2 Chronicles 21: 1- 20
Eliminate the competition
21 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. 4 Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 7 Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. 8 In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. 9 So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers. 11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray. 12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day. 16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up into Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. 18 After all this the LORD struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so, he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However, they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Our Holy and Majestic Creator God enjoyed the love for Him that a young shepherd boy initiated in his life. As an adult David committed some serious sins yet when he was confronted with them he repented, and our Holy Merciful God forgave him.
In joy and appreciation of our master’s loving presence David wanted more of Him in his life and in the lives of the Israelites. So, he came up with the idea of building a house for our Holy Creator to dwell in. God told him that He did not want an earthly house but due to his concern for Him, our Holy Yahweh wanted to bless him and informed David that He would build David a house.
David didn’t listen thoroughly. He thought that YHWH was giving him the go ahead with his son Solomon to build him a dwelling place when in fact God was saying that the house He would build for David was a dynasty. David understood in part this promise which was that his future grandsons would continue to be king over Israel.
David would be turning in his grave if he saw what his descendants were doing. Just starting with his son Solomon David’s grandsons lacked the same love for YHWH.
Solomon due to trying to please all the numerous wives allow pagan worship in Adoni Yahweh’s land. From this point onwards, the people did not have the same single-minded love and devotion to the God of Israel. They thought it was okay to go through religious worship at the Temple while at the same time participate in the abominable worship of demonic spirits that were behind the pagan rites. The point in question was not about the quality or depth of the love towards Yahweh; it’s about competing loves.
All competing loves must bow before the throne of our Holy God Jesus Christ.
In His commitment to keep His promise to David our Holy Father God confronted David’s grandsons’ competing loves. It’s as if He was saying, “On taking the throne that I promised to your Grandfather David you said you would never deny Me, but as soon as it got unpopular, you went down like a rock. When it cost you something and you were afraid, you ran for the hills to seek help from gods that are not real.” Our Holy Master pressed his co-shepherds to the point of grief over their sin—the condition of heart that precedes repentance. The outcome He desired for them had not been reached. Our Holy God uses the same approach with each of us.
Love competes when something—anything—becomes more important to us than Christ. It could be a wrong attraction; more often it’s an interest that is not wrong. But when something gets a higher priority in our lives than Jesus Christ, it’s a competing love. There can be no rival thrones that threatens Jesus’ place of Supremacy.
Sometimes God ordains grief and suffering to pry from our grip anything that threatens His rightful rule. When something must change, God allows a crisis to expose and eliminate our competing loves. Often, He appoints pain to incinerate their influence. All competing loves must bow before the throne of Jesus Christ as Lord.
What is competing with Christ for first place in your life? The enemy’s strategy is to divide and conquer by inciting your competing loves. And Jesus Is persistent about eliminating rival affections. He will keep asking like He did to Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” until you can answer with a surrendered heart.
In my life I personally experienced the way to success based on worldly advice. I in fact called this time as my ‘Solomon Success’. I would do anything to achieve my objectives. I eliminated all competition that I felt would get in my way. I even went to the point of setting up a game plan. Here it is;
1. Stay One Step Ahead of The Enemy
In doing so, I was able to blindside the competition by preparing a ‘Strategic Battle Plan’.
Many people advise that a way to win is to go after a competitor’s weak points. In truth it is just the other way around. I say go after their strong points. My goal was always to turn my competitors' strengths against them. One of my competitors offered certain benefits to higher management. To compete, I offered better ways and things that I knew they could do. All these provided great value which upper management and customers appreciated.
2. Seize All Opportunities
If you prepare a well-thought-out battle plan, you will be able to forecast future events. Seize on all possible opportunities that will open for you. If there are none, then create these opportunities yourself.
You must believe in your own abilities and talents.
In sports all good coaches have strategies. They go over film and other reports about the other team. Say in the sport of basketball who had a star player. To change the outcome, I came up with tactics to eliminate his contribution to the game.
3. Know How to Choose Your Battles
You do not have to fight every battle that comes your way. By taking stock of your business’ strengths and weaknesses and arming yourself with business intelligence, you will be able to choose your battles. Use other people to do your dirty work.
I evaluated and analyzed the various situations that I saw and made tweaks or changes in the game plan for me to get ahead.
4. Never lose heart.
The battle is long and arduous. That is a given. But if you will maintain your courage and determination, no obstacle will ever be insurmountable.
The information I just shared for you I want to advise you to learn from my mistakes and not follow my pattern. Education and observation should be for learning.
When I look back on those years, it was a time when I gained the highest titles along with the money to match, yet it was the loneliest time in my life. You see I did it. My Holy Lord was not with me and I missed Him. I had to count the cost of what was the most important thing to me and in all truth, I choose to follow Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior now and forever.
Today we are going to review the time of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram who is given the throne after his dad’s death. This new king was evil. He eliminated the competition to his rule by killing off all potential rivals which included his brothers.
Up to this point the book of Chronicles has presented the house of David in a good light, although not wholly hiding imperfections. It has presented Solomon, Rehoboam and Abijah as all failing to reach the high standards required by the Law. But what is discussed has tended to hide their association with idolatry. Thus 1 Kings presents Solomon as involving himself with idolatry towards the end of his life (1 Kings 11.1-13), makes clear that idolatry flourished in the days of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14.22-24), and briefly but specifically associates Abijam (Abijah) with the same thing (15.3-4).
Asa and Jehoshaphat are then presented as free from idolatry, indeed as reformers. His aim was probably to establish the credit of the house of David in the eyes of the post-exilic community who were themselves constantly under pressure from idolatrous neighbors and had learned not to compromise. They could understand weakness and failure, but they abhorred idolatry.
Now, however, Chronicles now must show full blown idolatry going on within the nation of Judah.. And the tragic thing is that it occurred because of Jehoshaphat’s one great failing, his cozying up the kings of Israel. Had he kept them at arm’s length what follows would never have happened. But by marrying off his son to a daughter of Ahab, king of Israel, he introduced idolatry into Judah at the highest level. And it would later result in enforced idolatry in Judah, the assassination of all his sons but one, and a period of fifteen years of idolatrous rule patterned on that of the kings of Israel, which would have a continual effect on Judah from then on because of the public officials who had been led astray by that rule.
This lesson today is a reminder to all Christians that while compromise might sometimes appear helpful we need to be very wary that it does not put us in a position of continual compromise or introduce what is unhealthy which can never be eradicated.
As the husband of Ahab’s daughter Athaliah, Jehoram was clearly strongly influenced by the ways that she had learned at the court of Ahab. His father had endowed his brothers with great wealth, and had given them rulership, under Jehoram, over the larger fortified cities in Judah. Their wealth and status were too much for Jehoram and Athaliah (who would later reveal her true colors by leading astray Jehoram’s son Ahaziah (22.3) and by murdering all Jehoram’s grandsons (22.10-11)). Ahab’s ways were being introduced into Judah by the bloodthirsty Athaliah, whom Jehoshaphat in his folly had welcomed to be his son’s wife.
21 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
This opening verse follows the usual pattern for kings of Judah. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers (a euphemism for death) and was buried with his fathers in the royal tombs in the city of David, and his firstborn son (verse 3) reigned instead of him. We learn from 22.2 that his son’s wife was Athaliah of the house of Omri in Israel.
2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
Jehoram had six brothers whose names are given here, all of whom were sons of Jehoshaphat. Producing only seven sons Jehoshaphat had clearly refrained from marrying multiple wives, unlike Rehoboam (11.21) and Abijah (13.21). He was following the requirements for kingship in the Law (Deuteronomy 17.17).
The names reflect Jehoshaphat’s piety. Jehoram itself means ‘YHWH is exalted’. Azariah (Azariyahu) means ‘YHWH has helped’. Jehiel means ‘God lives.’ Zechariah means ‘YHWH remembers’ or ‘YHWH Is renowned’. Michael means ‘who is like God?’. Shephatiah means ‘YHWH has judged’.
3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
Jehoshaphat treated all his sons equally and appointed them as governors over large cities. One purpose in doing this was to ensure the loyalty of those cities. It also kept his sons away from idle living in Jerusalem, and therefore from mischief. However, to his firstborn son Jehoram he ‘gave the kingdom’, that is, he appointed him as his successor, and in fact made him co-regent five years before his death to ensure a smooth succession.
4 Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.
Once Jehoram had established his position as king he began to deal with those whom he saw as challenging his position. But he clearly went over the top. While it is quite possible that all his brothers, together with many ‘princes of Israel’ (leading men of wider Judah), murmured at the direction in which he was taking the kingdom, especially with regard to his leading the people astray into gross idolatry and giving special heed to the advice of his wife Athaliah, it is questionable whether they all actively intended positive action against him. The impression given is rather that his action was totally arbitrary, arising from deep suspicion and total ruthlessness, rather than because he had actual grounds for his actions. It seems very probable that he was egged on by his wife (21.6; 22.3), in the same way as Jezebel had egged on Ahab, for his wife would later herself perform a similar ruthless deed to establish her position (22.10). Jehoshaphat’s folly in being unequally yoked with unbelievers was reaping a grim harvest for Judah.
The elimination of rivals was a common practice among many foreign rulers and had been known in special circumstances in ancient Israel. It must seem probable from the total ruthlessness shown by Jehoram had its source in Athaliah.
5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
This small subsection ends by giving details of Jehoram’s reign. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.
In this subsection we learn of the downward path which Jehoram began to take by enforcing Baalism on the people of Judah, and the seething of rebellion which resulted. We also learn how through his actions Judah lost control of its only subject nation, the people of Edom. Both were the inevitable result of his sins.
The assassination of his brothers who were governors of the largest cities in Judah, and of the many other leading figures in Judah, could only weaken Judah’s ability to defend itself. The core of its leadership strength had been destroyed, and resentment would have been built up within Judah. It is not, therefore, surprising that Jehoram faced rebellion within (Libnah) and without (Edom). The rebellion in Libnah, a city in the foothills (the shephelah) of Judah, was caused by Jehoram’s attempts to enforce Baalism on Judah (verse 10), possibly also being a consequence of the assassination of their governor at Jehoram’s command. They broke away from Judah and presumably formed their own city state. (Others may have joined in with them). The rebellion in Edom occurred because the Edomites saw in his actions a weakening of Judah which they considered gave them an opportunity to successfully rebel.
6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
The essence of this verse is that he was led into false ways because he had the daughter of Ahab as his wife, with the consequence that he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and ‘did what was evil in the eyes of YHWH’. These phrases primarily had in mind his activities in enforcing Baalism (verse 11) but may also be seen as including the following of the evil practices that resulted (such as the assassination of all his rivals). As with Jezebel on Ahab, the influence of his evil wife was very strong.
7 Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
This is the first indication of the danger of the house of David being destroyed. In his eyes whatever Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa and Jehoshaphat had done it had not put the relationship of the house of David with YHWH in jeopardy. But now we see the position as so serious that had it not been for YHWH’s solemn unconditional covenant with David, the house of David might have been destroyed.
The point being made is that whatever the behavior of the kings of Judah, YHWH would be faithful to His covenant with David, and to the house of David. He had promised David that his descendants would continue ‘always’, with each being given ‘a lamp’ (a living descendant) to carry on the line. The emphasis was thus on the continuation of the line of David and thus on the certainty of the arrival one day of the Coming King of the house of David which was a part of YHWH’s promise to David. It found its fulfilment in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting King.
In 2 Kings 8.19 the parallel promise was that he would not destroy Judah for David His servant’s sake but would give him a lamp for his children always, where the emphasis was on the continuation of Judah consequent on the continuation of David’s line.
8 In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves.
Because of Jehoram’s idolatry and evil behavior YHWH withheld His assistance from him. Thus, when Judah’s subject nation Edom rebelled against Judah and made their own king over themselves He did not intervene.
Edom had originally been subdued by David (2 Samuel 8.13-14; 1 Kings 11.15-17) and was controlled by Solomon who was able to make and dispatch ships from Ezion-geber at will (1 Kings 9.26), although late in his reign he experienced trouble from Hadad the Edomite (1 Kings 11.21-22). It is probable that therefore Edom was lost to Rehoboam, something suggested by where he situated his fortified cities for the defense of Judah. It was, however, certainly back under the control of Judah in Jehoshaphat’s day, for he was able to build ships at Ezion-geber in Edom, with the ruler of Edom being only a deputy (1 Kings 22.47-48). Now, however, under Jehoram Edom were making a bid for freedom and chose a king of their own to rule over them.
9 So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots.
At first sight it gives the impression that Jehoram gained the victory over Edom. But verse 10 gives the opposite impression. The description is slightly longer in 2 Kings 8.21 and reads, ‘then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he rose up by night and smote the Edomites who surrounded him, and the commanders of the chariots, and the people fled to their tents.’ What this appears to be saying is that Jehoram found himself and his chariot commanders unexpectedly surrounded by the Edomites and had to take advantage of night time to break through their ranks to safety, on which the people of Judah made for home (‘fled to their tents’). In other words, it was a victory for Edom.
10 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.
As a result of Jehoram’s folly, the only nation that was subject to Judah was lost to them.
At the same time as Edom rebelled, the city of Libnah also rebelled. Libnah was an important city in the Shephelah (the lower hill country to the West). It apparently rebelled because of Jehoram’s religious perversion in establishing Baal worship. It took a firm stand for the worship of YHWH, no doubt along with its surrounding towns. It may well be that its governor had been one of the sons of Jehoshaphat. The fact that Jehoram could not prevent it demonstrates how much he had weakened himself. It demonstrated that YHWH was no longer with him. Libnah once again belonged to Judah by the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19.8).
11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.
Jehoram was the first king of Judah actively to promote Baalism. He used his position as king to pressurize the inhabitants of Jerusalem into becoming Baal worshippers and indulging in the perverted sexual acts which were an essential part of that religion. He established new high places in the mountains besides those which were already there (high places were sanctuaries containing a pillar of Baal and/or an Asherah image or pole where worship could be conducted in accordance with base Canaanite ritual. Asherah was the consort of Baal). And because of his activities he led Judah astray.
12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.
No doubt to his surprise Jehoram received a written communication from Elijah, the prophet of Israel. We can only conjecture why Elijah wrote rather than coming in person. It may have been because of his age, or it may have been because he was so taken up with his ministry to the northern kingdom of Israel that he only had time to write a letter.
In his letter Elijah referred to the three kings of Judah who acted strongly against idolatry, David, Jehoshaphat and Asa. In this field neither Solomon nor Rehoboam nor Abijah were blameless. He first reminded Jehoram that he was a son of David, but that he had come short of what such a position demanded. The implication is that as a son of David he had had a special responsibility of obedience to YHWH in accord with the Davidic covenant (1 Chronicles 17.8-14), a responsibility in which he had failed.
Elijah then referred him to the two great kings of Judah who had preceded him within living memory, Jehoshaphat, his own father, and Asa. Both had sought to rid Judah of idolatry. But Jehoram had not followed in their ways. Rather he had chosen to follow the evil ways of the house of his father-in-law, Ahab, the idolatrous king of Israel. He had encouraged debased idolatrous religion in Judah and Jerusalem and had been guilty of fratricide, slaying his brothers who had been more concerned to please YHWH (to Elijah it was this which would make them better than Jehoram).
Notice again the words ‘To play the prostitute.’ The main idea here was of being unfaithful to YHWH by worshipping other gods. But it probably also contained within it the idea of the debased sex involved in Baal worship. Sinful men delighted in cult prostitution. At the instigation of Jehoram the people had welcomed the debased religion of Canaan with open arms because their hearts were not set to the God of their fathers (20.33). Thus, both king and people shared the blame, and all would experience the punishment.
Then he warned that the idolatrous behavior of Jehoram and Judah would bring repercussions on both. YHWH would smite Jehoram’s people, the people of Judah, with a great plague/slaughter (the Hebrew word can mean either). And it would affect Jehoram’s children, his wives, and all that he possessed. Meanwhile Jehoram himself would suffer from a great sickness though a disease of his bowels which would eventually result in his intestines falling out. ‘Days unto days’ probably signifies ‘for a good length of time’.
16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up into Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
Because of Jehoram’s folly ‘YHWH stirred up’ both the Philistines and some North African Arabians to come against Judah. We have no clearer information about these North African Arabians, but together with the Philistines they clearly formed a powerful force. This would suggest that Jehoram had mustered his forces in order to seek to drive them back, but was totally defeated so that his camp was taken over by the invaders. It is probable from the description that they then required Jehoram to produce in the camp all his wives and children, together with a huge ransom which emptied his coffers and his royal palace. It is doubtful if they themselves approached Jerusalem. Having received the ransom, they then went off leaving Jehoram behind but taking as captive his wives and his sons, and subsequently putting all his sons (and probably his wives) to death (22.1). Only one son escaped, and that was his youngest son Jehoahaz (Azariah) who was probably about twenty years of age. It may be that he was away from Judah on mission.
The total defeat of Jehoram’s forces, no doubt with many casualties, together with the subsequent pillage, rape and slaughter of inhabitants of Judah was a fulfilment of Elijah’s words to Jehoram that YHWH would smite with great slaughter the people of Judah, who it must be noted had played their part in the rise of idolatry. The slaughter of his sons in accord with the words of Elijah was also a punishment for his own slaughter of his brothers. He reaped what he had sown.
18 After all this the LORD struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so, he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.
Jehoram was smitten in his bowels with an incurable disease, which, in the process of time at the end of two years, caused his bowels to prolapse.
His attempts to seek popularity and to establish his status had all failed. When he died no honor was paid to him in his death. The ‘burning’ which was not made for him was a means of showing respect for the dead and giving them honor. It was a usual part of the funeral arrangements for a dead king (16.14).
20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However, they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
The statistical details of his reign are repeated, but it is made clear that he died a man rejected by both God and man. No one among the people had any feelings for him when he died, and he was not buried in the sepulcher of the kings. He was not counted worthy. Those who had played up to him when he was alive, turned against him on his death. Thus, died the son of Jehoshaphat, the product of his father’s foolish decisions.
