What is the meaning of 2 Kings 9:22? When Joram saw Jehu • Jehoram was recovering in Jezreel from battle wounds (2 Kings 8:28-29); Jehu, freshly anointed to destroy Ahab’s line (2 Kings 9:1-7; 1 Kings 19:16), rides hard toward the city. • The meeting is divinely arranged: God is moving His chosen instrument into place, fulfilling earlier prophecy against Ahab’s house (1 Kings 21:21-24). • Though Joram is king, he is not in control; God’s sovereignty directs the encounter (Proverbs 21:1). He asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” • Joram’s first instinct is to negotiate. His question betrays anxiety—he senses unrest yet hopes for a convenient “peace.” • Scripture warns against declaring peace where sin remains (Jeremiah 6:14). Like Saul greeting Samuel cheerfully after disobedience (1 Samuel 15:13), Joram seeks calm without repentance. • Superficial peace is a hallmark of leaders who ignore God’s word (Ezekiel 13:10-11). “How can there be peace,” he replied • Jehu’s response exposes the impossibility of peace apart from righteousness (Isaiah 48:22). • True peace flows from submission to God’s covenant (Leviticus 26:3-6; Psalm 119:165). • The rhetorical question underlines a timeless principle: sin disrupts both personal and national well-being (James 3:17-18). “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?” • Jehu names the root cause: Jezebel’s Baal worship and occult practices (1 Kings 16:31-33; 2 Kings 9:30). • God had long condemned sorcery (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) and promised judgment on Jezebel (1 Kings 21:23). • Joram’s tolerance made him complicit (1 Kings 21:25-26). As long as these sins remained entrenched, divine wrath, not peace, was inevitable (Micah 5:12-13). summary 2 Kings 9:22 teaches that genuine peace cannot coexist with unrepentant idolatry and occultism. Jehu’s mission, ordained by God, exposes and confronts the sin that Joram’s dynasty had embraced. The verse reminds believers that lasting peace—personal or societal—demands wholehearted allegiance to the Lord and rejection of every rival god. |
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