Based on 2 Chronicles 21 (New King James Version)
“And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray. And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.” Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”
A person may read this passage that talks about King Jehoram and say, “He was truly a very bad person, and he got what he deserved.” And yes, it’s true, that he was a person that did evil to people that had not done nothing wrong to him. And yes, he did follow idolatry and paganism, and not only did he do it, but he also made the people of his kingdom follow this evil also. And the saddest thing about this was that he had a father that did not give him an example of doing the evil he did. In summary, he was an evil person.
Why did this happen? What we understand through the Word is that each person has the power and right given by God Himself to decide for themselves whether they want to look for and follow the Lord or not. Bad influences may have an effect, because we see that he joined himself with a daughter of King Ahab that also was coming from somewhere evil, but within his heart, and the reason for why he got together with another person with bad intentions was because evil was within him. For one reason or another, Jehoram felt attracted to do evil, and he allowed himself to be influenced by his wife’s evil. Influences are factors, but as we saw before, he had a father that did not give him a bad example, a father that may not have been perfect, but who feared the Lord. So then, in this manner, we do see this concept of free will because Jehoram chose to be influenced by his wife and not by his father. This is what the Word says in relation to free will: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. ‘See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” Deuteronomy 30:11-20a. So then, it is very clear that God gives us all in general choice. This issue that we are robots or predestined to walk a certain path does not exist, at least in general (because there are exceptions). For if it were so, why would the Lord then give the counsel of His Word? And why would there be judgment and punishment for the person that does not look for God and does what is evil before His eyes? Is God unjust, and that He punishes a person for following His design? Impossible. God is not only just, but He is good also, giving every human being the opportunity to repent from their evil.
And this takes us to the worse evil Jehoram did, the issue that he never repented. All of us were born in sin, and are sinners, and because of our nature and evil deeds, whether a few or many, fall short of the glory of God. This is what the Word says: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. So then, no one is better than the next person. We have all sinned, and we all deserve hell. But, if a person repents from all of their sins, and looks for God’s favor through Jesus Christ, then they can obtain His mercy and even change the course of their eternity, as it is written: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17. Jehoram’s end could have been different if he would have repented, like others did before him, those that did enjoy God’s mercy despite their evil deeds. So then, if you have departed from God, look for His mercy and repent with all of your heart so that you can receive His forgiveness and not lose what He has for those that love Him, while there is still time. You are free to choose. Lord bless! John