King Joram is not the leader they wanted - man, he’s not even at the battle.

Jehu is a much better choice.

So every single, seasoned, hardened, military commander around that table - men whose careers have been built on holding back emotion and calmly, dispassionately assessing a scene to make the right strategic choice … every one of these men - takes off his coat, puts it on the bare floor at Jehu’s feet, someone pulls out a trumpte to blow and in unison they shout with joy, “Jehu is KING!”

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2 THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, vv.

14-29

In verse 14, the mission begins with first things first.

READ vv.

14-16.

The conspirators feed and water the horses, they ready the chariots - check the tire pressure and the oil level … and they hit the highway for Jezreel.

It’s a journey of 44 miles, west from Ramoth Gilead, which is a border town, across the Jordan River and into so-called ‘safe’ Israelite territory, to find the recuperating king and take his throne.

Do you see how God’s Word is directing the way here - moving the course of history?

Watch Jehu on this mission.