I. A DEGENERATE SON.

1. The advantages Jehoram possessed.

(1) A good father, Jehoshaphat, whose example should have led him, whose instructions should have taught him (Proverbs 1:8), whose prayers should have won him to walk in wisdom's ways. But they did not. Piety is not hereditary. Example often fails to impress, instruction to convince, prayer to save, the children of godly parents. Numerous instances in Scripture (1 Samuel 2:12; 1 Samuel 8:3; 1 Samuel 15:1, etc.) and in ordinary life.

(2) A good estate. As Jehoshaphat's firstborn, he succeeded - whether during his father's lifetime (Keil) or at his father's death (Bahr) uncertain - to an exalted throne and a peaceful realm, became ruler of a promising people and a growing empire. He had much to make him contented with his lot and thankful for his mercies, to lead him to think of God and devote himself to the practice of religion, as well as to consecrate his talents to advancing the moral and material interests of his subjects. Nevertheless, he neglected both his own and his people's salvation.

(3) A good God, who had kept him alive for thirty-two years, when many better men than he had been cut off in youth (ver. 5); who had allowed him time to mature in wisdom before calling him to assume the burdensome responsibilities of the throne; who had promoted him to his father's crown, which might easily have been given to another (ver. 3); who bore with him in his wickedness for his servant David's sake (ver. 7); who punished him by suffering the Edomites to revolt (ver. 8), stirring up the Philistines and Arabians against him (ver. 15), and afflicting him with a mortal malady (ver. 18), of which he was forewarned by a letter from Elijah (ver. 12). Yet for all this Jehoram walked not in the ways of Jehoshaphat his father, or in the ways of Asa his grandfather, but in the ways of Ahab, the King of Israel (vers. 6, 12, 13).

2. The disadvantages under which he laboured.

(1) A bad heart. That Jehoram, though belonging to Judah and a son of Jehoshaphat, was not a child of grace, his whole subsequent career attested. , All are not Israel, that are of Israel: neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children" (Romans 9:6, 7); "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly:... but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly" (Romans 2:28, 29). That Jehoram was not born good was no excuse, since Jehovah's grace was ready to assist him in overcoming his natural corruption (Deuteronomy 30:6; 1 Kings 8:58; Psalm 110:3).

(2) A bad wife. Athaliah, though a king's daughter (ver. 6), was a wicked woman. Exalted in station, beautiful in person, gifted with high mental endowments, she may have been; nevertheless, she was inwardly, essentially, and radically of depraved instincts. Like her mother Jezebel, she was superstitious, profligate, bloodthirsty, imperious, and resolute. She belonged to the type of woman of which Herodias and perhaps Drusilla and Bernice were New Testament examples, and to which should be assigned the Shakespearean creations of Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra In the hands of such women even strong men find it difficult to resist the fatal influence of their superior natures, while feeble creatures like Ahab and Jehoram are dragged like captives at their chariot-wheels. The most dreadful calamity that can befall a weakling is to wed such a spouse. A woman leagued with the devil will drag her husband to perdition with a certainty and celerity that hardly even the grace of God can prevent. In such plight was Jehoram.

(3) A bad environment. Though not everything, a man's surroundings are something. They help to make or mar him. If good, they will at least hinder his deterioration; if bad, they will hasten it. Perhaps nothing could have been worse for Jehoram than to have Ahab's daughter for a wife; it was no amelioration of his hard fate to have Ahab for a father-in-law, Jezebel for a mother-in-law, Ahaziah and Jehoram for brothers-in-law, and the house of Omri generally as relatives and friends. It was hardly surprising that in after-years Jehoram, the King of Judah, had no moral resemblance to Jehoshaphat's son.

II. AN UNNATURAL BROTHER.

1. The names of Jehoram's brothers. Six in number; they had excellent names.

(1) Azariah, "whom Jehovah helps." "Happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his Help" (Psalm 146:5). This name may have been given by Jehoshaphat to his second and his filth sons - distinguished slightly by the spelling, Azarjah and Azarjahu - to emphasize that all hope for stability in his house and prosperity in his kingdom depended on and proceeded from the assistance of Heaven.

(2) Jehiel, "God liveth." Perhaps this truth was impressed upon Jehosha- phat's heart by the birth of his third son (Psalm 127:3), as it was upon David's, by his continued preservation from the hand of Saul (2 Samuel 22:47; Psalm 18:46).

(3) Zechariah, "whom Jehovah remembers." Probably given by Jehoshaphat to his son after Zechariah, the father of Jahaziel, who predicted the overthrow of the Moabites (2 Chronicles 20:14). Or, Jehoshaphat may have counted his fourth son a happy proof that Jehovah had not forgotten him, but was still mindful of his covenant.

(4) Azariah (see above).

(5) Michael, "who is like unto God?" A great thought for a young man to carry about with him on life's journey, and one that might stir him to noble deeds as well as lead him into pleasant ways. This thought was familiar to Moses (Exodus 8:10), to David (Psalm 86:8), to Ethan the Ezrahite (Psalm 89:6), and to Isaiah (Isaiah 40:18).

(6) Shephatiah, "whom Jehovah defends." The name of one of David's sons (2 Samuel 3:4), and probably for this reason bestowed upon Jehoshaphat's.

2. The ranks of Jehoram's brothers. Princes of the blood royal, they were well provided for and well placed by their father, whose crown fell to Jehoram as heir-apparent. Great gifts of silver, gold, and other precious things were bestowed upon them, while they were appointed, as Rehoboam's sons had been (2 Chronicles 11:23), commandants of fortresses in the different fenced cities of Judah. Thus they had no need to be discontented with their lot, and most likely were not.

3. The characters of Jehoram's brethren. They were better than he (ver. 13). Presumably in every way - physically, mentally, morally, religiously. This last, perhaps, specially intended. Jehoshaphat's piety had exercised upon them more influence than upon him; they disapproved of the idolatrous behaviour and wicked policy generally of him and his wife.

4. The murder of Jehoram's brethren. Whatever the motive - cupidity or a desire to appropriate their wealth, fear or a dread of being insecure upon his throne while they lived, or hatred of their persons because they shunned his evil ways - it was a hideous deed of blood, which has seldom been paralleled amongst Oriental kings. "Upon the death of Selimus II. (1582). Amurah III., succeeding to the Turkish empire, caused his five brothers - Mustapha, Solymon, Abdalla, Osman, and Sinagar - without pity or commiseration, to be strangled in his presence and burned with his dead father" (Whitecross, 'Anecdotes on the Old Testament,' p. 190). Along with his brethren, he put to death a number of the princes of Israel, and for probably a similar reason, because they disapproved of his conduct and sympathized with his brethren.

III. A WORTHLESS KING.

1. An apostate in religion. To be sure, he never had religion in reality. Yet, as Judah's sovereign and Jehoshaphat's son, he ought to have upheld the true worship of Jehovah. But instead he became a devotee of Baal, a favourer of the false gods his half-heathen wife patronized, building high places for them in the mountains of Judah - thus practically reversing the work of his devout father (2 Chronicles 17:6) and grandfather (2 Chronicles 14:2), and causing the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, i.e. to practise idolatry (Isaiah 23:17; Ezekiel 16:29; Revelation 19:2); yea, compelling Judah by violence to go astray (Deuteronomy 13:6, 11).

2. A weakling in government. Udder him the Edomites, who had in Jehoshaphat's reign been tributary to Judah (2 Kings 3:9), becoming restive, achieved their independence. According to Josephus ('Ant.,' 9:5. 1), they first slew their king, who had yielded to Jehoshaphat, and afterwards elected one who raised the standard of revolt. A feeble attempt to reduce them to subjection proved abortive. At Zair, on the way to Edom - not to be identified with Zoar (Ewald), which belonged to Moab, but perhaps with the modern ruin Zueirah, on the south-west of the Dead Sea (Conder) - he, with all his princes and chariots, encountered the rebels; but whether he defeated them (Jamieson), or only cut his way through them when they had encompassed him (Keil), is obscure, though even on the former supposition his success was not permanent or decisive. Either then or soon afterwards the Edomites completely renounced the yoke of Judah. About the same period also, Libnah - a city in the district of Eleutheropolis (Eusebius), though as yet unknown - succeeded in establishing its freedom.

3. A pigmy in manhood. Apart from the plague which struck him in his last days, while yet in middle life (ver. 15) he was obviously a poor and contemptible creature. When he died nobody lamented him - at least, nobody among his subjects. "He departed without being desired" (ver. 20). Men were glad to see the last of him. They would not burn a burning for him, as they did for his good father and pious grandfather when they died. His rotten carcase they buried in the city of David; they would not desecrate with it the sepulchres of the kings. Learn:

1. The necessity of personal religion - no man may trade upon his father's piety.

2. The duty of parents to provide for their children - exemplified by Jehoshaphat's donations to his sons.

3. The bitterness of sin's fruit when fully developed: "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" in its worst forms - murder, fratricide, etc.

4. The value of a good wife - inferred from the calamity of a bad one.

5. The mercy of God to great sinners, even when they do not repent - illustrated by God's tolerance of Jehoram.

6. The essential weakness of sin - as shown by the Edomite revolt against Judah.

7. The pestilential influence of sin in high places: "One sinner destroyeth much good." - W.

II. THAT IN THESE DANGERS AND EXTREMITIES GOD HAS MANY WAYS OF DELIVERANCE. Human agency but a small part of holy ministry. Birds and beasts, insects, elements of Nature, and hosts of angels under His command. Hence the folly of proscribing, measuring, or limiting in God's work.

III. THAT IN ALL DANGERS AND EXTREMITIES OF LIFE WE SHOULD LOOK TO GOD FOR HELP.

(J. Wolfendale.)