Jehu Strikes Down the Prophets of Baal
Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.
King Jehu was commissioned by God to destroy Queen Jezebel and all those who worshipped false gods with her. In the above passage he does this by deception. He orders a great feast and worship service for all those who worship the god Baal. Those who worshiped this false god would all be assembled and King Jehu would have them all killed. Only those who truly worshipped Baal would be in the worship center:
2 Kings 10:20-24 (ESV)
And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.”
God does not tolerate false worship. In our human spirit we can’t wrap our minds around this destruction of these worshippers of Baal. But it teaches us just how serious God is about false worshipping. No matter the name of the god (Baal in this case), God will not tolerate His people worshipping false idols. In this case, God would use Jehu to completely destroy the Baal cult:
2 Kings 10:25-27 (ESV)
So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.
God does not tolerate false worship. The first commandment is real:
Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before me.
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