Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat became king of Judah in Joram’s fifth year as king of Israel, while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled eight years from Jerusalem. Jehoram disobeyed the Lord by doing wrong. He married Ahab’s daughter and was as sinful as Ahab’s family and the kings of Israel.
(2 Kings 8:16-18 CEV)
King Jehoshaphat of Judah was a godly king, but his son, Jehoram, who succeeded him, wasn’t. Sadly, one finds this repeated pattern in the book of Second Kings, especially in the kingdom of Israel. It’s great to read about the kings that worked hard to restore the nation’s spiritual state, but heartbreaking when the kings’ sons brought back the idol worship that their fathers had previously abolished. Of course, God’s anger burned against the kings who were unfaithful to Him. As a result, there were those who turned back to worship God and He let them prosper, and there were those who persisted in their idolatry and were punished. The kings’ spiritual condition affected the people’s spiritual condition. Therefore, we, too, need to beware of the choices that we make daily because they can affect everyone around us.
Our choices affect the people around us.
Rising with the Son 