How can we identify "harlotries" and "sorceries" in today's world from 2 Kings 9:22? Text under Consideration 2 Kings 9:22: “When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, ‘Have you come in peace, Jehu?’ ‘How can there be peace,’ Jehu replied, ‘as long as the harlotries and sorceries of your mother Jezebel abound?’” Why This Matters Jehu links the lack of peace in Israel directly to two sins: harlotries and sorceries. Both were literal in Jezebel’s day and remain spiritually deadly today. Understanding Harlotries • Literal sexual immorality (Leviticus 19:29; 1 Corinthians 6:18) • Spiritual adultery—turning from the LORD to idols (Jeremiah 3:6; Revelation 17:1-2) Modern Expressions of Harlotries • Sex outside marriage: cohabitation, pornography, adultery, casual hookups • Entertainment that celebrates lust and infidelity • Redefinition of marriage away from the one-man/one-woman covenant (Matthew 19:4-6) • Obsession with beauty, celebrity, or personal image that displaces devotion to God • Idolatry of career, money, technology, or self (1 John 5:21) Understanding Sorceries Hebrew keshaphim: witchcraft, occult ritual. Greek pharmakeia: drug-linked occult practice (Galatians 5:19-20; Revelation 18:23). Modern Expressions of Sorceries • Astrology apps, tarot, crystals, horoscopes, séances • Media that glamorizes witchcraft and spells as harmless fun • New Age syncretism—“positive energy,” spirit guides, or manifestation techniques • Illicit drug culture opening minds to demonic influence • Technological manipulation that addicts and controls • Abortion and other acts echoing ancient child sacrifice under a modern veneer Why Harlotries and Sorceries Are Linked Both promise pleasure or power apart from God, seducing the heart and then enslaving it (James 1:14-15). Guarding Our Homes and Hearts • Test every cultural trend by Scripture (Acts 17:11) • Flee sexual temptation; pursue purity (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4) • Renounce and remove occult items or media (Acts 19:18-20) • Immerse in God’s Word and worship (Psalm 119:9-11) • Teach children the dangers of counterfeit spirituality (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) • Walk in the Spirit to break the lure of flesh and darkness (Galatians 5:16-25) Living in Jehu’s Resolve Jehu refused to proclaim peace while sin reigned. Likewise, believers today must not make peace with harlotries and sorceries, standing firm until Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns (2 Peter 3:14; Revelation 22:14-15). |
    |