A harsh situation calls for a harsh measure. In many parts of the biblical history we see that God was compelled to deal with sin as though it were a kind of malignant cancerous growth. And so it was with the family of Jezebel and Ahab. The destructive influence of this family had to be stopped. This may seem harsh, but this was not just any family. This was the nation’s ruling dynasty. God was prepared to cut out the cancer to save the nation and he would use Jehu as his surgical instrument. We saw the same thing happening on a broader scale when the Israelites were commanded to drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan. It seems horrific and indeed it is. But what is most horrific in God’s eyes is the evil that necessitates the judgement. God would not deal with sin like this if it did not have the effect of curbing the evil. A harsh measure is only taken when the consequences of inaction would be harsher. It is this principle that Jesus applies to us in Mark 9:43. Jesus says here that it is better to cut off a hand than it is to use that same hand to sin. He was being deliberately shocking to get a point across. We need to recognise that it is better to suffer any serious injury than to have free reign to sin. The consequences of sin are far worse than the consequences of any chastisement that we might experience for it. Are you willing to ask God to do whatever it takes to keep you on the right path?
Pray for God’s correction.
Read 2 Kings 9
