Clean Up On Aisle 7
One Year Bible (June 26)
2 Kings 9:14-10:31
Clean Up on Aisle 7
Have you ever seen the movie, “Mr. Mom” with Michael Keaton? It is about a dad with two young kids in his shopping cart, and everywhere he goes trouble follows! Grapefruits roll on the floor, his kids both go missing, and Irv, (the grocery store attendant) can be regularly heard on the loudspeaker saying, “Clean up on Aisle…..” This phrase is still used frequently in our culture today and means, “Cleaning Up a Big Mess!”
Today’s story is, “Clean up on Aisle 7” and it is a BIG MESS!!
King Ahab, the king of Israel, is the SEVENTH king and he has been creating quite a mess for quite some time. Sometimes we wonder why does evil go unpunished for so long?
Well, today is the day of RECKONING for King Ahab and all of his family, close supporters, and descendants because of their treatment of Naboth as foretold in I Kings 21.
Jehu will be the “hand of revenge” assigned for this “foretold” house cleaning and Naboth is the man for whom justice is being served.
Who is Naboth and what does he have to do with this? Naboth was a Jezreelite who had a vineyard in close proximity to Ahab’s palace.
Ahab wanted to turn this land into a vegetable garden but Naboth would not sell it to him. “No inheritance in Israel was to pass from one tribe to another”... (Numbers 36:7). It also says, “The land must not be sold permanently.” (Leviticus 25:23).
King Ahab “POUTED” when he couldn’t get his way and Queen Jezebel “POUNCED”!
Notice how the King and his wife didn’t care about following the laws when they wanted something, but Queen Jezebel sure knew how to use the rules to get her way when she wanted something! In order to remove Naboth, she conspired to have two witnesses falsely accuse Naboth according to the law in Deut. 17:6. Because of her ‘trumped up’ false charges, Naboth was taken out of the city and stoned to death, so they could then steal his vineyard.
Queen Jezebel heard the news that Jehu had come to Jezreel. So, what does she do?
Well… “She painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window” to watch! (2 Kings 9:30)
What a strange thing to tell us about this woman! Was she preparing for a state dinner for his arrival, or preparing herself for a mock tribute to Israel’s new king? She called him “Zimri” ( a name referring to a traitor who had killed a king. So, I am thinking the state dinner is “OUT”!)
Just picturing her like this is creepy! Might there be another reason for her weird primping??
Proverbs 6:25 says, “Do not lust after her beauty in your heart. Nor let her ALLURE you with HER EYELIDS.” It sure seems like “Queen Jeze-Hell-Bell” is playing ‘the part’ right up until her very last scene!
Look at what Jehu says about her, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?” (2 Kings 9: 22)
The long-awaited prophecy of Elijah and now Elisha is coming to pass. Two of her servants pushed her out the window. Also, as foretold, The dogs ate Jezebel’s flesh! (She didn’t really need the eyeliner and hairdo after all!)
The Wicked Witch is GONE…and along with her will be “CLEAN UP ON AISLE 7!”
ALL the people that served Ahab and ALL of his descendants were obliterated from the kingdom!
On this day, Jehus tricks ALL prophets of BAAL to come for sacrifices and burnt offerings. They are ALL killed as Elisha had commanded when he had him ordained as king.
So, was Jehu a good king or a bad king?
He certainly accomplished the Lord’s commands on that day! Let’s look at the end of the passage, “” You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation.” (2 Kings 10: 30)
But, Jehu did NOT obey the Law of the Lord completely. He left the golden calves of King Jeroboam and he refused to turn away from those sins! (10:31)
He made a BIG MISTAKE on Aisle 7 that we may want to stop and pay close attention to…
(As in SEVEN stands for COMPLETE obedience!)
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:22-23)
Didn’t Jehu even drive out demons on that day and follow God’s commands? Yes, indeed he did!
However, it’s not just “What We Do”. It’s “Who WE KNOW”.
Jehu bragged about knowing God and doing his work, but did he KNOW God? Just listen to his words and then watch his actions, “Now come with me and see how devoted I am to the Lord.” (10:16)
He was only faithful for the “short-haul” but not the “long haul”.
The man that destroyed all the idols of Baal turned away to worship the golden calves of Jeroboam.
Friends, God wants a COMPLETE OBEDIENCE...
Soooooo, “Clean Up on Aisle 7”!
