2 Kings X. 16. Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.
UNGODLY men, though they will not follow the example of the godly, are glad to have their sanction and approbation in what they do. Jehu was indeed acting at this time under a divine commission. The work in which he was engaged, was that of extir- pating the whole house and family of Ahab : and, terrible as it was, he did right to execute it, because he acted under a divine command^. But his spirit in executing the work was far from right. He was too much under the influence of pride and ambition.
a 2 Kings ix. 7 — 9.
This appears from his address to Jehonadab, in the words before us. Jehonadab was a holy man, and had considerable influence in the state : and, know- ing that Jehu was fulfilUng the will of heaven, he went to meet him, and to testify his approbation of his proceedings. And Jehu, glad to have the sanction of such a man, took him up into his chariot, saying, " Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.
Now, as this zeal was partly good, and partly evil, I propose to shew,
I. When our zeal is such as will bear inspection —
" It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing''." And we may be assured that our zeal is good,
1. When it proceeds from a principle of love —
[Love is properly the principle from which all our actions should flow. There are, indeed, far different principles from which our zeal may spring. We may be led on by a spirit of party, which will operate to the production of great efforts in the support of any cause. Or we may be actuated by a natu- ral forwardness of disposition, which urges men to prosecute with ardour whatever they undertake. A self-righteous hope of commending themselves to God, also, will stimulate some to incredible exertions in any cause in which they are embarked. But that wliich alone gives the stamp of piety to oiu' services, is love. We should act from a sense of the unbounded obli- gations which we owe to God, both as our Creator and Re- deemer. " Our souls shoidd be altogether constrained by the love of Christ, to live to him*^:" and so far as we are actuated by that principle, we have reason to hope and to beUeve that our zeal is genuine, and that our ser\'ices are pleasing and acceptable to God.]
2. When it is regulated by the written word —
[As our zeal may spring from an unworthy motive, so it may be exercised in an vmhallowed way. It must be bounded by the occasion that calls it forth ; neither exceeding it, nor falling short of it. Joshua erred in making a league with the Gibeonites, whom he was commissioned to destroy*^: but Saul also erred, when, " from his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah, he sought to slay them^" There is an intemperate
^ Gal. iv. 18. -^ 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.
•1 Josh. xi. 18—20. " 2 Sam. xxi. 1 — 6.