Jehoram: The King Who Never Was….
Although Abijah had a glorious moment of faithfulness in the battle against King Jeroboam of Israel, and his son Asa and grandson Jehoshaphat were faithful to God most of their lives, the next king in succession did not follow in their paths of righteousness. Jehoram is the king who never was…faithful to God. It doesn't take long to figure that out. He did not walk in the ways of the kings of Judah. No, Jehoram "walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab had done…" (2 Chron. 21:6). Ahab and Jezebel had worshiped the Baals and other false gods; Jeroboam followed their bad example. Why was he so evil? He had married the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel—Athaliah, who was as wicked as her mother. Verse 6 tells us that "he had married the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord."
How evil was he? His first act as king was to kill all his brothers (v. 4). During his reign, God allowed the Edomites and those of Libnah to revolt; they gained back their independence because God fought on their side. God warned Jehoram by means of a letter from Elijah the prophet, who cited his iniquity of killing his brothers and walking after the kings of Israel. God would punish him. The faithfulness of his forefathers had been rewarded, but Jehoram would be specifically tortured. How? God would afflict him with a disease of his intestines. In fact, they would "come out by reason of the sickness, day by day" (v. 15).
Furthermore, God stirred up the Philistines and the Arabians against him. They "carried away all the possessions that were found in the king's house, and also his sons and his wives"—except for his youngest son (v. 17). Still, he did not repent. When God afflicted him "in his intestines with an uncurable disease," he remained impenitent (v. 18)—apparently trying to prove that he could be as stubborn as Pharaoh! After two years of agony, "his intestines came out," and "he died in severe pain" (v. 19). He evidently preferred excruciating suffering to changing his ways. How much more encouragement would anyone need to reform than what was provided him on a daily basis? Wouldn't most of us say, "Lord, you have my attention; what would you have me to do?"
Jehoram is the king who never was—faithful to God, repentant of his wicked ways, or forgiven of his evil actions. He thoroughly repudiated the ways of his fathers and set a horrible example for all those who would follow after him. He refused to listen to the Word of God no matter what it cost him. He died out of favor with God and with man. Yes, the text (v. 20) tells us that he departed from this earth "to no one's sorrow" (NKJ) or "with no one's regret" (NAS). They did not even bury him in the tombs of the kings. How awful to be despised by both God and man! Usually, a ruler has either Divine approval or human praise, but in this case it was neither. Such is the destiny of those who thoroughly repudiate God.