Sermon Tone Analysis

A New King in town (21:1-7)

The name of Jehoshaphat’s son that became king is Jehoram

יְהוֹרָם

יְהֹוָה Yehôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw´; from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.

comp.

3050, 3069.

רוּם rûwm, room; a prim.

root; to be high act.

to rise or raise (in various applications, lit.

or fig.):—bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty; heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high (-er, one), hold up, levy, lift (-er) up, (be) lofty,

The father gave his other sons many gifts of silver, gold and precious things.

Jehoram received the kingdom because he was the firstborn.

Jehoram killed all of his brothers and some rulers also.

One reason would be to view the throne from a purely secular viewpoint that by eliminating successors to the throne, he would feel secure.

Another reason will become obvious when we read about it in verse 13.

What marked Jehoram rule was that he walked in the way of the kings of Israel.

This meant that he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

Who is Ahab?

Why does it matter that his daughter was married to Jehoram?

Read

What keeps God from destroying him?

A promise to David and Israel.

6, 7. he walked … as did the house of Ahab, for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife—The precepts and examples of his excellent father were soon obliterated by his matrimonial alliance with a daughter of the royal house of Israel.

Through the influence of Athaliah he abolished the worship of the Lord, and encouraged an introduction of all the corruptions prevalent in the sister kingdom.

The divine vengeance was denounced against him, and would have utterly destroyed him and his house, had it not been for a tender regard to the promise made to David (; ).

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 276).

Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Davidic covenant didn’t mean that wicked kings would be ignored according to 2 Chronicles 7:19-22.

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 276).

Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

21:8-11 Revolt

Edom revolts against Judah.

EDOM (PLACE) [Heb ʾedôm (אֶדֹום)].

EDOMITE.

A territory that in OT times was generally located S and E of the Dead Sea.

The word “Edom” is derived from a Semitic root meaning “red,” “ruddy.”

The name was thus probably given to the area because of the reddish color of the sandstone there.

Edom had been a vassal of the united kingdom, and of the southern kingdom of Judah since David’s reign (2 Sam.

8:13, 14).

Edom appoints a king over themselves but Jehoram leads an army into Edom to squash the rebellion but says that they ultimately were defeated and Edom continued in rebellion.

LIBNAH (PLACE) [Heb libnâ (לִבְנָה)].

The second levitical city in the Judah/Simeon list.

There are no Hebrew textual variations in either Josh 21:13 or in 1 Chr 6:42 [—Eng 6:57].

The first reference to Libnah in the biblical record is in the conquest narratives.

Libnah was one of the towns in the S subjugated by Joshua.

Following the conquest, Libnah was included in the allotment of Judah (Josh 15:42).

The rationale for Libnah rebelling was that the King had forsaken God.

Jehoram led Judah to idolatry.

The type of worship that was occuring was similar to what came from Ahab.

What was happening?

21:12-20 Elijah

What history does Elijah have with Ahab?

1 Kings 17-19

What is significant about the letter in relation to some similarities?

The discipline of the Lord will be upon Judah and King Jehoram.

Talk about the two components of the prophecy and what happened?

The first part is directed against the people, with Jehoram’s sons and wives singled out for special treatment (vv.

14, 16–17).

They will suffer a ‘great calamity’ (JB; heavy blow, NIV, REB, NEB), a phrase which is invariably associated with divine punishment.

This could take the form of military defeat (cf. 1 Sam.

4:17; 2 Sam.

18:7) though it was more often a plague, especially in the exodus and wilderness periods

The actual punishment is an invasion by Philistines and Arabs (v.

16).

The former may have been associated with the rebellion in Libnah (v.

10), and the latter are probably from northern Arabia, though they may have come from southern Arabia if the Cushites (NIV, REB, NEB) are really ‘Ethiopians’ (RSV; ‘Sudanese’, GNB; cf. also 14:9–15; 17:11; 26:7).

The style is reminiscent of the ‘Yahweh war’ theme, for God had aroused the hostility of (v.

16, NIV) or ‘stirred up the anger of’ (RSV) the invaders, and ensured the punishment was carried out (v. 17).

Elijah’s word is fulfilled, and Jehoram’s murders avenged (cf.

v. 4).

The king’s ‘house’ (v.

17; palace, REB, NEB) is almost certainly in one of the fortified cities (cf.

v. 3), not Jerusalem.

‘Jehoahaz’ (RSV, REB, NEB) is another name for Ahaziah (NIV, JB, GNB; cf.

22:1; the two parts of the name are simply in reverse order).

The actual punishment is an invasion by Philistines and Arabs (v.

16).

The former may have been associated with the rebellion in Libnah (v.

10), and the latter are probably from northern Arabia, though they may have come from southern Arabia if the Cushites (NIV, REB, NEB) are really ‘Ethiopians’ (RSV; ‘Sudanese’, GNB; cf. also 14:9–15; 17:11; 26:7).

The style is reminiscent of the ‘Yahweh war’ theme, for God had aroused the hostility of (v.

16, NIV) or ‘stirred up the anger of’ (RSV) the invaders, and ensured the punishment was carried out (v. 17).

Elijah’s word is fulfilled, and Jehoram’s murders avenged (cf.

v. 4).

The king’s ‘house’ (v.

17; palace, REB, NEB) is almost certainly in one of the fortified cities (cf.

v. 3), not Jerusalem.

‘Jehoahaz’ (RSV, REB, NEB) is another name for Ahaziah (NIV, JB, GNB; cf.

22:1; the two parts of the name are simply in reverse order).

How was his death celebrated?

To complete his degradation, his death was unlamented, his burial unhonored by his subjects.

This custom, similar to what obtained in Egypt, seems to have crept in among the Hebrews, of giving funeral honors to their kings, or withholding them, according to the good or bad characters of their reign.