Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel. – 2 Kings 10:12

Today's Scripture Reading (March 12, 2026): 2 Kings 9

What did you want to be when you grew up? I must admit that I wish I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to be when I was younger. I wish I had applied myself more in one area rather than scattering my time across several areas of interest. Sometimes I think I lived the bridge of Albert Hammond's hit song "Free Electric Band."

Well, they [mom and dad] used to sit and speculate upon their son's career
A lawyer or a doctor or a civil engineer
Just give me bread and water, put a guitar in my hand.
'Cause all I need is music and the Free Electric Band (Albert Hammond).

I think the only occupation I didn't consider was that of a civil engineer. But I gave serious thought to becoming a doctor or a lawyer, and of course, the dream was always the Free Electric Band.

David had been anointed as King over Israel while he was still a child. He didn't become King for a couple of decades, but he knew where he was going. He lived with the assurance that he would be King; he prepared himself for that moment, yet he was also able to wait for it; at no point did David feel he had to press the issue. David seemed to have an amazing trust that he would become King; God had already declared that. But he also trusted that he would become King at the time God had chosen, not at a time chosen by David. All of this gave David time to prepare to become king.

A young prophet is charged with the task of anointing Jehu as the next King of Israel. He is the only candidate for the highest office of the Northern Kingdom to be anointed as King. The prophet separates Jehu from his compatriots, then anoints him, giving the general a prophetic message about what comes next. But it doesn't happen right away. By doing it in private, he allows Jehu the time necessary to prepare for and assume the position without having to defend himself against King Jehoram's attacks, the son of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

Jehu would become King, but later. Until that moment, he would gather strength and prepare for the moment, without wondering if there was another path. But there was no doubt now in the mind of Jehu that he was not intended to become "a lawyer or a doctor or a civil engineer." Jehu's "Free Electric Band" had arrived; he would become King over the Northern Kingdom."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 10