UNROLL
Dusk in Jerusalem from inside a palace room: one small clay oil lamp burns in a deep stone window niche, and beyond it the dark flat roofs of the city fall away down the ridge, a few lamps lit, under a calm deepening blue sky.

The Book of

2 Chronicles 21

Judah’s new king kills his brothers and marries into Ahab’s house. God keeps David’s lamp burning anyway.

20 verses≈ 5 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1SolomonWisdom asked at Gibeon
  2. 2–5The templeBuilt on Mount Moriah
  3. 6–7DedicationIf My people humble themselves
  4. 8–9Solomon's gloryThe queen of Sheba
  5. 10–16DivisionRehoboam to Asa
  6. 17–20JehoshaphatThe battle is God's
  7. 21–24Dark yearsJehoram to JoashChapter 21
  8. 25–28Proud kingsAmaziah to Ahaz
  9. 29–32HezekiahDoors opened, Passover kept
  10. 33–35Manasseh to JosiahMercy and the Book found
  11. 36Exile and returnMay he go up

Jehoram Reigns in Judah

And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.

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Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.

Judah

Jehoram of Judah · 8 years

  1. Thirty-two, and eight years

    Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

  2. In the ways of Israel’s kings

    And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done.

  3. did evil

    Married a daughter of Ahab

    For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

2 Chronicles 21:7

Reflect

A lamp kept burning

Jehoram deserved to lose everything. Yet “the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David.” Where have you seen God stay faithful when the people around you, or you yourself, did not? Write down what it tells you about how He keeps His promises.

Edom and Libnah Rebel

PhilistiaNegevJerusalemLibnah (site uncertain)

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Revolt on every side

In Jehoram’s eight years Judah lost ground on every side. Edom, in the mountains south and east of the Dead Sea, crowned its own king; Libnah, in the lowland toward Philistia, broke away; and raiders came up from Philistia and from the Arab peoples of the south. Libnah’s exact site is uncertain.

Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram

Late afternoon in a palace hall of pale stone and cedar beams: a dusty messenger in a travel-worn brown cloak kneels and holds up a rolled, sealed scroll toward King Jehoram, who stands half turned from a table, hard and wary, two courtiers behind him.
From ElijahTo Jehoram king of Judah

Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated: “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,

but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you.

So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow. And day after day you yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your bowels, until it causes your bowels to come out.’”

2 Chronicles 21:12–15

Question

Quick question

A warning reached the king in writing, before the blow fell.

Who sent Jehoram a letter of warning?

Jehoram’s Disease and Death

Morning light through a high window into a ransacked royal storeroom: empty cedar shelves, a few broken storage jars on the stone floor, an empty open chest, a fallen bolt of cloth and the heavy wooden door hanging open, no one there.

Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites. So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.

0:18

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain.

And his people did not make a fire in his honor as they had done for his fathers.

Judah

Jehoram’s end

  1. Thirty-two, and eight years

    Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

  2. not with the kings

    Died, to no one’s regret

    He died, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Pray

Remembered with thanks

Jehoram “died, to no one’s regret.” Thank God that He keeps His covenant when kings and people fail. Ask Him for a heart that walks in the good ways of those who taught you, as Jehoram would not walk in “the ways of your father Jehoshaphat.” Pray for leaders who use power to serve, not to remove rivals. And ask that your own life would be remembered with thanks, not relief.

You’ve experienced

2 Chronicles 21

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A verse to carry with you

Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

2 Chronicles 21:7

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