A HOPELESS FAILURE. 2nd Chronicles 21 None of us lives without making mistakes, but when a person's life is dedicated to pleasing God and blessing His people, they can die in peace. What hope, what blessing, what joy the servant of God experiences when they are taken home! "Absent from the body and present with the Lord" offers comfort when near the "valley of death," both to the one leaving and those left behind.
Jehoshaphat was a good ruler, despite making some serious mistakes, and the effects of those mistakes lingered. He had given his sons wealth and responsibility in the local authority. He must have known what kind of person Jehoram was and the type of wife he arranged for him to marry. Why would he assign such a person to lead God's people is hard to understand. It seems to be only because Jehoram was the oldest son.
Jehoram probably served as co-ruler with Jehoshaphat for a few years before the king died. Jehoram was a truly apostate and murderous king during his rule over Judah. He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, inheriting many of her wicked traits. Jehoshaphat's efforts to lead the people and eliminate high places and idolatry were quickly reversed when Jehoram rebuilt those high places and caused the people of Judah to commit spiritual fornication by breaking their covenant with the Lord.
We all leave a legacy. It's important to think about the purpose of leadership, not just who will take on the role. Not everyone is suited for leadership, even if they are culturally or socially accepted. The best leader for God's people is someone who cares for the Lord's flock, understands the biblical qualifications for leaders, respects them, and is appointed by the Holy Spirit. Hence, God's people recognize His choice and do not take on the role lightly or with pride. Hidden resentment might not be evident at first, but underlying dissatisfaction won't easily go away. The impacts of an unstable situation may not become clear until a crisis occurs or signs of discontent start to surface.
Jehoshaphat had the authority, like David did, to choose his successor. He did so without much thought or consultation with the Lord. He should have known that his other sons were better men than Jehoram. Athaliah likely pressured Jehoram to kill his brothers, who might have been seen as threats to the throne. The murder of all Jehoshaphat's sons, who served as local officials in different cities, probably angered the local populations with some authority. The royal line of David was maintained, but just barely.
A man often yields to his wife to keep peace at home instead of taking the time to think about the long-term effects of his actions. A quick, reckless decision made by an ungodly man leads to ungodly actions with unpredictable results. It is certain that both good and evil deeds will eventually be rewarded or punished. If we turn away from the Lord—either by neglecting what He wants or by doing what He forbids—we are already on a destructive path that will lead us further from God.
Under Jehoram’s leadership, all the good done by previous rulers was quickly erased. This caused Judah to become just as morally corrupt as the northern tribes of Israel. Idolatry was encouraged, and spiritual darkness and fornication spread throughout the nation.
During his reign, Jehoram attempted to suppress the Edomite rebellion as his father had successfully done. Instead, he found himself surrounded and managed to escape by breaking through during the night. Libnah, a city of Judah on the border of Philistia, also revolted. These were people who had left the northern tribes of Israel because they wanted to go to Jerusalem and follow the ways of the Lord. They did not want to return to what they had left. The consequences of Jehoram’s evil reign were still felt in Israel when the chronicles were written many years later.
God withdrew His protection from Judah, leaving them vulnerable to their neighbors without divine aid or the ability to defend themselves. God permitted the revolt of Edom and Libnah to succeed, and Jehoram, along with his leaders and army, narrowly escaped. "Because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers," he was left to fend for himself. You might think he would pause to reflect on why, but instead, he continued to promote wrong among the people. If he truly feared God, He would have remained where He always had been. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Punishment for sin might not happen immediately or suddenly, but it will come. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." We will face the consequences of sin eventually. Joining with the world in an unequal yoke is wrong. Promoting evil and idolatry is even worse, though it's often unavoidable when someone is in an unequal yoke. Such friendship with the world is "enmity with God." God's omnipotence remains unused even in times of desperation, disaster, or disease.
Instead of learning from his mistakes, Jehoram went further and dragged others down with him. The letter from Elijah should have truly shaken Jehoram. It clearly warned him that his evil ways would bring severe punishment to both the nation and himself. Prophecies given by faithful prophets of God were as authoritative as God's word. What they predicted would truly come to pass. God allowed the enemies surrounding Judah to fulfill the prophecy Elijah delivered. Whoever delivered Elijah’s letter was guided by the Lord to present it at a particular time, likely after Elijah had been taken up into heaven. It would have been like a voice from another world to Jehoram, pronouncing doom on him and his family for the evil they had done.
The nation was brought to spiritual poverty, and Jehoram suffered prolonged physical pain and suffering as a result of sin. Something may not seem very important to us when everyone around us engages in it without hesitation. Some say, "Don't knock it until you try it," but that does not make an action right. When people become used to something over time, it can seem acceptable. This can even happen with believers if we're not careful. Ecclesiastical sin is as real and as wrong as any other kind of sin.
When Jehoram died after a prolonged and painful illness and a humiliating end, no one cared. They did not hold any national mourning for him. There was no fire in his honor. He probably died unloved, unneeded, and unwanted. What a terrible legacy to leave his family. Even his own family was almost nonexistent, and that would have been even worse if his evil wife had her way. Never, ever forget the principle in the words of scripture: "Then that honor Me, I will honor, they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed."
Look at poor Jehoram. He is bent over in pain day after day. The food may taste sweet, but there is a price to pay for making wrong choices when one is relatively young. Now you have lost everything except your youngest son. You were given the place of honor, but that wasn’t enough. You killed your brothers and took all their possessions. Whatever happened to you that made you so evil? It was marrying that woman when the yoke wasn’t equal.
Many will ignore common sense and reason, but they deliberately do what is wrong, believing it is only for a season. A lifetime with the wrong person always has serious consequences. She will break down walls of separation and leave you defenseless. Take time to consider before donning a life-yoke; listen to those who are older, and when they speak, to warn you of danger you didn’t recognize, that would turn you from righteousness onto the pathway of sin.
Jehoram, now your family is gone, except for an evil wife and one son. You live in pain as a result of what you have done. There is no one to blame; you made the decision, and your suffering is beyond help from any physician. Jezebel’s daughter may have looked good to you, but the consequences of that marriage are not a surprise. Living for yourself rather than God can lead to no good end. Unequal yokes always produce unhappy results. Look at that poor man with his insides gushing out. Better than speeches, his message does shout – “Start right, determined to do what God says is best, or you’ll end up like me – hopeless and finding no rest!”