When the families of the pious king Jehoshaphat and the
idolater Ahab came together in marriage, Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram with Ahab’s
daughter, the resulting union was disastrous for the kingdom of Judah. Instead of following in his father’s God-honoring
ways, Jehoram followed the path of Ahab, leading his own people away from the
LORD and “prostituting” themselves with false gods. In addition to his failures as a spiritual
leader for his people, Jehoram also desecrated the good name of the house of
David by murdering all six of his brothers and other relatives besides in order
to secure his throne, a throne that had been given to him as the eldest as a
matter of custom.
How
does a child of such a good man as Jehoshaphat end up being so wicked? Such thoughts are deeply troubling to us, as
we lack any real answer beyond falling back upon human freewill. If not for the promise of God to David, a
promise that could not be revoked because God is faithful even when his people
are not, the house of David was not destroyed, even though the actions of
Jehoram brought judgment upon himself, his family, and his people. Jehoram was afflicted with a painful disease
that killed him after two years, his sons and wives were captured by an
invading army and killed, and his kingdom suffered from that invasion as well. In the end, Jehoram died, “to nobody’s regret”,
without the honor done to the previous six generations of his family that had
ruled over Judah.
The
story of Jehoram is a cautionary tale, a tragedy that reminds us to never take
for granted that our spiritual and moral values will be those of the next
generation, each person must still decide for himself or herself to follow the
LORD. Also, Jehoram’s downfall reminds
us of the true consequences of sin, something we perhaps take for granted as a
people forgiven by God, but something we should not for the wages of sin are
still death, even for those washed by the blood of the Lamb. Lastly, we need to hold out hope for those
who have lost their way, for people who have known the grace of God but walked
from it, perhaps our continued prayers will be the vehicle through which God’s
grace finally reaches them.
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