2 Kings 9: Your Sin Will Find You Out

"And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, 'Is it peace, Jehu?' He answered, 'What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?'" 2 Kings 9:22

A few weeks ago, we looked at 1 Kings 21 and learned about the great sin of covetousness. In that chapter, Ahab, king of Israel, coveted a field that was not his. he was deeply sorrowful that he was not able to attain the field, and Jezebel found out about this. Thus, Jezebel illegally obtained the field for him. All was well, but then Elijah showed up and prophesied that there would be punishment for this great sin. Ahab ends up repenting and saving himself, but Jezebel and Ahab's son are not so fortunate. Eventually, this great sin was found out, and judgment was required. Likewise, our own sin will find us out as well.

2 Kings 9 goes a little something like this. Elisha the prophet is called by God to send a servant to anoint Jehu as King of Israel. The servant goes and does so and commands of Jehu to murder Joram (Ahab's evil son) King of Israel and Ahaziah King of Judah (another evil dude). Jehu thus rides into the land where both of these kings were (which, ironically, happened to be the land of Naboth's vineyard, v. 21). Upon his arrival, Joram asks Jehu a simple question: "Is it peace, Jehu?" (v. 22, quoted above). In other words, "Do you come to bless me, or to kill me?" Jehu's answer was not so encouraging to Joram: "What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?" (v. 22, quoted above). In other words, "What peace is there when sin is so prevalent? How could I not come to kill you, given that your mother's sins are so great?" Thus, Joram quickly finds out that Jehu did not come for peace, and he flees. Jehu pursues him, and kills him, and does the same to Ahaziah. Furthermore, at the end of this chapter, Jehu finds Jezebel and commands her servants to throw her out of her window. Thus, Elijah's prophesy in 1 Kings 21 was fulfilled. Because of the great transgression of covetousness and the breaking of the law, Jezebel was eventually punished, along with her son, who was also evil.

As I've already alluded to, this story does a great job of showing us that our sin will find us out. Although several chapters and many years occur between Jezebel's sin and her judgment, she did not escape the judgment of the Lord. Likewise, neither can we. Furthermore, we learn from this chapter that there is no peace from sin apart from atonement. Just as Jehu points out in the verse quoted and spoken of above, sin deserves punishment. There cannot be peace in the presence of sin, that is, without atonement. However, there is an answer to the question "What peace can there be [in the presence of sin]?" What is that answer? Jesus Christ, who took our sin and shame for us, and atoned for us, that we might have peace even though we have sinned. Praise the Lord.

So, are you trying to hide your sin? Let me encourage you: you sin will find you out. You cannot escape your sin. Either you must pay for it, or you must confess it. If you confess it, 1 John 1:9 tells us that it is taken care of because of Jesus' mercy. However, if you choose to pay for it yourself, there is no telling what will happen to you. Like Jezebel, you might end up being thrown out of a window... Thus, I would suggest confessing your sin to a God who is faithful and just to pardon and purge us (1 John 1:9).