This was the word of the Lord which He spoke to Jehu, “Your sons will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” And it was so. — 2 Kings 15:12 (MEV)
A common phrase in finance is ROI, “Return on Investment.” That means, how much money will you make on what you put in. A related idea is “time horizon.” It refers to how long it will take for you to see a profit. A common rule of thumb is, a reasonable investment will double in value every seven years. In other words, investing requires a long-term mind-set. “Get rich quick schemes” seldom pan out.
In today’s verse we see God speaking to Jehu. Jehu had first been a commander in the army of ancient Israel, then God used him as a reformer to help clean up the evil mess that King Ahab had done. Speaking of Ahab, the Bible says he “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him” (I Kings 16:30). God not only chose to replace Ahab with Jehu on the throne, but here He also promises Jehu that his “sons will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” Think about that. Talk about planning ahead! God’s big picture “timetable” involves generations. Now, think about all the items on your “to do” list, calendar, or productivity apps. Consider what the “time horizon” is for most of those items that keep us modern folks occupied. Take out the trash, do the laundry, call that new prospect, pick up some milk and bread…there are all important, but their time horizon is measured in days. In contrast, today’s verse shows us God thinks in terms of generations. How would your life be different if your time horizon involved less thinking in terms of days and more in terms of generations or eternity?
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Go deeper: Learn more about King Jehu in Gotquestions.org.
S.G.D.
