Taking Sides

2 Kings 9:32,33

He looked up at the window and called out, "Who is on my side? Who?" Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. "Throw her down!" Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.

In our highschool group page the other week, a personal issue flared up. One of my guy batchmates posted an accusation in all caps, almost bold prints, with exclamation points all over. It was against my friend who, according to him, borrowed his cellphone and never had the shame to return it. The page admin thought it best to delete his post for it negatively affects the group. It was taken offensively as expected. I asked my friend for the real story, and although she admitted the phone was with her, it was not because she was keeping it for herself. There was a prior agreement between her and the wife. She’s choosing to keep her silence because it would do more harm than good. In keeping with peace, but trying not to meddle with their issues, I opted not to take sides and encouraged him to choose to resolve it among themselves. He did not take it well either. Not taking sides, for him, is still not taking his side.  

After his anointing as next king of Israel, Jehu straight away pursued his first mandate: destroy the house of Ahab. With his army officers’ full support, he rode to Jezreel and there took the lives of kings Joram and Ahaziah. Next in line was the wicked Jezebel who promoted Baal worship in Israel and ordered the slaughter of Jewish prophets. He found her looking out of a palace window, face-painted with glamour and dressed in confidence. She was defiant to the end. But Jehu disregarded her intimidation and called out for allegiance from inside. And there, two or three eunuchs who had been attending the queen for three generations, possibly fed up with her cruelties, answered Jehu’s call and threw her down the window. It was enough proof of their new loyalty. T’was like a replay of that scene down Mount Sinai when the Levites’ allegiance to God caused them to kill three thousand of their Israelite brothers who bowed down to the golden calf.  In God’s fight against His honor, He takes no neutral side for an answer. Standing on His side and just standing up there are two different things.

There will be many points in our lives when we're called to take sides. The closer the relation, the harder it will be. For how can we choose between our boss and a co-worker, our teacher against our friends, our parent or our partner? It’s heartbreaking! But who says Jehu was calling the eunuchs to his side over their queen? Or Moses making them choose between his leadership or their friendship bonds? The ultimate question is what Joshua aired that time at Shechem:  ‘Choose today whom you will serve.. the gods or the Lord?’  It is not a question of who’s closer to us, or whom we love better, or who has no one but us to back them up. The Lord’s side is that road which proclaims His worth, preserve His works, and promote His ways. It may not win by popular vote. We can even find ourselves alone there and an enemy of both. But know it is the right way and God will bless you for your faith.