Hosea 1:4-5
“And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
Always a little history is helpful in the understanding of history. This helps in understanding what is about to happen, and why. The prophet Elisha who lived 855-800 B.C. called the sons of the prophets and told them to take a flask of oil and go to Ramoth-gilead and ask for a private meeting with Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. And this is what he was to do as reported in 2 Kings 9:3, “Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee; do not linger.” As we keep reading, we get the bigger picture in verses 4-10, “So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. And when he came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council. And he said, “I have a word for you, O commander.” And Jehu said, “To which of us all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.” So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “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. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.”
Jehu was the instrument God used to fulfill all that he had spoken to Elijah about the house of Ahab and Omri’s dynasty in the city and valley of Jezreel. Now this is the sad news, Jehu was just as wicked as Omri and would also suffer annihilation at Jezreel. The naming of Hosea’s first son Jezreel was in keeping with the judgment coming to a people called by God, a special people, His chosen people, who had chased after other gods, like wealth, the good life, and had taken advantage of the poor and under-resourcedd, and were like Gomer, a wayward wife whose children were of promiscuity, as were the children of Israel.
As you look into the mirror what do you see, do you have any of the tendencies of Gomer, or the children of Israel? Is the teenager that leaves your house for school a child of promiscuity in the mold of and model of this culture? Where your heart is all your actions will follow. So today is a great day to do as 2 Corinthians 13:5 admonishes us to do: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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