The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Chronicles 21:20,
"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."
Jehoshaphat was a good king in Judah, with some shortcomings. When it was time for him to pass the throne down to his successor, he followed convention and chose his first born son, Jehoram.
Jehoram's life can be pretty well summed up in the above verse. He was worse than worthless as a king of Judah. We read in verse 6, "He followed 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." One of his first acts as king was to murder all of his brothers and other officials to protect his throne, "When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel." Verse 4.
The Lord had the prophet Elijah send Jehoram a letter condemning him. The indictment against him was, "But you have followed 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 own family, men who were better than you." Verse 13.
He was so removed from the things the Lord wanted to accomplish, that in Elijah's letter the Lord told Jehoram he would stirke him with an illness such that he would be very ill for a long time untill his bowels came out. The Lord sent the Philistines and Arabs against Judah because of Jehoram, had Judah plundered, along with his wives and all but one of his sons taken.
After two years of suffering, Jehoram's bowels did come out and he died in great pain. And, his death at no one's regret.
What a waste! An incredible opportunity to do great things for all eternity as the king of God's people, an opportunity to be an important figure in usefulness to God's agenda, squandered! His foolishness led to his miserable and excrutiating downfall. Neither God nor man regretted his passing.
All this points to the one-life opportunity each one of us has in pursuing the things of the Lord, aligning ourselves with his plans and agenda, finding fulfillment, satisfaction and purpose in doing those things that count for all eternity.
How will we spend the one life we have here? Will we find ourselves being welcomed into eternity with the words, "Well done!" from the Lord himself? Or find ourselves to have wasted our life like Jehoram?
The choice is all up to us - each one of us.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"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."
Jehoshaphat was a good king in Judah, with some shortcomings. When it was time for him to pass the throne down to his successor, he followed convention and chose his first born son, Jehoram.
Jehoram's life can be pretty well summed up in the above verse. He was worse than worthless as a king of Judah. We read in verse 6, "He followed 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." One of his first acts as king was to murder all of his brothers and other officials to protect his throne, "When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel." Verse 4.
The Lord had the prophet Elijah send Jehoram a letter condemning him. The indictment against him was, "But you have followed 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 own family, men who were better than you." Verse 13.
He was so removed from the things the Lord wanted to accomplish, that in Elijah's letter the Lord told Jehoram he would stirke him with an illness such that he would be very ill for a long time untill his bowels came out. The Lord sent the Philistines and Arabs against Judah because of Jehoram, had Judah plundered, along with his wives and all but one of his sons taken.
After two years of suffering, Jehoram's bowels did come out and he died in great pain. And, his death at no one's regret.
What a waste! An incredible opportunity to do great things for all eternity as the king of God's people, an opportunity to be an important figure in usefulness to God's agenda, squandered! His foolishness led to his miserable and excrutiating downfall. Neither God nor man regretted his passing.
All this points to the one-life opportunity each one of us has in pursuing the things of the Lord, aligning ourselves with his plans and agenda, finding fulfillment, satisfaction and purpose in doing those things that count for all eternity.
How will we spend the one life we have here? Will we find ourselves being welcomed into eternity with the words, "Well done!" from the Lord himself? Or find ourselves to have wasted our life like Jehoram?
The choice is all up to us - each one of us.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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