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The Baal Worshipers Clothing

 

Nikki Derouin

One of my Bible school instructors once told us in class, "Many of the Israelite judges were about as spiritual as the chairs you are sitting in". It took awhile for me to grasp how true this statement was. As I began studying the book of Judges, I realized that the book was not about the judges' faith, but about God's faithfulness. Many of the judges had questionable or overtly immoral lifestyles. They were called to do a specific task, and once completed; they would typically go back to their unrighteous habits. The judges had a purpose: limit the enemy and protect the faithful and repentant. Often the judges where neither faithful nor repentant but their role remained the same.

God is faithful and will protect and reward His faithful followers. He is not limited in how He carries out His promises. This principle continues through the entire Bible. Joseph's envious brothers sold him into slavery; yet ultimately Joseph would be placed in a position of power so that his family would be safe. The Babylonians were a fierce and ungodly nation, yet God used them to reprove the wavering Jews and strengthen their faith. God would then allow the Greeks to punish the Babylonians because of their cruelty to His chosen people. Esther, a good and upright woman, would be placed in a position of authority so that she could save her people from annihilation. The Jewish people would eventually kill the Son of God; and by this act, God would ultimately save the entire world. God's ways of protecting the faithful and punishing the evildoers are limitless. Yet they teach us a very specific lesson: "...be sure your sin will find you out"(Numbers 32:23). It doesn't matter who God uses to carry this out (whether they are envious, fierce, ungodly, good, upright, or blinded by hatred) God's ultimate purpose will be executed – the wicked will be punished and the faithful will be rewarded.

In this series, we have been studying many different types of clothing. Some have been spiritual and others have been physical. In this section of scripture, we see a physical set of clothing that displayed a spiritual mindset.

From their beginning, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been at odds with God. Through the years, they had continued to slide farther and farther from God's will. Not only were the people corrupt, their rulers were dishonest and ungodly. It is through the reign of Ahab and his wife Jezebel that we see the personification of the nation's greed, rebellion, and sin.

It was at this point that God used a very curious form of "punishment and protection." God used a man named Jehu. He was a man full of passion and zeal. However, he was also a hypocritical worshiper of God – he 'faithfully' worshiped the golden calves in Dan and Beersheba. When I think of "chair-faith" people my instructor referred to, Jehu is at the top of my list.

In 2 Kings 9, we see that Elisha was commanded by the Lord to anoint Jehu king. Jehu was then told to avenge Jezebel by cutting off the lineage of Ahab. His gory task involved assassinating Jezebel, killing the followers of Ahab, and commissioning the murder of Ahab's seventy sons. Then, in one decisive act, Jehu had all the worshipers of Baal killed. These men were marked for death by their clothing.

Jehu is one historical character that many today would probably follow. He was charismatic, dynamic, and hypocritical. Thankfully, as Christians, our ultimate protection does not come from our political leader (many of whom have the same characteristics), nor do we have to sort through the ins and outs of how God is going to punish or protect. No, our trust is not in people or places or military might – our trust is in the Lord!

The entire context of II Kings 9 (2 Kings 9) & 10 (2 Kings 10) show a gruesome portrayal of the punishment of an ungodly nation. Jezebel was killed by her own servants, Ahab's sons were massacred by their officers, the corrupt leaders were murdered by their followers, and the Baal worshipers were slain by the misdirected worshipers of God. Each punished by a "lesser evil." Yet this was not a lesson showing the faith of the people God used for His purposes, but a lesson of God's faithfulness to His promises.

QUESTIONS

1. Name one judge who led an immoral lifestyle.

2. Name one judge who sought the Lord his entire life (the one I am thinking about is not mentioned in the book of Judges.)

3. What church in Revelation had a "Jezebel" in the congregation?

4. Ahab had no qualms with killing people or telling lies. Read 2 Kings 10. What lie did he tell in verse 18?

5. Where did Jehu kill the worshipers of Baal?

6. Besides the worshipers, what else was destroyed?

7. Jehu was rewarded for his role in removing the Baal worshipers.

8. What was he promised?

9. Did Jehu follow the Lord in his latter years?

10. Reread Proverbs 11:22. Even when God uses the actions of sinful people to fulfill, His purposes and they are possibly rewarded in this life, who is ultimately blessed by God?