II Chronicles 21-22:9; II Kings 11-12
Today we get a closer look at the horrible consequences of Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab. At the center of that alliance is Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah, who leads her husband, Joram/Jehoram of Judah away from the LORD and into Baal worship. He, in turn, leads Judah astray, but that is not all: Joram proceeds to kill all his brothers and some cousins. (II Ch. 21:4)
Clearly, Joram of Judah is a vile character, and Elijah (who evidently has not yet been taken up to heaven — so much for reading things in chronological order!) sends him a letter, condemning Joram’s actions and declaring that he will suffer a most unpleasant disease. (II Ch. 21:12-15) Unrepentant, Joram does indeed eventually die of this nasty disease. And he departed with no one’s regret. (II Ch. 21:20) What a commentary on a life ill-lived!
So Joram’s son, Ahaziah, becomes king of Judah, but he learns nothing from his father’s demise. He remains under the wicked counsel of his mother, Athaliah, and continues in evil. By providence, Joram is caught in Jehu’s purge of the House of Ahab and dies after reigning only one year. (II Ch. 22:7-9)
What with Joram’s killing of his brothers and with Ahaziah’s dying young, there is a power vacuum in Judah, and Athaliah herself seizes the throne. She immediately sets to work killing off those who remain of David’s royal line. But she misses one baby boy: Joash (aka Jehoash). (We’ll consider him tomorrow…)
All this disaster arises from Jehoshaphat’s foolish alliance with Ahab. So again I urge us all to evaluate our relationships. Given that our readings lately are centered so much on political leadership, perhaps political alliances warrant a particular focus. I am not here to endorse one party over the other. (There’s plenty of bad behavior in each, and Jesus Himself isn’t generally on the ballot.) But I hope that we can each surrender whatever political biases we developed growing up, or whatever political stances we’ve held for years, and seriously submit them all afresh to the Lord. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Are you, in fact, voting with the Lord — or against Him?