2 Kings 8:16-24--Judah’s King Jehoram

2 Kings 8:16-24
Christian Standard Bible

Judah’s King Jehoram
16 In the fifth year of Israel’s King Joram son of Ahab, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, replacing his father. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 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 the LORD’s sight. 19 For the sake of his servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since he had promised to give a lamp to David and his sons forever.

20 During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king. 21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders, but his troops fled to their tents. 22 So Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time.

23 The rest of the events of Jehoram’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. 24 Jehoram rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

---

Note:  I'm going to use a different translation today as there are two kings (one in Israel and one in Judah) with names close to each other, and it appears the ESV mixes their names up because they probably spelled almost the same in Hebrew.

For context, the passage starts by telling us that Jehoram, king of Jehoshaphat started to reign in the fifth year of Israel's king Joram, who was the son of Ahab.  Jehoram's reign was not long, for he was a wicked king, the first in Judah that we see who is described as walking in the ways of Ahab and Jezebel, so he only reigned eight years, starting when he was thirty-two years of age.  The text tells us that if it were not for the sake of the Davidic Covenant that promised that Judah would always have a descendant of King David on the throne as king until Messiah appeared and that Messiah would be the Son of David whose kingdom would be forever and ever, then the LORD would have destroyed Jehoram and all of Judah with him for their wickedness.

Instead, the LORD allows Edom to rebel and set up their won king and kingdom, and to go to war with Israel to gain their freedom.  Though Israel fights back and Edom takes heavy losses, they are still able to gain their freedom, and this inspires others like Libnah to rebel as well.  We'll see that Edom and Judah continue to be enemies throughout the Old Testament and Edom will help Judah's captors by acting as bounty hunters who were paid to turn over any fugitive residents of Judah who would escape their captors, and they cheered as Judah was being attacked and destroyed.  For this reason and for their own wickedness as well, Edom will be judged in due time, but for now the LORD has a purpose in using them to judge the people of Judah.

Jehoram dies and is buried alongside the kings of Judah in Jerusalem, and the events of his life and his accomplishments are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (specifically, his story is told in 2 Chronicles 21).  Then Jehoram's son Ahaziah (we've already heard his name earlier in the book) reigned in his father's place.  Would he be better than his father or would he too lead the people in the ways of Ahab and Jezebel?  We'll talk about that next time.