The Daily RootedHome StoriesGradesChurchesWhat's NewAbout
Bible:
Answer key (separate)‹ Back to chapter 10

Prints on letter paper in black and white. No answers are printed on the student sheet.

2 Kings 10 · Grade 5

Zeal and Its Limits

Name Date

Read and Think

Jehu acted with ruthless speed. Through letters to Samaria, he brought judgment on Ahab's seventy sons, and he struck down relatives of Ahaziah of Judah. He invited the faithful Jehonadab to come and see his zeal for the Lord. The words reveal something: Jehu's words may suggest he wanted his zeal to be seen.

His destruction of Baal worship was thorough. Pretending to be a greater devotee of Baal than Ahab, he gathered all of Baal's servants into one temple, made sure no worshiper of the Lord was present, and had them struck down. The pillar and temple of Baal were demolished and turned into a latrine. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. God commended him for carrying out His judgment on Ahab's house.

Yet the narrator's final verdict is mixed. Jehu took no heed to walk in God's law with all his heart. He kept Jeroboam's calves at Bethel and Dan. Later, through Hosea, God would even hold the house of Jehu accountable for the bloodshed at Jezreel (Hosea 1:4). Zeal against one sin is not the same as wholehearted devotion. In the New Testament, Paul speaks of people who have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:2).

Show What You Know

  1. What do Jehu's words to Jehonadab reveal?

  2. Which sins did Jehu not depart from?

  3. What did Hosea later say about the house of Jehu?

  4. What does Paul say in Romans 10:2 in the New Testament?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

JehuBaalJehonadabhousepillar
  1. acted with ruthless speed.
  2. He invited the faithful to come and see his zeal for the Lord.
  3. His destruction of worship was thorough.
  4. The and temple of Baal were demolished and turned into a latrine.
  5. Later, through Hosea, God would even hold the of Jehu accountable for the bloodshed at Jezreel (Hosea 1:4).

Think About It

  1. Jehu was zealous against Baal but kept other idols. Is there a sin you fight while holding on to another?

  2. Jehu may have wanted his zeal to be seen. How can you serve God for His glory rather than your own?

Memory Verse

“Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.”

2 Kings 10:28 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for my whole heart. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How can you obey God all the way and not halfway?
  • How can you check whether you are serving God or yourself?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.