There are two different story lines that converge in this passage. The kingdom of the north and south come together with disastrous results.
This passage had me confused for a while. Maybe I’m still confused…I don’t know. It’s the names that are the problem, they are all so close in spelling, and all of them are unfamiliar…it makes it hard to understand what’s happening.
Let me recap for my own sake very quickly. Ahab is king in the north, he is corrupted spiritually, probably in no small part due to the involvement of his wife Jezebel. Jezebel was a foreign woman who worshipped false gods, and Ahab married her anyway. You may remember that Ahab and Jezebel have many children, but the heir apparent was prince Ahaziah, and one of their daughters was named Athaliah.
In the south, king Jehoshaphat has died, and his son, prince Jehoram has become king. Before his death, Jehoshaphat blesses the marriage of his son Jehoram to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah, making the two kings brothers in law.
I think this is why Jehoram is spending time getting friendly with the north, even though the north kingdom is ungodly, blatantly worshiping false idols. If it weren’t for family, Jehoram wouldn’t have any real reason to align himself with these unsavory characters. And having Jezebel as a mother in law? Wow. She was a ruthless piece of work, let me tell you. Her sin in plotting the death of Nabor (the guy who owned the vineyard) hasn’t been forgotten by God. Her judgment is on the way.
Ahab is now dead, killed in battle even though he was disguised. You can’t hide from God or His judgment. Jezebel is queen mother, running the kingdom behind the scenes with her son Ahaziah on the throne, and her influence goes clear into the southern kingdom, with her daughter married to the king there. Jehoram is a godly king, and is doing so many things right….and yet he aligns himself with the north several times, and every time it ends in disaster. I wonder if among all his great character traits Jehoram valued family too highly.
I think there must be a point in which family needs to come in second place to the will of God. Most times what is best for the family is also what God wants, but there are times when our family wants something different than what God wants. Maybe the family wants to live elsewhere, work a different job, stay home on Sundays instead of going to church,or skip devotions in favor of watching TV or playing games.
In the case of the royal family, Jehoram’s wife is from the northern kingdom, and her mother Jezebel has influenced her to serve other gods. She must have carried that right into the southern kingdom. Why Jehoram married her is beyond me, unless it was simply because she was beautiful and they made a nice power couple. From a spiritual standpoint it makes no sense at all. Here’s what I learn today:
A very godly man can derail his entire ministry by taking the wrong wife, or by allowing someone access to his decision making who doesn’t have the same spiritual values as he does. I’m sure the exact same thing is true for wives marrying ungodly husbands as well. Beware! There is a good reason that God tells us not to be “unequally yoked” and this passage portrays clearly why it’s a bad idea.
God doesn’t seem to bless intentional disobedience (duh). When we intentionally disobey by allowing ungodly people to influence our decisions, we make a grievous error that has impact on us, our subordinates and our family. I think it’s okay to have friends who don’t know the Lord, and to spend some time with people who aren’t saved….but we cannot allow them to access the decision making part of our lives. That relationship is between God, and those whom God approves of. No one else should be permitted in that room. If your spouse isn’t godly, then there are some decisions that they cannot make for you. For instance, when and how you worship, study and testify about God. Use wisdom in dealing with them, but always put God first.
Today I see a good man brought down by involvement with the wrong people. Actually, before he is killed, he is severely limited in what he accomplishes…for the same reason.
This same principle holds true in the church for who we allow to make decisions on behalf of all of us. Only those who are in a right relationship with God, and have a heart set on complete obedience should be considered for decision making positions.
I won’t speak much of Jehu today, because his story is more completely told in 2 Kings. Tune in, because it’s a good one.
Faithfully,
PR