2Ch 21:5-6 | KingComments | STEP | When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his fathers in the city of David, that is Jerusalem ( ). That the city is called “the city of David” reminds us of the kingship of David, the man after God’s heart, and to the promises of eternal kingship in the great Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jehoshaphat is succeeded by his son Jehoram, who reigns from 848-841 BC. Jehoshaphat has more sons ( ). However, they are first referred to as “brothers” of Jehoram. This relationship is therefore emphasized. Jehoshaphat gave his sons wealth and fortified cities ( ). Rehoboam did something similar ( ). It is hard to say whether Jehoshaphat’s policy was sensible. It may have contributed to Jehoram, who gets the kingship from him because he is the eldest son, seeing them as a danger to the undermining of his power. After all, his brothers all have an area over which they have authority. Jehoram is an evil man. When he has come on the throne, he first does all that is necessary to strengthen his position as king ( ; cf. ). To strengthen his position, he may have given people important posts to ensure their support in exercising and maintaining his power. He will have done it with the plan in mind to kill all his brothers, a plan he then executes. After the murder of his brothers (cf. ), he also kills a number of rulers. Except that he sees them as competitors that threaten him in the exercise of his power, it may be that these men fear the LORD and address Jehoram about his evil path. We read about his brothers that they are better than he ( ). Such voices are definitively silenced. Those in power do everything to strengthen and maintain their position. They eliminate anyone they see as a threat to their position. People who act like Jehoram, do so because they expect that they themselves will be treated this way by others. They want to prevent that. Jehoram is an adult man when he becomes king and commits these murders ( ). He has been on the throne for eight years. What he does is the same as the kings of Israel do. The cause of this is his marriage to a daughter of Ahab ( ). Through this, Jehoshaphat’s house is connected to Ahab’s house. The murders he commits shows the influence that his wicked wife has on him, who also performs a massacre herself ( ). That woman has her murderousness not of a stranger, but of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, who will have been closely involved in her upbringing ( ). Despite this monstrous marriage and its monstrous manifestations, the LORD did not destroy the house of David. The reason for this is the covenant He made with David ( ; ; ). Man’s actions cannot destroy God’s faithfulness.

‏ 2 Chronicles 21:5-6

Jehoram King of Judah

When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his fathers in the city of David, that is Jerusalem (2Chr 21:1). That the city is called “the city of David” reminds us of the kingship of David, the man after God’s heart, and to the promises of eternal kingship in the great Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jehoshaphat is succeeded by his son Jehoram, who reigns from 848-841 BC. Jehoshaphat has more sons (2Chr 21:2). However, they are first referred to as “brothers” of Jehoram. This relationship is therefore emphasized.

Jehoshaphat gave his sons wealth and fortified cities (2Chr 21:3). Rehoboam did something similar (2Chr 11:23). It is hard to say whether Jehoshaphat’s policy was sensible. It may have contributed to Jehoram, who gets the kingship from him because he is the eldest son, seeing them as a danger to the undermining of his power. After all, his brothers all have an area over which they have authority.

Jehoram is an evil man. When he has come on the throne, he first does all that is necessary to strengthen his position as king (2Chr 21:4; cf. 2Chr 23:1). To strengthen his position, he may have given people important posts to ensure their support in exercising and maintaining his power. He will have done it with the plan in mind to kill all his brothers, a plan he then executes.

After the murder of his brothers (cf. Jdg 9:5), he also kills a number of rulers. Except that he sees them as competitors that threaten him in the exercise of his power, it may be that these men fear the LORD and address Jehoram about his evil path. We read about his brothers that they are better than he (2Chr 21:13). Such voices are definitively silenced.

Those in power do everything to strengthen and maintain their position. They eliminate anyone they see as a threat to their position. People who act like Jehoram, do so because they expect that they themselves will be treated this way by others. They want to prevent that.

Jehoram is an adult man when he becomes king and commits these murders (2Chr 21:5). He has been on the throne for eight years. What he does is the same as the kings of Israel do. The cause of this is his marriage to a daughter of Ahab (2Chr 21:6). Through this, Jehoshaphat’s house is connected to Ahab’s house. The murders he commits shows the influence that his wicked wife has on him, who also performs a massacre herself (2Chr 22:10). That woman has her murderousness not of a stranger, but of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, who will have been closely involved in her upbringing (1Kgs 18:4 ; 1Kgs 19:2 ; 1Kgs 21:7-15).

Despite this monstrous marriage and its monstrous manifestations, the LORD did not destroy the house of David. The reason for this is the covenant He made with David (2Sam 23:5; 1Chr 17:12; Isa 55:3). Man’s actions cannot destroy God’s faithfulness.