2 Kings 8:16-24 and 2 Chron 21
After nearly 8 chapters with the camera on the Northern Kingdom of Israel, we have now an account of the South.
• The last time we looked at the Southern Kingdom (Judah) King Jehoshaphat was King. The timeline continues from there.
• We will look at his son JEHORAM today in 2 Kings 8:16-24.
• Let us read also 2 Chron 21:1-11 to get a fuller picture of what he did.
We’ve just read a very sad commentary of a King who brought idolatry into Judah.
• The author tells us a matter-of-factly in 8:18 “He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, FOR he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.”
• We see this same line repeated in 2 Chron 21:6.
Jehoram’s marriage to Ahab’s daughter ATHALIAH (8:26) influenced him drastically.
• He was led into idolatry and brought in the godless ways of Ahab into the South.
• The passing of his dad Jehoshaphat means he has lost all countering influence.
The cancer spreads, not just from one family to another, from one nation to another, but from one generation to another.
• 8:27 says after Jehoram died, his son Ahaziah reigned and “27He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab's family.”
• The close ties means that the bad influence continues to pollute.
• A marriage matters. Who you marry matters. Marriage has its rewards but also its consequences. Choose wisely because close ties affect us.
And it was not that Jehoram had a bad start to his life.
• 2 Chron 21:3 tells us his father “had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah…”
• He has the position, the power, the prestige and the possession for a decent life.
• 2 Chron 2:12 the Lord says Jehoram has not walked in the ways of his father Jehoshaphat nor his grandfather Asa.
• He has the chance to live right and stay godly, but he squandered them all.
It wasn’t that he had a very bad upbringing. We tend to think that we are the product of our past circumstances and experiences, but this is not correct.
• We can be affected but not necessarily therefore the product of the circumstances.
• We are who we are today because of the choices we make. Who we are is not determined by our past. By God’s grace, we can always choose right.
Jehoram has chosen to follow the ways of Ahab (emphasized a few times by the author), instead of his father and grandfather.
Look at what he did the moment he came into power.
• 2 Chron 21:4 “When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his (six) brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel.”
• He consolidated his power by getting rid of all potential threats, including his brothers, whom the Lord says are better than him. (21:13) He ought to be grateful.
Jehoram lived only for himself. Even the nation could see that, because we read that two cities rebelled against his rule – Edom and Libnah.
• 2 Chron 21:10 “To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.”
• He wants to build his own kingdom, forgetting that this is God’s Kingdom, not his.
2 Chron 21:11 “He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.”
• In his 8 years of reign, Jehoram destroyed all the good that his father and his grandfather have done in Judah.
• This is how bad the situation was. If you are not a fervent believer of a sovereign God, then this is quite hopeless.
What do you do when your situation is so dark? You remember God’s Word.
BUT despite all this, the author says the light of God has not be extinguished.
• 2 Kings 8:19 “Nevertheless (Yet, ESV/KJV), for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”
HEAR GOD’S ASSURANCE
“The Lord was not willing…” This is not His will. It will not be the end of Judah. There is hope.
• There is hope because God has made a promise, a covenant. And He is determined to keep it.
• God will maintain a lamp for His people, and it’s forever. This light shines forever because that’s the salvation God has prepared for His people in Christ Jesus.
The promise of God is sure. His covenant is intact. Circumstances can change, but God’s will is already determined.
• During very difficult times and dark moments, we may not be able to see the light, momentarily. But trust Him. His light is still there.
• This is our faith. God is sovereign and He rules, even in the darkest moments. We’ve got to hear what God has said in His Word.
• God is still in control. Don’t let such times deceive us into thinking otherwise.
• Whatever we’ve learnt about God and His Word (when in good times), cling on to same when in difficult times, because God has not changed.
EXPECT GOD’S ACTIONS
God will act. He will judge evil and He will come against Jehoram.
• Read 2 Chron 21:12-20.
God counted his sins and then declared His judgement. It was sentencing time!
• The dark moments lasted only as long as necessary for God to accomplish His purposes. God acts in His own time and in His own way.
• 21:16 the Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs. They plundered his royal palace and took his entire family except a son.
• 21:18 “After all this (as if it wasn’t enough), the Lord afflicted him with an incurable disease of the bowels.” And he is going to die from it.
• He died a slow painful death. 21:19 “In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain.”
Just reading this alone might give us the thinking that God is too harsh.
• We have to look at this in the context of his 8-year reign – how he killed all his brothers, created high places for pagan worship, led the nation into idolatry, and probably many other unrecorded deeds.
• God has given him a chance when he received a letter from Elijah. God could have just punished him without warning.
• We see God’s consistent dealings with man in the Scriptures – He forewarns before He judges.
Jehoram was simply reaping what he had sown. If he had sown bad seeds, then don’t expect a good harvest. God has the last word.
• We can be assured today, no matter how bad the situation is, that God is sovereign and His covenant is sure. We trust what He has said.
• And we know He has the last word. He has the final say to everything that happens in our lives.
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In conclusion, I want to share with you this thought.
• We come to the sad end of a very sad life, with an ending that none of us want.
• It was a wasted life, with all that Jehoram was blessed with at the beginning.
21:19 “… he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honour, as they had for his fathers.”
• He was not buried in the tombs of the kings. And his epitaph reads (21:20), “He passed away, to no one’s regret…”
• Everyone was quietly glad that he was gone.
On the epitaph are two numbers. One is the year of your birth and the other 4 digits is year of your death.
• But what really matters is the dash in between the numbers. It signifies the span of your life. Those who know you, will know how much that dash is worth.
• Do they missed you? Is that dash precious to them? Do they treasure the time they spent with you while on earth, because of the good that you’ve done?
• Don’t waste it on things material and don’t waste it on things immaterial. Honour God with our lives and do the works of God. Make that dash matter.
Closing Song:
FIND US FAITHFUL – by Steve Green
We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find
PRAY: Father in heaven, thank you for your grace in our lives. Keep us holy. Help us not squander the opportunities you have given us, to honour You and to serve You faithfully.
