And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.”
Have you ever heard of the prophet Jeremiah? Yes, most have. Have you ever heard a message about the prophet Isaiah? Yes, most of us have. Have you ever heard a teaching on the run-a-way prophet Jonah? Of course, almost everyone (even non-believers) have heard about the prophet swallowed by a whale. But, have you ever heard a message, teaching or even a little devotional on the prophet Jehu, the one recorded in the above passage? I have read through the Bible for decades. But if I would have had a Jeopardy question tossed to me that had anything to do with the prophet Jehu, I would not have recalled his name. In the Old Testament he is recorded in the above passage and then also here:
2 Chronicles 19:2 (ESV)
But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the LORD.
2 Chronicles 20:34
(ESV) Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
Apparently he has more prophesies than just the one above. Jehu, this obscure prophet, is asked to deliver a message to an evil king named Baasha. In the subsequent verses in the chapter Jehu’s prophecy will come to fruition. Baasha will be destroyed. But we know little about Jehu other than the fact that he was the son of Hanani. In the Hebrew language his name means the Lord is He. It is actually a popular name in the OT, as the name is used 58 times to refer to number of different people. But this prophet is never-the-less unknown to us, except for these three passages. This is a great picture how God can take a common man and use them in uncommon ways. Jehu is delivering a message of doom and gloom to this bad king. God can use people like this to do His work and then we never hear of them again. Too many people in Christianity want to be known for something. But in God’s world and work He often uses the lessor parts of the body (a hand, a foot, a finger, etc.) to accomplishing something great. They are not noticeable by anyone other than God. But God uses the lessor to speak to the greater. Note how Paul said this same thought to the church at Corinth:
1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV)
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
Paul, himself was famous. But he also thought of himself as nothing before God and in doing God’s work:
2 Corinthians 11:5-6 (ESV)
Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Much of the book of 2 Corinthians is Paul defending himself on the one hand (toward those who are false teachers in the church) and commending himself on the other. He knew he was insignificant and God could use anyone. Look at the list of who God uses, besides just the Jehu:
1. Noah
2. Moses (thought he was unworthy)
3. David (a shepherd boy and adulterer)
4. Jospeh
5. Jonah (a disobedient prophet)
6. Paul (a murderer)
7. Peter (a fishermen)
8. Matthew (a tax-collector)
9. Onisimus ( a run-a-way slave).
10. Esther (a widow)
11. Mary (a prostitute)
12. Lydia (a merchant)
13. Sarah (a doubting soon-to-be mother)
14. Deborah (a prophetess)
15. Bathsheba (an adulterer)
16. Rehab (a prostitute)
17. Martha (a super active and busy woman)
18. Mary (a virgin who bore Jesus)
19. Priscilla (a teacher in Acts)
20. An unnamed widow (who feed and cared for the prophet Elijah)
God uses insignificant people to accomplish His significant work. Jehu was just a man used by God and then we hear little again. We can be used by God and then not heard from again by other man. But always known by God.
No comments:
Post a Comment