2 Kings 10:16 And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot. Zeal for the Lord, His truth, cause, service, glory, a needful, and ought to be a visible, prominent feature in every true believer, even as His love for us has rendered visible and prominent in Him an earnest zeal for us men and for our salvation. There may, however, be false zeal — zeal which, so far as we are personally concerned, will bring no glory to Him, no benefit, no blessing to ourselves; and there may be a true zeal, bringing much glory to God and a rich harvest of blessing to our own souls. I. FALSE ZEAL. Jehu is an instance of this. Proceeding from — 1. Natural energy of character (2 Kings 9:20, 24, etc.). 2. Sense of being appointed and qualified for some particular service (2 Kings 9:1-7). 3. Seeking praise. of men (text). The heart may nevertheless be not right with God — may be going after its idols (2 Kings 10:29, 31). II. TRUE ZEAL. St. Paul is an instance of this. In him zeal for the Lord was visible, prominent, as in Jehu; but with this difference: in Jehu it resembles the fitful flashes of a thunderstorm, sudden and vivid, contrasting with, yet not dissipating, the darkness out of which it springs. In St. Paul it ever burns with clear and steadfast light, illuminating the entire course of his life, and shedding a halo of glory around his martyr death. We see its commencement (Acts 9:6); its continuance (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:13, 14); its close (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Whence this difference? St. Paul was naturally an idolater no less than Jehu. His idols were self-righteousness, Judaism, Pharisaism — zeal very similar to that of Jehu (Philippians 3:4-6). These, however, were overthrown when Jesus was revealed to him as his Redeemer, convincing him of, and cleansing him from, sin; making known to him the true character of God. Thenceforward his motto was, "God, whose I am, and whom I serve" (Acts 27:23). III. LESSON FOR US. No true zeal for God until and unless we know Him as the "only true God and Jesus Christ," etc. (John 17:3). No true zeal for Him until we have personally realised His loving, self-sacrificing zeal for us in our salvation through Christ Jesus. (R. Chester, B. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.WEB: He said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for Yahweh." So they made him ride in his chariot. |
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