2 Kings 10:29
“Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, by the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan, Jehu departed not from after them.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Despite destroying Baal, Jehu continues to permit the worship of golden calves at Bethel and Dan, the original idolatry of the northern kingdom.
Context
Jeroboam I, centuries before, had set up golden calves at these two cities to prevent Israelites from traveling to Jerusalem to worship. This became the foundational sin of the northern kingdom.
What Does 2 Kings 10:29 Mean?
The 'Howbeit'—the nevertheless—is devastating. Jehu has destroyed one false worship, but he will not touch another. Why? Perhaps because the golden calf worship is politically useful to him. Perhaps because it is so embedded in the kingdom's identity that removing it would threaten his own stability. Or perhaps because Jehu's zeal is selective: he is passionate about destroying Baal, but not about restoring true worship of the LORD.
What we see here is the limitation of zeal that is personal rather than covenantal. Jehu cares about defeating Baal; he does not care enough about Israel's covenant relationship with God to remove all idolatry. This teaches us something sobering: it is possible to be right about one false thing and wrong about another. It is possible to have religious passion and religious blindness at the same time. Only a love of God's full truth, not just victory over certain evils, can make us whole. This is why we need not a reformer, but a Savior.
In the Original Language
chet (חטא), 'sins' -- plural, emphasizing the ongoing, accumulated weight of idolatry.
Application
Examine whether your obedience to God is selective. Do you oppose certain sins with zeal while overlooking others? Ask God to give you a love of His whole truth, not just victory over some evils.