The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 19 · Concurrent kings · Judah · Jehoram
The 5th King that reigned in Judah was JEHORAM.JEhoſhaphat had deſigned his Son Jehoram to be King, and appointed him to govern the Kingdom in his abſence in the 17th year of his reign, a little before he went with Ahab againſt Ramoth-Gilead (thence the beginning of the reign of Jehoram King of Iſrael is counted to be both in the 18th year of Jehoſhaphat *2 King. 3.1., and in the ſecond year of Jehoram †2 King. 1.17.Son of Jehoſhaphat) but at his return reſumed the Royal power wholly to himſelf, not communicating the ſame again to his Son until the fifth year of Jehoram King of Iſrael, which was the 22th of Jehoſhaphats own reign, and then this King (being old) took Jehoram his Son as partner with him in the Government. The cauſe whereof in all probability was ſome diſcord or differences that brake out even then between him and his younger Brethren, which moved Jehoſhaphat to give to his younger Sons great gifts of gold and ſilver, and jewels, and to commmit to their cuſtody ſome ſtrong fenced Cities in Judah, [2 Chron. 21.3.] the better to ſecure them againſt the power of their Elder Brother, and on the other ſide he put his Eldeſt Son into the poſſeſſion of the Kingdom (whilſt himſelf was living) for fear of tumults and commotions that might ariſe after his death.
Jehoram therefore being 32 years old ſucceeded his Father, and reigned eight years in Jeruſalem, to wit, four years together with his Father, and four years by himſelf alone.
He walked in the Idolatrous ways of the Kings of Iſrael, as did the houſe of Ahab, whoſe daughter he had married, viz. Athaliah; and a vertuous daughter ſhe was like to be that ſprang from the curſed root of Ahab and Jezebel; ſhe ſoon drew him to follow her Fathers courſes, ſo great an influence have bad wives upon their husbands to draw them to evil. He did that which was very evil and provoking in the ſight of the Lord, howbeit the Lord would not deſtroy the houſe of David, becauſe of the Covenant he had made with him to give him always a light, that is, a royal glory in a ſucceſſor, and to continue the Soveraignty in his race as long as that Kingdom ſhould laſt. See 1 King. 11.36.
When he was ſetled in the Kingdom, he ſought to make himſelf ſtrong (as Jeroboam did, 2 Chron. 13.7.) that he might the better effect his miſchievous intents and purpoſes; and accordingly getting his ſix younger brethren into his hands, he like a cruel Tyrant ſlew them, and many alſo of the great men of the land, who he thought favoured them, and had a kindneſs for them.
He made great innovations in Religion, erecting thoſe Idolatrous places in mountains which his Father and Grandfather had with ſo much zeal deſtroyed. He cauſed the inhabitants of Jeruſalem to commit ſpiritual fornication in worſhipping of Baal, and to embrace that Idolatry which himſelf had learned from the houſe of Ahab, and compelled the people of Judah thereunto by force, perſecuting ſuch as refuſed.
A Letter (whilſt he was going on in theſe abominable ways) comes to him from Elijah, who before his tranſlation ſaw by the ſpirit of Propheſie what great wickedneſs this Jehoram would commit, and what puniſhments the Lord would inflict upon him for it. This Letter was written by Elijah *Probabile eſt Eliam hoc Scriptum commiſiſſe Eliſaeo, quia certo aliud ei commiſit poſt mortem peragendum, nempe ut Hazaeli indicaret ipſum futurum Regem Syriae., whilſt he lived upon the earth; neither need that ſeem ſtrange ſeeing Iſaiah wrote before hand concerning Cyrus, Iſa. 45.1. and the Prophet that was ſent to Jeroboam propheſied of Joſiah many years before he was born, 1 King. 13.2. Elijah having written it, committed it either to Eliſha, or ſome other of the Prophets, and by them it was now ſent to Jehoram, whoſe inſolent cruelty was ſuch, that he would hardly endure the reproof of a living Prophet. In that Letter Elijah ſpeaks thus to him, Thus ſaith the Lord God of David thy Father, becauſe thou haſt not walked in the ways of Jehoſhaphat †To degenerate from the example of pious Anceſtors is a great provocation.thy Father, nor the ways of Aſa thy Grandfather, but haſt walked in the ways of the Kings of Iſrael, and haſt made Judah and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem to go a whoring and commit ſpiritual fornication, like the houſe of Ahab, and haſt alſo ſlain thy brethren of thy Fathers houſe, which were better than thy ſelf; behold with a great plague will the Lord ſmite thee, and will puniſh thee in thy people, and thy children and thy wives, and all thy goods, and thou ſhalt have great ſickneſs by a diſeaſe of thy bowels, (who haſt had no bowels towards thy own brethren) and thou ſhalt day by day without intermiſſion be tormented with it till thy bowels fall out.
This was the threatning of Elijah the Prophet againſt him, and we ſhall now ſee how it was fulfilled.
1. The Edomites who from Davids time had ever been in ſubjection to the Kingdom of Judah, ſee 2 Sam. 8.14. and had been Tributaries thereunto, and had been governed by a Viceroy ſet over them by them, [1 King. 22.47.] now fell off and revolted from him, and made a King over themſelves: Jehoram to reduce them went over to Zair a City in Idumea, and took with him all the Chariots and Horſemen, and Souldiers he could provide, and he aroſe by night that he might come upon them ſuddenly and unexpectedly, but the Edomites were ſo numerous and ſo well prepared that they compaſſed his army round about. However his Souldiers ſo manfully ſtood to it, that they put the Edomites to flight, and ſlew many of them, and thereupon the Captains of the Edomites Chariots, and many of their Souldiers fled to their own houſes. But though Joram overthrew them at this time, yet they retiring into places of advantage, perſiſted reſolutely in their revolt, and ſo he was forced to return again into his own land without conquering of them. And thus according to the Propheſie of Iſaac, Gen. 27.40. [By thy ſword thou ſhalt live, and ſerve thy Brother; and it ſhall come to paſs when thou ſhalt have the dominion, that thou ſhalt break his yoke from off thy neck.] They for ever after ſhook off his yoke.
2. Whilſt he was endeavouring to reduce the Edomites, Libnah a great City within Judah, (one of the Royal Cities of Canaan, Joſh. 10.29, 30. and given to the Prieſts, Joſh. 21.13.) now rebelled againſt him, poſſibly becauſe he had made ſuch innovations in Religion, and forced the people to Idolatry, and had forſaken the Lord God of his Fathers. The revolt of this City was a matter of great moment, it being a Frontier City, and one of thoſe which the King of Aſſyria ſet upon when he came with his huge hoſt to have taken Jeruſalem, 2 Chron. 32.9. It is much indeed that one City alone ſhould venture upon ſuch an attempt, but perhaps the Kings abſence whilſt he was in Edom, and the diſcontent of the people, yea perhaps ſome correſpondence they might have with the Philiſtines, (who ſoon after invaded the land) gave them hope of ſome abettors, and how they ſped in the concluſion the Scripture no where expreſſes.
3ly, God ſtirred up againſt him the ſpirit of the Philiſtines and Arabians (who bordered upon the Ethiopians, and had been Tributaries to the Kings of Judah) and they ran through the land ſo far as to come up to Jeruſalem, and plundered and carried away all the ſubſtance they found in the Kings houſe, and carried away all his ſons *Here we ought to take notice of the righteous judgment of God againſt him. He ſlew all his Brethren, and all his Sons were ſlain by the Philiſtines and Arabians, excepting his youngeſt Ahaziah, and he was ſlain afterwards by Jehu, 2 Chron. 22.9. And all the Sons of Ahaziah were ſlain by their Grandmother Athaliah, excepting Joaſh, who was hid from her, and afterwards Crowned King. And Joaſh himſelf was at laſt ſlain by his own ſervants., but the youngeſt call'd Ahaziah †And herein appeared the Divine Providence for the accompliſhment of the promiſe to David., (whom it ſeems they could not find) and all his wives they could lay their hands on, but it ſeems they unhappily miſt Athaliah, who remained to uſurp the Crown, and to be a ſcourge to the Nation afterwards.
4ly, After all this the Lord ſmote him in his bowels with an incurable diſeaſe; his malady was very tormenting, and after two years continuance (a long time for a man to lye under ſuch a ſharp diſeaſe) his torment was ſo great that at laſt it forced out his very guts and bowels from him, and ſo he died under the heavy hand of God. The great ſins he had committed againſt God, the great wrongs he had done to his ſubjects, and the great judgments he had brought upon the land turned the hearts of his people from him, ſo that they ſhewed him little reſpect when he was dead, making no burning for him like the burning made for his Father. See 2 Chron. 16.14. And ſo he departed without being deſired or lamented. Howbeit they buried him in the City of David, but obſcurely, not in the Sepulchers of his Anceſtors (the Kings of Judah) and without the lamentations and ſolemnities that had been uſed at the Funerals of other Kings. He reigned eight years, four in his Fathers life time, and four after; which though a ſhort reign in its ſelf, yet ſeem'd undoubtedly long to the poor people that were ſo ill treated by him. All the time of this Kings reign, another King of the ſame name reigned in Iſrael, to wit, Joram the Son of Ahab his wives brother.
2 King. 8. v. from 16, to 25.
2 Chron. 21. wh. Ch.