The Good, The Bad, and The Forgettable

2 Kings 8:6 to 29, 2 Chronicles 21, 22:1-9

More story pieces. 

More princes rising to their thrones.

Joram, son of Ahab, over Israel.

Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, over Judah.

Jehoram, in 2 Kings 8:18 “did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 19 Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”

Ahaziah, was the son of Jehoram.  Kings die and sons inherit thrones.

The Chronicler epitomizes David’s kingdom and throne and Dynasty.  And God’s Covenant Promise. And it’s so confusing.  Because the Chronicler is so adamant in his description of Judah as the true Israel.

Jehoram, is one of Jehoshaphat’s 7 sons.  Their dad is very generous to all the sons but gave his kingdom to Jehoram his first-born son.  2 Chron 21:4 “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.  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.  Athaliah, a daughter of Jezebel. 

There is a departure in the formula writing of a king’s life, where we are usually referred to the history books to read the rest of a king’s exploits and accomplishments.  But this is not the case with Jehoram.  We do read that he died a horribly painful death from an incurable bowel disease. Which is probably enough information for the imagination.  And this is prophesied in a letter from Elijah.  

This letter is the only mention of Elijah in both books of the Chronicles.

But about Jehoram?

He was utterly forgettable.

He barely gets an obituary at the end of the chapter. 

2 Chron 21: 19 “His people made no fire in his honor,

as they had for his fathers. 

20 Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king

and he reigned in Jerusalem for 8 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.”

It all sounds so hopeless and so messy.

And yet there is always a glimmer of hope.

And of faithfulness.

And of covenant Promise

And of course, I love that!

It makes you wonder how the people hang on

And why God keeps them in the palm of his hand.

But that’s because that’s who He is.  

A God of people.

Not just a God of Creation.

And the Grace Story continues and goes on.  

It’s so far from over.

Pieces of our stories that we would like to forget.

And celebrations that we would not want to miss for the whole world.  

Stories of walking together.  

Because that’s the kind of God we serve.