Devotionals

2 Chronicles 21:4-20

Jehoram King of Judah

4 When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 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. 7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the LORD had made with David, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 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. 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.

12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said:
"This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you. 14 So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.' "

16 The LORD aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. 17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king's palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah, ^[a] the youngest.

18 After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 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. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers.

20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

"HE PASSED AWAY, TO NO ONE'S REGRET" 2Chronicles 21:20

Do you ever wonder how people will feel when you die? Will they be sorry? Will they mourn? Will they even notice?

Don't laugh! It has happened.

Jehoram, a king of Judah, had a righteous father, Jehoshaphat. But Jehoram was the opposite. It was only because God had promised David that H would preserve his kingdom that Jehoram and his entire family were not destroyed.

Even so, Jehoram himself was punished, through a disease that we won't go into detail to describe.

Did you notice that Jehoram's subjects weren't too keen on him either? Verse 19 says the people "made passing of a king. And they didn't even respect Jehoram enough to bury him in the tombs of the kings.

Indeed, as the Bible says, Jehoram, "passed away, to no one's regret" (v.20)

Granted, few people in the world are that disagreeable. But the story of Jehoram is a reminder that our Christian lives are lived out in the ocntext of social relationships. How we treat others demonstrates the depth of our faith. And how people feel when we die indicates how they felt about us when we were alive.

How do you brighten up a room - by entering it or by leaving it? God's Holy Spirit creates in us the kind of personality that attracts others.

Iknow, talk about death is a little morbid and -- I hope -- alot premature. But it's a way to get us to look at life. The love that Jesus creates within our hearts shines out and brings us into strong realtionships. It will produce friends, and they will be the kind of people who will carry us through any situation.


REFLECTION:
* How do I want to be remembered?
Which qualities am I praying that the Holy Spirity will develop in my life, so that I can radiate Christ's loe to others?

Labels: Attitude, Daily Devotional, Relationship