Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
In the fifth year of Joram, son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
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. Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.
In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. So Jehoram went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home. To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time.
As for the other events of Jehoram's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.
In the twelfth year of Joram, son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab's family.
Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram; so King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazael king of Aram.
Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because he had been wounded.
2 Kings 8:16-29
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Why do children who have good parents decide to go the wrong way?
It’s a question that so many ask, not only today, but I’m sure in biblical days as well.
It seems that no matter how hard parents try to model proper living and teach their children the right way to live, there are children who are bound and determined to do just the opposite…rebelling against authority…and snubbing their noses at reason.
Well, in our scripture today we see such a case as we look at two kings who succeeded Jehoshaphat as king of Judah.
You’ll recall these words that were written about Jehoshaphat at the end of 1 Kings, Chapter 22:
“In everything, he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.”
So what was said about Asa, Jehoshaphat’s father?
1 Kings, Chapter 15 tells us, he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done”. In fact, when you go back and look at what Asa did as king, you’ll see that he didn’t follow in the evil ways of his father Abijah or Abijah’s father Rehoboam. Instead, Asa decided to not continue going down the wrong road but instead walk a new path…one that was righteous and pleasing to God.
Now, as we see in 2 Kings, Chapter 8, the streak of good and obedient rule came to an end as “Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah”. For we read where Jehoram decided to walk “in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab”. You’ll recall that Ahab had introduced Baal worship to Israel, influencing his people to sin and come into disfavor with God. Now, Jehoram was doing the same.
Scripture tells us that “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and raised God to anger against Judah. But despite His anger, God honored the covenant He had made with David and thus “was not willing to destroy Judah”. You’ll recall that in the covenant God had “promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever”.
Still trouble came for Jehoram and Judah. We read where “Edom rebelled…and set up its own king”, leading Jehoram to go to “Zair with all his chariots”. When he did, we read where the Edomites “surrounded him and his chariot commanders” but Jehoram and his army were able to break “through by night” and flee back home.
Edom would remain in “rebellion against Judah” but we’ll see that things will change as we get deeper into 2 Kings.
Well, Jehoram’s reign soon ended and he “rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David”.
We read where his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
So would things change again?
Would Ahaziah realize the wrongs of his father and choose to change course?
Unfortunately, he didn’t.
For scripture tells us that Ahaziah, who only reigned for one year, decided to walk “in the ways of the house of Ahab” and do “evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done”. He joined forces with Joram, king of Israel, “to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead”. And in the ensuing battle, the “Arameans wounded Joram” causing the king of Israel to return to “Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth”. And Joram was joined by Ahaziah in Jezreel as he recovered.
So will this legacy of evil continue when future kings take the throne?
Stay tuned.
But I think the question for each of us today is...How well are we traveling down the path set forth by our Father of fathers…our King of kings…our Lord of lords?
For Jesus said:
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14
Are you on the narrow road of righteousness, traveling toward the small gate of life eternal that only a few will find? Or in other words, are you walking the road that Christ walked…the road that he wants to walk along with you each and every day?
Or are you choosing to walk the broad road toward that wide gate of destruction…the road that Satan is more than willing to walk with you on?
Only you know the answer.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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