Today, I want to look in the Bible at someone who is not often studied. His name is Jehu, a commander in Israel’s army, and you can find his story in 2 Kings chapters 9-10.

            In 1 Kings 16:30 it says of King Ahab, a murderer and an idolater and the seventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel, that he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all those before him. He died with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, during a battle to recover Ramoth-Gilead from the Arameans. He was mortally wounded by an unaimed arrow. The dogs licked the blood from his chariot, as Elijah had prophesied.
 
          God used a prophet of Elisha to anoint Jehu as king of Israel. God also gave Jehu an assignment. He was to strike down the descendants of Ahab because of Ahab’s  wickedness.

        When the prophet anointed Jehu to be king, he said the following: “... ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. 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. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel” (2 Kings 9: 6-8).

         The Bible presents Jehu as a very intense man who goes full blast in carrying out his assignment. The following verse describes the way he drives his chariot. “The watchman reported...’The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously’” (2 Kings 9:20, italics mine).

        In verse 24, Jehu draws his bow with his “full strength” and the arrow pierces the heart of the son of King Ahab, named Joram. With continued vigour, Jehu has King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel put to death and tramples her body under his horses’ hoofs. At the start of chapter 10 of 2 Kings, Jehu kills 70 sons of Ahab. So far, he has been obedient to the Lord’s command.

         He continues his mission, and through trickery, kills all the prophets, priests, and worshipers of Baal. “In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel” ( 2 Kings 10:28 NLT). Jehu does everything big. If he lived today, his motto might be, ‘Go big or go home’.

        BUT, the end of verse 28 of 2 Kings 10 says, “He (Jehu) did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin.”

        Verses 31-32 of 2 Kings 10 (NLT) are telling. “But Jehu did not obey the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. At about that time the Lord began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory” (bold print mine).

       Because Jehu destroyed Ahab’s family, as God told him to, God allowed him to have descendants on the throne of Israel for four generations. But because of Israel’s persistence in hanging on to idolatry, which Jehu failed to stop, God began to cut off parts of Israel, until we read about the Israelites going into exile at the end of 2 Kings.

       Jehu was zealous to cleanse the land of Baal worship, but he did not seek to love God with all his heart, soul, and mind as Jesus told us to do in Matthew 22:37. He was not a true worshipper of God.

            What lessons can we learn from Jehu’s story? There are many, but here are three.

1. To end well, we must live a life of vital fellowship with God. A number of kings in the Bible began well, but ended poorly because they failed to keep God first place in their lives.
2. It is important to follow ALL the commands of God, not only those that benefit us.
3. We must worship God in spirit and in truth. “God is Spirit, and it behooves those worshiping Him to worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24 BLB). False worship of the one true God is not acceptable to Him. 

        In closing, if we are wise, we will not be like Jehu and go half way in following God. To be half hearted may lead to success in some things, but in the end, we will fail. Our goal should be to walk closely with the King, the Lord of all.

            Did you know crows are called “gangsters of the sky” and that they have the audacity to attack eagles, the strongest bird of prey? Crows attack eagles, mainly to steal their food. The hunt for food takes energy; it’s much easier for the crow to steal it. The crow will also attack to protect their nests and hunting grounds.
           
          Crows are intelligent. I read they are as smart as a seven-to-ten-year old child. When they glide, they can reach up to 70 mph. The following are some of the tactics they use to attack eagles:

1.Crows dive bomb, peck at the eagle, and tug at their feathers. They are known to land on the eagle’s back

2.Crows use their numbers to confuse their victims, so their prey has to fight on many fronts

3.Crows do something called “mobbing”. As few as three or four or as many as dozens will come at a victim with their voices. They caw and caw, intimidating the prey. They don’t stop

4.Crows tag-team. While some go off to rest and feed, others come in to continue the fight. The crows get a rest, while the prey doesn’t

         So what does the eagle do when attacked by crows? It flies higher. An eagle can fly comfortably at 10,000 feet, while a crow’s maximum is 7,000 feet. Higher than 7,000 feet, the crow gets dizzy and faints. They don’t have the lung capacity to fly at the higher heights.

            When I read about the tactics crows use, they reminded me of Satan’s strategies. John 10:10 (VOICE), says, “The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaugher, and destroy...” Satan stands ready to steal the blessings God has pledged to us by whispering lies into our ears and making us doubt God’s goodness and promises.  

            And if we as believers bring light into his territory of darkness, he will attack. Like a tag team, he and his demons will wear us down with their constant voices of negativity, doubt, and accusation.

            He will ruffle our feathers, peck, and dive-bomb us and bring pressures from all sides, whether it be in our finances, health, or relationships. He and his devils will mob us with their voices, telling us we are fools for believing God.

            So...what should we do? Do like the eagle does – fly higher and look heavenward. Dwell on God and on His promises. In Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). In Him, we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). God always leads us in triumphal procession – not sometimes, but always (2 Corinthians 2:14). If we’ve been born of God, we are world overcomers (1 John 5:14). The God in us is greater than the god of this world (1 John 4:4). Jesus disarmed the rulers of darkness and authorities and put them to open shame (Colossians 2:15). Jesus has given us all power over the enemy (Luke 10:19). I could go on, but I think you get my drift.

            When under attack, praise the Lord. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise and worship break bonds. Remember Paul and Silas in jail (Acts 16:24-26). When Jehoshaphat and the Israelites praised the Lord, God fought their battle (2 Chronicles 20:19-22). The walls of Jericho tumbled when Joshua and the people shouted and blew trumpets (Joshua 6:20).

            Change what you’re looking at. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). Lift up your eyes to the Creator of heaven and earth. The closer we get to God, the more jittery the enemy becomes. In God’s presence, the air is thin and Satan can’t breathe well. Praise the Lord for His might, His goodness, His faithfulness, His kindness and goodwill toward us, His unchangeableness, His wisdom, His love.

            When we choose to turn away from the attack of the enemy and focus on God, we submit to God. “So submit yourselves to the one true God and fight against the devil and his schemes. If you do, he will run away in failure” (James 4:7 VOICE).
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             Be like the eagle, fly high, and see the devil run, his tail tucked between his legs.