And Jehovah stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, who [are] near the Ethiopians;
Elijah had already sent Jehoram of Judah a written warning. It changed nothing. Now raiders come up against his kingdom — and the verse says who moved them. Not their own ambition, but the Lord.
This verse traces the attack back to God: He stirred up the anger of these peoples. (Some older translations read "the spirit of the Philistines" here.) One writer reads the looting of the palace as more than a political setback:
Judah is also attacked by their enemies. They pillage the land, laying waste even the king's house, and killing all his sons except one. This was of Jehovah. It is His government which we see here; for He rules over those who are in covenant with Him, those who are His house.
Another commentator ties the invasion to Jehoram's refusal to turn. He also names what a life that pleases God would have brought instead:
It seems that God's message by Elijah's letter did not turn Jehoram to the Lord at all, as it should have. So the Lord stirred up his enemies against him. If a person's ways please the Lord, He would make his enemies be at peace with him. With Jehoram it was just the reverse.
These were not new enemies. Under Jehoshaphat the surrounding nations had been paying tribute, and the contrast between father and son is sharp:
In the reign of Jehoshaphat, "the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah… also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute" (2 Chr. 17:10-11). But then Jehoram his son came to the throne, and he "walked in the ways of the kings of Israel." So "the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines." They and other nations broke into Judah, and "carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king's house" (2 Chr. 21:6, 16, 17). As in the days of the Judges, the Lord used the Philistines to chasten His wayward people.
The same nations that once brought gifts now came to loot. The enemy had not changed. The king had.
One writer traces the trouble back a generation. Jehoshaphat had tied his own family to the family of Ahab, king of the northern kingdom:
Jehoshaphat had made a marriage alliance with Ahab (18:1), and married his son Jehoram to Athaliah. "Whatever one sows, that will he also reap." His unholy alliance began to bear fruit. And how often have Christian parents seen their children turn away from God and fully follow the wicked ways of the world! It happened because the parents themselves had set the example. Then the enemies of Judah came and different revolts took place.
Jehoram had secured his throne by killing his own brothers. What the raiders took from him matched that crime:
A writing from Elijah prophesied the doom of Jehoram, who "walked in the ways of the kings of Israel." The government of God also overtook him. The man who killed all his brothers had his own sons killed by the Arabians (2 Chr. 22:1).
Another writer notes where Elijah normally worked, and how fully the letter came true:
Elijah's ministry and place of work had been, it seems, only among the ten tribes, the kingdom of Israel. But God's servant is used here for a message to the king of Judah. And as it was prophesied to him, so it came to pass… What a terrible repayment for his murders and idol worship! God made a striking example of him, so that his successors might "see it and fear."
One commentator sees a deeper aim behind the raid than plunder — an attack on the family through whom the promised King would come:
By this time Satan knew that the One who would crush his head would come from that family. If he could only destroy it, then all Israel would be his prey — the two tribes as well as the ten, besides the world at large where he reigned. Jehoram, like Cain, had killed all his brothers. Now the Philistines and Arabians come to complete the destruction of the chosen family, so that Jehoram was left with no son except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons (2 Chron. 21:17).
Yet one son was left. The family God had chosen was not wiped out.
- Sown — a generation earlier, Jehoshaphat married his son into Ahab's house. The raid is that seed's fruit. Parents who set a worldly example may watch their children reap it.
- Stirred — the raiders did not come on their own. The Lord stirred them up. What looks like a border raid is God ruling those in covenant with Him.
- Reversed — the nations that brought Jehoshaphat tribute came to loot his son's palace. What changed was the king, not the enemy.
- Measured — the man who killed his brothers lost his sons. God made him a public example, so that the kings after him would see it and fear.
- Spared — the raid stripped the royal family down to one last son. Even so, the chosen family was not wiped out.
and they came up into Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was no son left him, except Jehoahaz the youngest of his sons.
Jehoram's reign ends in disaster: an invasion strips his palace and his family. Why is a king of David's own line punished this far — and why is one son left?
The chapter names the Lord as the one who stirred up the Philistines and Arabians. One commentator draws out how sharply this reverses the normal experience of a man walking with God.
God's message through Elijah's letter apparently did not turn Jehoram to the Lord at all, as it should have. So the Lord stirred up his enemies against him. If a person's ways please the Lord, He would make his enemies be at peace with him. With Jehoram it was just the reverse. The Philistines and Arabians invaded Judah, and Judah did not have enough defence to stop them plundering the king's house.
Those same nations had once paid Jehoram's father tribute.
In the reign of Jehoshaphat, the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms around Judah, and some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute (2 Chr. 17:10-11). But when Jehoram his son came to the throne, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. So the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and with other nations they broke into Judah and carried away everything of value in the king's house (2 Chr. 21:6, 16, 17). As in the days of the Judges, the Lord used the Philistines to discipline His wayward people.
Jehoram had secured his throne by killing his own brothers. One writer sets that crime beside what God then allowed to happen to his sons.
A band of Arabians killed all of Jehoram's older sons, and the people of Jerusalem made the youngest, Ahaziah, king. In his wickedness, Jehoram had killed all his brothers. In His government, God allowed all his sons but one to be killed.
The one surviving son carries a name full of promise. One writer traces his story back to a choice made before he was born.
When the Philistines and Arabians invaded Judah they carried away Jehoram's treasures and killed his sons. Only Jehoahaz, the youngest son, was left (21:17). He is also known as Ahaziah and Azariah. In Hebrew these names all mean the same thing: "upheld by Jehovah." Poor young Ahaziah is still reaping the harvest of his grandfather Jehoshaphat's unfortunate alliance. The evil keeps spreading and doing its dreadful work. His mother Athaliah, granddaughter of the wicked Omri and daughter of Ahab, advised him to do evil.
One writer sees more than politics behind the near-destruction of David's family.
Satan had apparently almost succeeded in destroying the house of David, either by the enemy's sword or by treachery from within. He was always plotting against that house. By this time he knew that the One who would crush his head would come from that family. If he could only destroy it, then all Israel would be his prey — the two tribes as well as the ten — besides the world at large where he reigned. Jehoram had killed all his brothers, and now the Philistines and Arabians come to complete the destruction of the chosen family.
The same writer traces the survival of that one boy back to a promise God made.
Is he a descendant of the house of David? Yes — and so he and his family are not destroyed beyond repair. The Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David.
A letter from the prophet Elijah had already told Jehoram what was coming. One writer points out how unusual that letter was, and who God meant to warn by it.
Elijah's work had been, it seems, only among the ten tribes — the kingdom of Israel. But here God uses His servant to send a message to the king of Judah. And it happened to Jehoram just as Elijah had prophesied… What a terrible repayment for his murders and idolatries! God made a striking example of him, so that his successors might see it and fear.
- Sown. Jehoram killed his brothers to take the throne, and his marriage into Ahab's family came out of his father Jehoshaphat's alliance.
- Stirred. The raid was no accident. The Lord stirred up nations that had once brought his father tribute.
- Stripped. Goods, wives and sons all go. The punishment matched the crime — sons for brothers — so that his successors would see it and fear.
- Spared. One son remains, named "upheld by Jehovah," and by him the line of David hangs on by a thread while Satan works to cut it.
- Sure. The thread holds because of the covenant God made with David. Judgment falls hard, but never far enough to break His promise.