[Jehoram] passed away, to no one's regret. (2 Chronicles 21:20)Jehoram was not like his father. Jehoshaphat was a good king who loved God and loved his people. In an effort to build an alliance with the northern kingdom Israel, Jehoshaphat had arranged a marriage for his son with Athaliah daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. A deal with the devil.
Never get into a card game with a shark. The deck is always stacked against us and any attempt to outsmart him will end in crushing defeat. Though there were no hostilities between Judah and Israel during the years they were connected by family ties, there was a disintegration of Judah's moral and ethical foundation.
Even Elijah - prophet to Israel - sent Jehoram a letter accusing him of cold blooded murder, and prostituting his people to foreign gods. The letter included a chilling prophecy that made Asa's aching feet sound like a walk in the park... without the achy feet.
Walking hand in hand with the enemy sounds like a good way of keeping him where we can see him, but it always has a way of coming back to hurt us. Hence the Apostle Paul's admonishment: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness (2 Corinthinans 6:14)?
Our focus verse reveals how much Jehoram was missed after he was gone.
Ever make a deal with the devil? How'd that work out for you?
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