Sunday
Morning Bible Study
May 19, 2002
Introduction
When the northern kingdom of Israel split away from the southern kingdom of
Judah, things began to go downhill for the northern kingdom. They reached one
of the lowest points during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. These two
introduced the nation to the worship of Baal. They were murderers and
cheats. When Ahab had wanted a piece of
land that belonged to his neighbor and the neighbor refused to sell it, Ahab
got all depressed. His wife Jezebel then took over the problem and had the
neighbor accused of blasphemy and treason and then put to death. Through all
this, God waited patiently until He could wait no longer. Ahab was dead, but
his family was still causing trouble.
The time for judgment had come, and it would come through a general of
Ahab’s army named Jehu. Jehu was anointed to become king in place of the family
of Ahab and he started by killing the son of Ahab, Joram. Then he had all
seventy of Ahab’s sons put to death.
:15-17 Friends with a passion
:15 Jehonadab the son of Rechab
Jehonadab – Y@hownadab –
“Jehovah is willing”; chief of the Rechabites, in the time of Jehu and Ahab
Rechab – Rekab – “rider”.
These people are Kenites (1Chr.
2:55), descendants of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. They were a
Bedouin-like people who lived in tents and moved from place to place.
Jehonadab seems to have been a pretty good guy. He seems to have had an
impact on his family.
Jeremiah had an encounter with some of Jehonadab’s descendants 230 years
after Jehu. Jeremiah is told by God to do a very strange thing and to gather up
all of Jehonadab’s descendants and try and make them drink wine.
(Jer 35:6-11 KJV) But
they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father
commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for
ever: {7} Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor
have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days
in the land where ye be strangers.
It sounds like they were all a bunch of sober hippies.
Yet we too ought to learn to live a little more like strangers in the land.
This world is not our home.
{8} Thus have we obeyed the
voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us,
to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; {9}
Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field,
nor seed: {10} But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according
to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. {11} But it came to pass, when
Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and
let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of
the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.
The only reason these Rechabites are living in Jerusalem is because they
are running from Nebuchadnezzar.
These descendants of Jehonadab will become a lesson for Jeremiah and the
rest of the people of Judah. They will be a lesson of how people are to listen
and do what is right. These people listened to their father and obeyed him. God
wishes that the people of Judah would listen to Him.
As a result of their obedience, God promised these people:
(Jer 35:19 KJV)
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of
Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.
Lesson
Set the standard for your family
(Eph 6:4 KJV) And, ye
fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord.
Jehonadab was a man who set an example that his family followed for
generations to come. He taught them what to do, and then lived it.
Illustration
IN MY FOOTSTEPS?
There was a lady physician who told a story about her four-year-old
daughter. On the way to preschool, the doctor had left her stethoscope on the
car seat, and her little girl picked it up and began playing with it. “Be
still, my heart”, thought the doctor, “my daughter wants to follow in my
footsteps!” Then the child spoke into the instrument. “Welcome to
McDonald’s. May I take your order?”
Setting an example is supposed to be a daily thing, a way of life thing:
(Deu 6:4-9 KJV) Hear,
O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: {5} And thou shalt love the LORD thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. {6}
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: {7}
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them
when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when
thou liest down, and when thou risest up. {8} And thou shalt bind them for a
sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. {9}
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Parents – set the standard for your children. Give them an example that
they can follow.
Illustration
In His Mother's Steps
:15 Is thine heart right, as my heart is
with thy heart?
(NLT)
"Are you as loyal to me as I am to you?" "Yes, I am,"
Lesson
Good friends
Throughout Scripture we see the tremendous value of having good
friends. As we look at this, ask
yourself, “Who are my friends and how do I treat them?” Think about your spouse. If you need friends, this is a way to get
them.
Jonathan and his armor bearer
(1 Sam 14:6-7 KJV)
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go
over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will
work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
{7} And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn
thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
Good friends support each other. Even if
it’s a little risky.
David and Jonathan
David and Jonathan had become good friends. But there came a time when
David was a risky person to hang around with. Jonathan’s dad, Saul, was jealous
of David and wanted David dead.
(1 Sam 23:16-18 KJV)
And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and
strengthened his hand in God. {17} And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand
of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and
I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. {18} And they
two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan
went to his house.
Good friends encourage each other
Paul and Silas
Silas had been selected to be Paul’s new traveling companion on his next
missionary trip. They made their way across Asia Minor and found themselves in
Macedonian city Philippi. People were beginning to respond to the gospel. When
Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl who told fortunes for her master, Paul and
Silas found themselves in trouble.
(Acts 16:22-32 KJV)
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off
their clothes, and commanded to beat them. {23} And when they had laid many
stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them
safely: {24} Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner
prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. {25} And at midnight Paul and
Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Good friends praise God together in hard
times.
I think it’s funny how we keep Jesus out of the middle of
some of our “Christian friendships”. Christian friends should pray together.
They should seek God together. They should worship together.
{26} And suddenly there was
a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and
immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. {27}
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors
open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the
prisoners had been fled. {28} But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do
thyself no harm: for we are all here. {29} Then he called for a light, and
sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, {30} And
brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? {31} And they
said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
{32} And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his
house.
Good friends serve God together.
Two are better than one.
(Eccl 4:9-12 KJV) Two
are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. {10} For
if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone
when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
We need friends who will help us when we fall. We need
friends who will pick us up when we stumble.
{11} Again, if two lie
together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
The coal miners that were trapped for three days in
Pennsylvania kept each other warm by snuggling up close to each other.
{12} And if one prevail
against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly
broken.
I like to think of Jesus being that “third cord”. The best
friend is the one that makes sure that Jesus is in the middle of your
relationship.
:16-17 Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.
zeal – qin’ah – ardour,
zeal, jealousy. We might translate this “fire” or “passion”.
Apparently there were still some relatives of Ahab still alive when Jehu
meets Jehonadab. Jehu is going to go on to kill all of them. He’s even going to
wipe out Baal worship from the northern kingdom of Israel.
A few months ago (May 5, 2002) we talked about the danger of misplaced
passion when we looked at the trouble that Saul had caused Israel by striking
out and killing some of the Gibeonites (2Sam. 21:2), something that eventually
lead to tragedy.
We talked then about how we need to be careful that our “passion” stays in
line with God’s Word. We need to be sure that we are passionate about the
things that God is passionate about.
Some people have criticized Jehu for his zeal. Certainly we’ll see that not
everything was perfect in his heart (2Ki. 10:31).
There are some who say that he went way overboard with zeal in his
slaughter of the house of Ahab. But God doesn’t seem to have thought this. In
fact, God rewards Jehu for his zeal:
(2 Ki 10:30 KJV) And the
LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is
right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all
that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on
the throne of Israel.
Lesson
Zeal Part One: Find out what God
wants you to do.
Jehu actually knew what God wanted him to do.
He didn’t go out and kill people because he was passionate. He knew what
God wanted him to do.
He had been visited by a young prophet.
(2 Ki
9:6-10 NLT) So Jehu left the others and went into the house. Then the young
prophet poured the oil over Jehu's head and said, "This is what the LORD,
the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the Lord's people, Israel. {7}
You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge
the murder of my prophets and all the Lord's servants who were killed by
Jezebel. {8} The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out--every male, slave and
free alike, in Israel. {9} I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the
families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah. {10} Dogs will
eat Ahab's wife, Jezebel, at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury
her." Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.
When things began to unfold, Jehu remembered another word that had been
given by Elijah:
(2 Ki
9:25-26 NLT) Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, "Throw him into the
field of Naboth of Jezreel. Do you remember when you and I were riding along
behind his father, Ahab? The LORD pronounced this message against him: {26} 'I
solemnly swear that I will repay him here on Naboth's property, says the LORD,
for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.' So throw him out
on Naboth's field, just as the LORD said."
After Jezebel’s death, he remembered again:
(2 Ki
9:34-37 NLT) Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he
said, "Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a
king." {35} But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull,
her feet, and her hands. {36} When they returned and told Jehu, he stated,
"This fulfills the message from the LORD, which he spoke through his
servant Elijah from Tishbe: 'At the plot of land in Jezreel, dogs will eat
Jezebel's flesh. {37} Her body will be scattered like dung on the field of
Jezreel, so that no one will be able to recognize her.'"
Though God can speak to us through prophets, we already have TONS of things
that God has already clearly spoken to us about in His Word, the Bible.
The priest Ezra had God’s hand on his life,
(Ezra 7:10
KJV) For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it,
and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
Do you know what God wants you to do? If not, start by spending time
reading God’s Word. Study it.
Lesson
Zeal Part Two: Do it.
Jesus wants us to be passionate about doing what is right. Jesus said,
(Rev 3:19-20 KJV) As
many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
{20} Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
When we realize that we are in a bad place, we ought to be
“zealous” about how we turn around. We ought to be “passionate” about turning
from our sin.
People ought to be able to “see” your zeal.
(Mat 5:14-16 KJV) Ye
are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. {15}
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. {16} Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven.
Is your zeal showing? Can anyone see
your zeal?