SoSpression Blog

The Black Obelisk – Lessons from King Jehu of Israel

This is one of the scenes on “The Black Obelisk”, which is an Assyrian artifact in the British Museum.

It was discovered in 1846 and its famous because it demonstrates how the Kings of Assyria bragged about how the surrounding kings that they terrorized came to pay them tribute.

The guy in the middle bowing down (with the negro nose and the dreads) – is King Jehu of Israel.

The guy on the left that Jehu is bowing to – is King Shalmanezer III of Assyria.

This is the Assyrian inscription:
“I received the tribute of Jehu son of Omri: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden tureen, golden vessels, golden buckets, tin, a staff of the king’s hand, and spears.”

(Jehu wasn’t technically the son of Omri, but the Assyrians associated him with Omri because that’s who they knew as a former king of Israel).

ZEAL OR NO ZEAL?

YAH had made Jehu the king of Israel, and Jehu did MOST of what YAH told him to do – he destroyed Baal worship in Israel.

But one thing he did not do is allow Israel to worship YAH in PURITY.

He allowed Israel to worship the golden calves that former Israelite king Jereboam had made in the cities of Bethel and Dan because he didn’t want Israelite citizens going to Jerusalem in Judah (a separate kingdom) to worship.

2 Kings 10:29,31
[29]Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.
[31]But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

LESSON LEARNED: Let YAH’s people worship in purity, even if it’s not under your gift or your ministry.

Jehu allowed God’s people to worship gold… then he ended up giving his gold as a tribute in worship, bowing down to the king of Assyria.

– If you cause God’s people to worship His enemies, you will be caused to worship your enemies!

Jehu was a warrior… he had a zeal to fight for YAH against Baal because he was taking over the throne from Baal worshippers.

But his zeal to purify himself, and to purify the things that willingly came under his authority – was very lacking.

– Don’t be a conqueror for God that can’t conquer yourself for God.

– Don’t be a soul winner for God that can’t humble your own soul to God.

– Don’t let your ministry be independent from YAH’s House.

– Don’t mix your ministry with golden calves (business) and then act like its really pure and true worship.

– Don’t reach people for the Kingdom; but you can’t worship the King of the Kingdom in the Beauty of Holiness.

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