Do You Have Peace?

When Jehu was anointed king by the word of the LORD, he was tasked with avenging the blood of God's servants killed by the murderous house of Ahab.  As Jehu rode furiously towards Jezreel where King Joram was recovering from wounds received in battle, he sent two messengers to meet Jehu with a single message:  "Is it peace?"  At his command each messenger fell into formation behind Jehu who continued to drive towards Jezreel.  Finally, Joram himself had a chariot made ready and he approached with the same question in 2 Kings 9:22-23:  "Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" So he answered, "What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?" ²³ Then Joram turned around and fled, and said to Ahaziah, "Treachery, Ahaziah!"  Before the day was over, both Joram and Ahaziah were executed by the hand of Jehu, God's chosen instrument of vengeance.

It is fitting Joram was quite concerned to keep the peace when his father Ahab, mother Jezebel and he himself had been most treacherous to turn from the living God, kill the LORD's prophets, and promote the worship of idols.  The treacherous will resort even to murder to obtain the "peace" they seek, for this sort of peace is not peace that comes from God at all.  Queen Jezebel's final words recorded in the Bible also referenced peace in 2 Kings 9:30-31:  "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. ³¹ And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?"  Jezebel was stubborn and wicked to the last, spitting barbs at Jehu who did the will of God to throw the proud queen down.

The implications of Jezebel's comment ought not be lost on us, for we can read of Zimri's rebellion in 1 Kings 16:8-10:  "In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. ⁹ And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. ¹⁰ And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead."  The reign of Zimri was short-lived--a mere week--for when he was beseiged by Omri in Tirza he burned down the palace upon himself, choosing suicide over fighting a battle he could not win.  The situations of Jehu and Zimri could not have been different:  Jehu was anointed by God and Zimri was not; Jehu administered judgment by the command of God while Zimri conspired against drunk Baasha when he was vulnerable.  The results were very different as well:  Zimri reigned for 7 days and died without an heir for his wickedness, and Jehu reigned in Samaria for 28 years and his sons reigned after him for 4 generations because Jehu did well.  Jezebel employed Satan's tactic of using lies to sow doubt and accused as evil the one who trusted God and did good when she was guilty of wickedness.

The Bible has much to say about peace, what it is and how God is the sole source of it.  See the absolute objectivity in God's word in Isaiah 57:19-21:  "I create the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," says the LORD, "and I will heal him." ²⁰ But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ²¹ "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."  There is no middle ground on this:  you either believe God and His word or you do not.  Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and a person who has peace with God--spiritually in the inner man--can speak forth words of peace, grace and mercy from our divine supply.  This does not mean perpetually soft or smooth words, for they may feel rough and confronting for our flesh.  The illustration of the churning sea that stirs and clouds the water with sand and silt is fitting, for this state of turmoil is indicative of hearts void of peace and rest.  There is no peace for the wicked, but for those who repent of their wickedness and turn to Jesus in faith He is our peace (Ephesians 2:11-19).

Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:27-28, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸ You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I."  He concluded His remarks to them in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  The disciples were assured by Jesus they were known and loved by God, Jesus would come to them, they would be comforted, and Jesus has overcome.  This is as true as ever for followers of Jesus today, for Jesus is our peace.  By the Gospel there is peace offered to us sinners made saints by His grace.  We wicked and undeserving souls have peace because Jesus has us, having purchased us with His shed blood.