Jehoram Becomes King over Judah
21 Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jehoram[a]became king in his place.
Jehoshaphat dies and rested and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Jehoram, his firstborn took his place.
2 He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.[b]
Azariah: Helped by God,
Jehiel: May God live,
Zechariah: God remembers,
Azariah: Helped by God,
Michael: Who is like God,
Shephatiah: The Lord that Judge,
3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
Jehoshaphat had several sons. He gave them cities in Judah and gave them many valuables. He gave Jehoram his position as king because he was his firstborn. It was not uncommon for a father to leave leadership to his firstborn. However, we should know our children as Isaac knew his sons, as Israel knew his sons, and Moses knew the children Israel. We should know our children through the eyes of God only. We should seek God into who should we leave anything to when we have power in our hands to help others when we leave this earth. God knows who should reign. When God gave his son, he knew that the people would be well taken care of.
4 NowWhen Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel.
When Adolf Hitler wanted to take over Poland, he used a weapon to gain the power as leader. Jehoram, did not have the influence he wanted as king. After he was known as king, he killed his brothers and other princes of Israel and brought fear in Judah and this is how he gained his influence. When a leader has to use force to gain popularity, he is sure to come to a dead end.
Judah’s King Jehoram
5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
Jehoram live to 40 years old. He became king at 32 years of age and lasted as king for eight years. He did not live as long as some of his ancestors as who were kings.
6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight,
Ahab was Jehoram's father-in-law. Ahab was an evil king. Jezebel was his mother-in-law. Jezebel was an evil queen. Jehoram's wife was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Imagine being the son or daughter of two evil parents and now known as the wife of a king. Jehoram was greatly influenced by his wife and now he is known as an evil king in Judah. Judah's king was not as Israel's known evil kings who were known to be wicked. Jehoram changed the course of Judah by running his kingdom as Ahab the evil king of Israel.
7 but for the sake of the covenant the Lord had made with David, he was unwilling to destroy the house of David since the Lord had promised to give a lamp[c] to David and to his sons forever.
God keeps his promises. He is not like a man. As evil as Jehoram was, God could have stopped the whole process to save humanity because of the evil leadership of the only part of the children of Israel who showed faith in his Word. Because of the promise he made with David, he did not destroy Jehoram's seed altogether. David's seed will be the lamp that will burn forever. That lamp is Jesus.
8 During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.
Edom was a city under Judah's rule for taxation. Edom wanted to be separated from Judah's control. When Jehoram became a king, Edom saw the weaknesses in his leadership and took the advantage of revolting against him.
9 So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders.
Jehoram was not pleased with Edom's decision. Jehoram decides to attack Edom by surprise. Edom was prepared to take control over Jehoram and his army and Jehoram was left without the support of the God he was supposed to be submitted to and found himself helpless.
10 And now Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time against his control because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
Because Judah's abandoned God's leadership, Judah was left to defend herself under the leadership of Jehoram. Edom and now Libnah is removing themselves from being under the power of Judah's weak king Jehoram. Both of these people were strong financial supporters by taxation to the kingdom of Judah.
11 Jehoram also built high places in the hills[d] of Judah, and he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and he led Judah astray.
High places in every city have been areas that God did not approve of. The clarity of high places is sometimes confusing when understanding exactly what they did wrong. However, it is clear that prostitution was against God's Word and if the high places included this sin, it is understood how God wanted this place torn down.
Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram
12 Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying:
This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of King Asa of Judah 13 but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you, 14 the Lord is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction. 15 You yourself will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”
God wanted Jehoram to understand the consequences of his error. God clearly defined what would happen to Jehoram with details. Jehoram had an opportunity to stop or repent for his doings but failed to do so. When we take inventory of our life's decisions, we should know that sin has direct consequences. We cannot ignore or reason out that our choices have a series of positive or negative events. Many times the choices will render unnecessary or even deadly outcomes.
Jehoram’s Last Days
16 The Lord roused the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram. 17 So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace and also his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz,[e] his youngest son.
Judgment begins in the house of Jehoram. All of this could have been avoided. When God gives us a clear path to take, take it and avoid the unneeded pitfalls in life.
18 After all these things, the Lord afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe[f] illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his predecessors.
All that the prophet Elijah spoke came to pass. He died at age 40. He was king for eight years and out of the eight years of being king of Judah, he was sick in two of the eight years he was king.
20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret[g]and was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings.
No one regretted losing Jehoram as their king. Jehoram died and was buried. Unlike his father, his father slept or rested and was buried with the kings before him. Jehoram lived a life of dishonor and he died the same way.
When some people die, people as a whole feel a sense of remorse over the death of that person. No remorse was recorded after the death of Jehoram.
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