It looks good, smells decent, but it makes me want to spit it out when I taste it. Papaya fruit is nasty. Now there is a species native to our area of the world that is related called papaws, and I can tolerate those. But when we were traveling in Honduras, and any time we have an international food tasting, I feel like Papaya looks and smells good, but it is not! Honestly, that’s how sin is as well. And when the fruit of sin ripens, it is always gross. Today, we meet a king of Judah who finds out.

2 Chronicles 21:1 When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king.

2 Jehoram’s brothers—the other sons of Jehoshaphat—were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 3 Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of silver, gold, and costly items, and also some of Judah’s fortified towns. However, he designated Jehoram as the next king because he was the oldest.4 But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah.

5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.7 But the Lord did not want to destroy David’s dynasty, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever.

Wow, this is heartbreaking. After all the good that Asa and Jehoshaphat did, Jehoram turns his back on the Lord and his family. I will tell you why I think he did this in a little bit. Let’s look at God’s response:

8 During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. 9 So Jehoram went out with his full army and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness.10 Even so, Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. All this happened because Jehoram had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11 He had built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah and had led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to give themselves to pagan gods and to go astray.

12 Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter:

“This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. 13 Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.”

16 Then the Lord stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians, to attack Jehoram.

When the Kings of God’s chosen people are not living in the right relationship with God, God takes His protection away and allows them to taste the fruit of their sins. And the full fruit of sin is always what? Yes, gross. You’re getting it. As far as I can tell, this is the only mention of Elijah in Chronicles, but he sends a pretty intense letter to Jehoram. His gut is about to burst and it’s not going to be because someone told him a joke. I told y’all, the full fruit of sin is GROSS! However, the fruit of righteousness is divine.

Now, the psychoanalytical section of my mind was working overtime to figure out what happened that made Jehoram fall so far from the tree of his father or grandfather?! And then I got to verse 17 and my heart sank…

17 They marched against Judah, broke down its defenses, and carried away everything of value in the royal palace, including the king’s sons and his wives. Only his youngest son, Ahaziah, was spared.

Wait a minute, I thought. Wasn’t that the name of the last evil king in the Northern Kingdom? Yes, yes it was. Why does that matter you ask? Well, we don’t have the play-by-play commentary on the lives of these Kings, but I have zero doubt that Jehoram was around Ahaziah when Jehoshaphat was spending all that time with him building their armada. I have no biblical proof of that, but it is very easy to connect the actions of Jehoram with those of Ahab and Ahaziah. He obviously thought enough of him that he named a son the same thing!

As important as names are in the context of the Old Testament, I took this as a sign that in his interactions with Ahaziah, some seed was planted that led Jehoram quite literally to pagan altars, and sin. I cannot stress this enough as a father, former coach, and as a pastor who has seen many bad influences ruin futures. Please protect yourself and your kids from poor influences. Even if it takes tough conversations with people who you’ve known for a long time, our souls are too important to leave to chance. We need to know how to live in the world and not be of the world. For us adults that should be decently easy, but our children will always reach for the shiny things, and you know that sinful nature is always shiny! Let is fervently pray for God's protection, provision, and revelation on the lives of the kids in our school systems, and that teachers who are Christians would make mighty impacts on their lives!

The chapter ends with a touching serenade to recap Jehoram’s reign.

18 After all this, the Lord struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease. 19 The disease grew worse and worse, and at the end of two years it caused his bowels to come out, and he died in agony. His people did not build a great funeral fire to honor him as they had done for his ancestors.

20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.

Well, if anyone deserved that warm exit, it was a king who turned his people to the false gods, murdered his brothers, and brought war to Israel.

This brings to mind one of my core leadership values that I do my best to lead by: Lead with the end in mind. In everything we do we should do it so that we finish well, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and joy, but most of all Godliness, and passing on whatever type of organization God has entrusted us with to the next leader in such a state that their success can be easily obtained. I want to be someone that people will actually miss, unlike Jehoram.

This can be easily achieved if we follow Colossians 3:23

Colossians 3:  23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Work with the end in mind, do everything as if you’re doing it for God! That way, you’ll have a Godly impact and leave a Godly legacy, and people will be blessed by your work and ministry.