信仰の手引き（英語・English）
Jehu Anointed King Over Israel
投稿者
goodnews2
投稿日
2024-02-09 08:37
閲覧数
31
One of the Children
of the Prophets Who Came to Jehu
One day, during the time of King Joram of Israel, the prophet Elisha called one of the children of the prophets to him and said,
“Go to Ramoth-gilead, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi. Take him to an inner chamber separately, pour the box of oil on his head, and say, ‘Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel.’ Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.”
Jehu, who was the captain of King Joram’s army, was fighting valiantly against the Syrian army.
When the prophet arrived at Ramoth-gilead, he saw Jehu and several other captains sitting together.
“Captain, I have come to tell you something.”
Jehu asked, “Unto which of all us do you wish to tell?”
“To you, captain.”
Jehu stood up, and went into the house with him. He then poured the oil on Jehu’s head and said,
“Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over Israel. You shall strike the house of Ahab.’”
After saying this, the prophet opened the door and quickly fled.
Jehu Became King
in Place of Joram
When Jehu came out of the house, the other captains asked him,
“Who was that fellow and why was he here?”
“You will know soon.”
“Just tell us now.”
Jehu told them what had happened. Then the captains quickly put their clothes under his feet, blew trumpets, and shouted,
“Jehu is now king of Israel!”
That is how Jehu became king.
Those Who Became Wicked
After Becoming King
In the Old Testament, there are many times where God worked by directly guiding Israel. Jehu becoming king is one of those times. Becoming king of Judah or Israel is only accomplished by God’s will. In the Books of Kings, we can see that most of them were humble before ascending to the throne, but after becoming king, only a few lived faithfully while most lived wickedly.
The first king of Israel, Saul was originally a humble and sincere man. But after becoming king, he became corrupted in the eyes of God and lived a life completely different from before. David lived faithfully even after he became king, but Solomon, who inherited the throne from him, lived a debauched life. Not only Solomon, but many kings changed little by little, using their power to covet wealth or women and became distant from God. There were many cases where the kings were abandoned by God because they were lost in their desires and pleasures. This is why God wants people to live with modesty with a humble heart rather than living in wealth and seeking only worldly desires.
God Searches for the Humble in Heart
Since most people become arrogant and sinful when they ‘become kings’, God is looking for those who stay humble and faithful even after they became kings. If there is someone like David who follows God even after becoming king, that person is truly loved by God. If a person is humble even if they have a high status, wealth, or become a king, they will be praised as a valuable worker by those around them, the country, and even by God.
It may sound simple but when people gain status, they change and become more sinful. God still searches for those who keep a humble heart even if they become a king, gain a high status, and have many possessions.
