Is Your Heart Right?

2 Kings 10:1-17

    1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote and sent letters to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those who reared Ahab's sons, saying:
    2 Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master's sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and weapons, 3 choose the best qualified of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
    4 But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, "Look, two kings could not stand up to him; how then can we stand?" 5 And he who was in charge of the house, and he who was in charge of the city, the elders also, and those who reared the sons, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants, we will do all you tell us; but we will not make anyone king. Do what is good in your sight."
    6 Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying: If you are for me and will obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.  Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 So it was, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and slaughtered seventy persons, put their heads in baskets and sent them to him at Jezreel.   8 Then a messenger came and told him, saying, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons."  And he said, "Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning."
    9 So it was, in the morning, that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, "You are righteous. Indeed I conspired against my master and killed him; but who killed all these? 10 Know now that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab; for the LORD has done what He spoke by His servant Elijah." 11 So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his close acquaintances and his priests, until he left him none remaining.
    12 And he arose and departed and went to Samaria. On the way, at Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, "Who are you?"  So they answered, "We are the brothers of Ahaziah; we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother."  14 And he said, "Take them alive!" So they took them alive, and killed them at the well of Beth Eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.
    15 Now 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 right, as my heart is toward your heart?"  And Jehonadab answered, "It is."  Jehu said, "If it is, give me your hand." So he gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. 16 Then he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So they had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah.

Elisha had given the word of the LORD to spare king Ahab because he had repented for his evil (1 Kings 21:21, 29), but the annihilation of his line would be when his son lived.  Here that promise is kept.  First we see Jehu wrote to urge the elders in Samaria to take over the power from Ahab’s descendants by putting their best on the throne, but they were afraid and would only commit to helping.  Elisha had those who were raising Ahab’s sons bring all seventy of them to him at Jezreel.  They were killed and their heads sent to Elisha at Jezreel, where he had them pile them up at the city gate to be seen.  He commended them for taking the matter into their own hands, and blessed them for it; also he proclaimed that the word of the LORD would surely be finished in eliminating the rest of Ahab’s evil generations because of his leading God’s people away into sin and abomination.  Jehu attributed this to the word through Elisha and killed the rest in Jezreel, even Ahab’s closest friends and pagan priests.  The next day he traveled to Samaria and met the brothers of Ahaziah on their way to greet the now deceased sons of Ahab.  He captured and killed them for their allegiance to and support of the evil to keep those influences and ideas from propagating further as a cancer of idolatry and sin which Ahab and Jezebel spread across the land.  Elisha met Jehonadab and confirmed his loyal heart to the LORD, and showed him all that he had done to end the sinful Ahab’s line as the LORD had told Elisha to tell Ahab when he was given more time before judgment on his house.  This demonstrates the word of the LORD, because of His hatred of sin, was sovereign and immutable.  His will will be done and judgment will be meted out on His enemies and those of His people.  In the final judgment we will see this carried out to the last person opposing His Christ, His Word.  The good news of deliverance from this end must therefore be preached to all that some may hear who answer the question, “Is your heart right?”  (John 3:16, 20-21).