I’m sure 2 Kings 10 would get an NC-17 rating. I mean, come on, Jehu, the King of Israel, gives an order and 70 guys get their heads chopped off. A little later Jehu runs into some relatives of the King of Judah and kills them, too. All 42 of them.

We’re not done yet. Next, Jehu lures the ministers of Baal into a temple and posts 80 men outside. He tells his guys that whoever lets one of the ministers of Baal escape, will lose his life. Nobody escaped.

In fact, they not only killed all the ministers of Baal, but “they demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.” It’s all there in verse 27. Temple turned latrine. That part would at least get an “R” rating.

After all the carnage is over, God tells Jehu, “…you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do…” God gives His approval to all Jehu has done. Think about that for a minute.

Anyway, it sounds like a good ending, but there are two troublesome words in the passage that put a damper on things: “however” and “yet.”

Jehu put an end to Baal worship as God intended. “However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat…” Jeroboam is a negative example God keeps bringing up throughout 2 Kings. So what did he do?

1 Kings 12:26 says, “Jeroboam thought to himself…” You can read the rest of the passage to discover the bonehead thing he thought up. The result though was the manufacture of two golden calves to whom he gave credit for bringing the nation of Israel out of Egypt. Very bad idea. God doesn’t tolerate idol worship very well.

So after being commended by God for his obedience, Jehu doesn’t turn away from the sins of Jeroboam. “Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.”

However and yet. Come on, Jehu, what were you thinking? Jehovah Himself told you what a good job you did–why the “however” and “yet?”

About the time I want to be hard on a guy like Jehu, I have to wonder how much I’m just like him. I take a step of faithful obedience, God uses me; however ________________. God blesses me and provides for me; yet ____________________.

A heart that’s not fully devoted always leads to howevers and yets.

What if our hearts were fully devoted? What if our passionate commitment was to God’s glory and the advancement of His kingdom, not our pleasure and comfort?

Imagine your story being written with no howevers or yets.