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to no one’s regret

2 Chronicles 21:1-20

2 Chronicles 21:1 Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.
2 Chronicles 21:2 He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.
2 Chronicles 21:3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
2 Chronicles 21:4 When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel.
2 Chronicles 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 21:6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife. He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight,
2 Chronicles 21:7 but for the sake of the covenant Yahveh had made with David, he was unwilling to destroy the house of David since Yahveh had promised to give a lamp to David and to his sons forever.
2 Chronicles 21:8 During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king.
2 Chronicles 21:9 So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders.
2 Chronicles 21:10 And now Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time against his control because he had abandoned Yahveh, the God of his ancestors.
2 Chronicles 21:11 Jehoram also built high places in the hills of Judah, and he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and he led Judah astray.
2 Chronicles 21:12 Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying: This is what Yahveh, the God of your ancestor David says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of King Asa of Judah
2 Chronicles 21:13 but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you,
2 Chronicles 21:14 Yahveh is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction.
2 Chronicles 21:15 You yourself will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”
2 Chronicles 21:16 Yahveh roused the breath of the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram.
2 Chronicles 21:17 So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace and his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.
2 Chronicles 21:18 After all these things, Yahveh afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease.
2 Chronicles 21:19 This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his fathers.
2 Chronicles 21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret and was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings.

to no one’s regret

One of the saddest statements about anyone found in the scriptures is the epitaph for Jehoram. His short reign in Jerusalem resulted in the Lord judging him by inciting rebellion among his subjects, war with his enemies, a horrible illness in his bowels, and an agonizing death. When he died, his people decided not to bury him in the tombs of the kings, and not to honor him with a bonfire as they had done his predecessors. The writer of the Chronicles simply says that “he departed with no one’s regret” (20).

LORD, help us to live lives of significance that make a difference. May we serve you and others in such a way that others will regret it when we die.