Jehu was thorough in eradicating the Baal cult. However, we are told in 2 Kings 10:28 that he allowed the worship of the golden calves which Jeroboam had instituted to go on. Those golden calves were allowed to remain in Bethel and Dan. What he did was not quite enough in the sight of Yahweh. Although he rigorously obeyed God and eliminated Ahab’s dynasty, he did not depart from the ways of Jeroboam. This shows that he had some personal motives even in doing what God told him to do. Firstly, he dealt with Ahab, Jezebel, and their family so thoroughly because he wanted to secure his own power. Secondly, his unconcern for the worship of the golden calves, suggests that he favored the false worship instituted by Jeroboam over that of Baal. Both were equally detestable in the sight of the LORD. Jehu did not obliterate idolatry and false worship, he only returned her to the former spiritually deplorable condition before Ahab and Jezebel. The people did not return to worship the LORD.
Second Kings 10:30-31 made it quite clear that God was displeased with him for continuing the worship instituted by Jeroboam. So he said to him, “Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” For continuing in the worship of the golden calves that Jeroboam introduced, God limited the reign the duration of his dynasty.
Instead of having a peaceful reign, Jehu experienced a time of turbulence. God allowed portions of Israel to be cut off. He allowed Hazael to defeat them throughout the land of Israel. Verses 33 stipulated it as “from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites and the Manasites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Ammon, even Gilead, and Bashan.” Jehu also did many other things that were recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. After reigning for 28 years, he died and was buried with his fathers and was succeeded by his son, Jehoahaz.
God expects total obedience. Partial obedience is not a befitting response to our great God. If Jehu had been more complete in obeying God, he would have sought to stop the spiritual decline of the nation. But he didn’t. He was right in eradicating Ahab and Jezebel and the worshippers of Baal, but he continued in Jeroboam’s idolatry. In so doing, he did not totally obey the Lord's commandments. We must remember that God expects total obedience from us. Partial obedience is just a euphemism for disobedience. It will bring disaster in the end!
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