(credit: Varsha Salome)
Departed without being desired
This was sad. When king Jehoram died no one was sorry. Son of the good king Jehoshaphat, he learnt nothing of his father’s righteous ways. Designated King only because he was the eldest, he killed all his brothers as soon as he consolidated power. The Bible describes him as being as wicked as Ahab; he married one of his daughters! He faced a succession of revolts in his kingdom, for he abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors and built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah.
Prophet Elijah thundered against him, to no avail. Finally the Philistines and Arabs invaded the country and plundered his palace. The Lord struck Jehoram with a severe intestinal disease and he died in agony.
If only he had walked in his father’s footsteps!

___________________________________________________________
*20 July, setting 1 January as Day 1