Zeal for the Lord

“Jehu said, ‘Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.’ Then he had [Jehonadab] ride along in his chariot.” 2 Kings 10:16
Jehu was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel who was responsible for killing Joram, his wicked predecessor. It was also he who put Jezebel to death, so that the prophecy of Elijah concerning her was fulfilled (1 Kin. 21:23, 2 Kin. 9:36-37). Here he declares that his zeal is for the Lord, and certainly Jehu was zealous in destroying the house of the wicked king Ahab. Jehu was not the only king of the northern kingdom whom God spoke to, but he is the only one whom God commended (2 Kin. 10:30).
Zeal takes on various forms. Jesus displayed His zeal for the Lord when He drove the money-changers out of the temple (see John 2:13-17). But Jehu’s zeal involved killing people left, right and centre. He had been instructed through a prophet to destroy Jezebel and the house of Ahab (2 Kin. 9:7-10). But he didn’t stop there: he also killed Ahaziah the king of Judah (2 Kin. 9:27) and all the priests of Baal (2 Kin. 10:25).
Paul told the Galatians, “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you” (Gal. 4:18). We may think we are being zealous for God, but we may be hurting people in the process. Our zeal for God should be to build others up, not tear them down. When we share a Scripture with someone, it should be to instruct and edify, not to cut them to pieces and condemn them.