Now we open God's Word to Matthew chapter 1 and to 2 Chronicles 21. Matthew 1, 2 Chronicles 21. We will read all of 2 Chronicles 21. And we will read verses 1 and verse 8 from Matthew chapter 1. It's the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. And Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah." That ends our New Testament reading. Turning to 2 Chronicles 21. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place. He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat. Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel. Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and valuable possessions, together with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned 8 years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done. For the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant that he had made with David. and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. In his days, Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. Then Jehoram passed over from his commanders and all his chariots. And he rose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. At that time, Libna also revolted from his rule because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers. Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah, and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, and made Judah go astray. And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father. Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat, your father, or in the ways of Asa, king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom. And also you have killed your brothers of your father's house, who were better than you. Behold, the Lord your God will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions. And you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels until your bowels come out because of the disease day by day. And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines. and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. And they came up against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king's house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son. And after all this, the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor like the fires made for his fathers. He was 32 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 8 years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one's regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. That ends the reading of God's holy word. May it be a blessing to each and every one of us. Let's pray that that would be the case. Heavenly Father, thank you for this word. We ask that you would help us to understand it. We ask that you would bless speaker and hearer at this time. Bless our souls. Bless our bodies. Bless our inner man, our inner woman with that which we have just read. In Jesus' name, Amen. If you were to go to Arlington National Cemetery, you could look at the grave of the late President John F. Kennedy. And if you were to go there, you would see something that they call an eternal flame. A fire is right next to the place, his final resting place. This was the desire of his wife. His wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, asked that there would be an eternal flame that would stand there, that would always burn. Now, Sergeant Shriver, Mrs. Kennedy's brother-in-law, tried to dissuade her from this. He said that if you make there to be an eternal flame there, it's going to be a bit ostentatious. It's going to be a bit overdone. Let his final resting place just be a little bit more humble. But she would not be persuaded She knew what she wanted. You have to sympathize with her. Here it was, not too many days before that, this woman had held her husband in her arms, and he had been shot in the head, and she was wearing pieces of him. It's just horrible, and it's tragic, is it not? This was her desire, and she wanted it, and that is what she went for, and that is what she got. The eternal flame is not a flame that just burns on its own, it is a flame that is fueled by propane, which is fed by a 200 foot gas line. It is right to honor the dead. It's certainly right to honor former leaders. And I certainly mean no disrespect when I say what I'm about to say, but that which is called an eternal flame is not really eternal. It is part of this created order, which on the last day will pass away. And it will make way for another eternal flame, which is already burning. We come in Scripture to 2 Corinthians, excuse me, 2 Chronicles 21. In my preaching in the morning worship at GraceOPC, I've been preaching through the genealogy One name at a time, and it's been a joy to go through that. This is just one of those. We come then today to Joram, or Jehoram. You may have noticed that when we looked at this name in the New Testament, his name was Joram. But then when we turn to the same in the Old Testament, his name is Jehoram. There's really no reason to quibble about these things. It is the case that some people have one name and a variation of that name when it comes to a different language. So, the New Testament is giving it to us in Greek, whereas it's in Hebrew in the Old, but it's also been hundreds of years. So, time tends to change names and their pronunciation a little bit. So, make no mistake, we're talking about the same man. Joram is Jehoram. But, this has opportunity to really confuse us, because Jehoram, this Old Testament king of the Southern Kingdom, has a brother-in-law in the Northern Kingdom, and his name is Joram. Isn't that interesting? So it's best for us to go by the name Jehoram, because we'll be spending our time in 2 Chronicles. Jehoram is the fifth king from King David. We read twice that he was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 8 years. The inspired writer of Kings writes about this man, and he does not have flattering words to say. He says of Jehoram in 2 Kings 8.18, and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. The Holy Spirit speaks through that inspired commentator. What evil did this man do? Was he not such a bad guy and he just gets a bad rap? This man did many wicked things. He followed the wickedness of the northern tribes. You understand that by this time, the once united nation has been divided. So you have a king in the north, and you have a king in the south. The kings in the south are to be sons of David. But, the Northern Kingdom was started under false premises. It came about by lies and by deception, by a coup. It is tragic in its beginnings, and it continues to be a tragic kingdom. Jehoram was married to a woman from the north, and her name was Athaliah, who for a time would be a queen, the only queen that the Hebrew people ever had, and she lived and had a wicked rule and reign. You see, wickedness and evil by the time of Jehoram is trickling southward by the time it has come to Jehoram. It is present everywhere in the kingdom which is supposed to manifest righteousness. Wickedness is within the king's palace. Wickedness is sleeping in his bed. Sin is found in his heart. This man did great acts of wickedness. He did not trust God. He executed his brothers so that he could maintain his kingship. Think about that, the significance of that. We live in a time, we know enough about history that leaders will often kill those who are rivals to their leadership, to the throne, or to their presidency, or whatever the case may be. Not so much in the United States, but other nations have had that happen for years. And this man, he sees his brothers, and he puts them all down, he kills them all. Ancient Israel was a special nation, different than any other. He didn't need to do that. In one sense, he had a guarantee of a long reign. But in order to see his reign last a very long time, and it could have lasted far longer than 8 years, he needed to obey God. He needed to seek to be a picture of the Messiah which was to come. He needed to have the faith of David. But he did not. Had he done so, he could have had a 40 year reign. But he did not. He killed his brothers. He operates by worldly means. He is like the nation above in the north. He is like the nations that surround him. And he was an idolater as well. This is something that should not be happening in Israel, but it's happening in the king's palace. Understand that Moses gave instruction for the Hebrew people that when they were sinful enough to desire a king, God would give them one. And when you have a king, that king must take a copy of God's Word, and he must copy it himself, so that he will slowly meditate upon it, so that he will own it as his own Word. This king does not do that. This king, we're not even sure that he knew of God's Word at all, much less Deuteronomy 17. And so, as a result of his disobedience, the nations begin to stir. And so, the Edomites and the Libnahites come up against this king. and they fight against Him. They did not have great success, but they had some. You see what is happening. This Jehoram is the Son, the Anointed One, the One who stands in God's place for that Kingdom. And He was to be righteous, and Psalm 2, in one sense, was to be about Him and every other king who was a son of David. That God has installed the Anointed One on His holy hill. And the nations are raging. raging against the sun who has been set on Zion Hill. And the nations desire to break off their bonds, to cast away the cords, and say, we will not have this king be exalted over us. And so they attack him, the Edomites and the Libnahites. And then later on, Another two groups go after him, the Philistines and the Arabians. No doubt, the Philistines and the Arabians. The Arabians were strengthened by seeing the Edomites and the Libnahites going after him. And the Philistines and the Arabians had much greater success. They even went into the king's house and took of his possessions. We see Jehoram struggling to keep these kingdoms under his reign. The kings of the nations have taken counsel together against the Lord and at that time His anointed Jehoram. seeking to cast away their bond, but it seems as though God is not laughing at the nations at this time. God laughs at His enemies. And you should take comfort in the fact that God laughs at His enemies. I know Martin Luther did. Martin Luther had many enemies, and he was so thankful that he had a God who laughs, laughs in the faces of his enemies. But the enemy at this time is also the Anointed One who sits on Zion Hill. The one to which God laughs is Jehoram himself. The nations should have been receiving word that you need to kiss the Son. Kiss the Son of David. Kiss Jehoram lest he be angry and you perish in the way. But these nations are not fearing perishing. The nations are saying, we spit in the face of this Son. We don't care if He is angry. We will not perish. We will defeat Him. Jehoram is not powerful enough to stop us. Clearly, God is not with him. God is not giving him the victory that God promised, and that Jehoram would have had, had he obeyed God. So different is Jehoram from King David, his father. the anointed one who ruled on Zion's hill. But why did God not destroy him? We even read in the text that God decided not to destroy this man. It would have been completely understandable if God would have just snuffed him out onto the next one. The answer is that God had made a covenant with David. A covenant that said that there will always be a son of David to sit upon the throne. And while Jehoram was not the one to whom all these things pointed, God would still be faithful. We have a God who laughs, but we have a God who is faithful to His covenant and faithful to His people, especially through David. 2 Chronicles 21 7, as we read, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant that He made with David. And since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever, The calling of David's sons as kings, the calling was for them to be a light to the nations, a lamp that burned brightly. But at the time of Jehoram, the light was dimmed. The lamp was nearly put under a bushel basket. David was that lamp, and his sons were to be that as well. If David had been snuffed out, or if the sons of David had been snuffed out, God would not have been able to be faithful to His promise. There is an interesting story in 2 Samuel 21, 17. In that story, especially an interesting verse within a story, David went out to battle, and he went with his men, and he was nearly captured by the enemies. Listen to what his men told him, what David's men told him. But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, came to his aid, that is David's calling out. And Abishai attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, quote, you shall no longer go out to battle with us. Why? Lest you quench the lamp of Israel. That is, he is that lamp. But he is to give birth to that lamp many generations down. So it is not safe for David to go out. Solomon was that lamp for a time. And he burned brightly. The nations came and were amazed by his great wisdom. And he's the only king who sent ships out to go exploring and bring back all sorts of artifacts. But even that was a dim light compared with the light which was to come. So evil was Jehoram that Elijah wrote a letter to him. Elijah wrote a letter And it was received at a time when Elijah had already been glorified. At the reception of this letter, Elijah has already gone up in chariots of fire, never to die, but to be glorified without death. And so on point were Elijah's words that he was able to pen them ahead of time. And he wrote in that letter, before he went to glory, that you, Jehoram, killed your brothers. You acted like the house of Israel in the north. So the Lord will send on you a plague, and upon your children, and on your wives and possessions, they will all be taken away, and you, Jehoram, will suffer a disease, a disease of your bowels, and they will come out, and you will die in great agony. Those are the consequences of being a king. in that theocracy, and not obeying God immediately. And so, there is a sense in which eventually, God does snuff him out for his wickedness. Because that is what God does. Proverbs 21-4 tells us, haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin. And so, God snuffs out the lamp. Job 18, 5 and 6 rather, Indeed the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of fire does not shine. And the light is dark in his tent, and his lamp above him is put out. We read at the very end that no eternal flame, or no flame at all, was burned for Jehoram. We have a picture of the way that the previous kings, they burned a lamp for them, they lit a light, maybe it was a sacrifice, whatever it was, they burned a fire to honor these kings. This king receives no light, and no honor, and he dies, and no one was sad about it. This man was not the Lord's lamp. But it should be clear to you, surely you've guessed it by now, that the lamp that David was to give birth to is the Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ burns, and He is the Anointed One. Of David, the Psalms say, 132 verse 17, There I will make a horn to sprout for David. A horn means power. A horn will sprout. I have prepared a lamp. which is Christ, for my anointed, David. Christ is the lamp who is to burn brightly so that the nations might see His light and cast away their darkness and embrace His light. The Lord Jesus died to save sinners. and He was a King, and He lived as a King, and He reigned, and He ruled as a King, and He ruled and reigned as a King while He was being crucified. Simultaneously, when Christ was being crucified, His lamp was being snuffed out. But at the same time, and in another way, never did His light burn so brightly. He ruled and reigned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords at that time and at that place upon the cross. And we shall see the Lord Jesus Christ We will see Him in all of His fullness and of His glory. We will see Him in that New Jerusalem, and it will be wonderful. And when we enter into the New Jerusalem, we will see something that we can only imagine now, and that is that there will be no sun, there will be no moon. Christ will be the light And He will be the lamp. Revelation 22 verse 5 reads, And night will be no more. They, that is the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light. And they will reign forever and ever. Do you understand? that Jehoram was not that light. He was a man constantly darkened. But even the brightest light that would come from any of the kings pales in comparison with the light which would be Christ the Lord. Christ did not suffer for His own sins. Christ suffered for our sins. Jehoram would not have been a sufficient sacrifice, though he deserved to die. And Jesus Christ did not need to slay his brothers so that he might continue his kingship. Instead, the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross to save His brothers and His sisters. Hebrews chapter 2 speaks to us such wonderful words, the way that it says that the Lord Jesus Christ, our brother, is not ashamed to be among us in worship, and He is with us now. He is not ashamed to be with us, and He is not so ashamed to call you and me brothers, and to call you sisters. While one king's lamp is burning out and he is dying, his bowels falling out, how much greater the expanding glory of Christ the Lord, glorious in His humiliation and even greater in His exaltation. But what of you? Are you darkness and no light? In and of yourself, you are darkness and no light. But in Christ you do shine, and you shall shine on that day. But at most within us, God gives us just a little bit of flame. And the Lord is gentle with us. In the gentle words of Isaiah 42 verse 3, we read that a faintly burning wick He will not quench. I'd like you to meditate upon that for a moment. A faintly burning wick, He will not quench. There is within each and every one of us, if we have faith in Christ, the smallest embers of faith at least, And the Lord's dealings with you are gentle. Have you ever started a fire? Or have you ever gotten a fire going when it's just a little bit of spark, or just a little bit of ember? You can't blow on that really hard, because it's just about to die out, and you can just blow it out. The Lord looks upon you even of little faith. And He does not blow your flame out. But He does not ignore you, so that what little flame you have, what little spark you have, goes out as well. He doesn't leave it, or He doesn't blow too hard. There is a gentleness with which the Lord blows upon us. He blows a little more, and He blows a little more, ever so delicately, so that we, of little faith, grow and increase in our faith, and increase in our light to the world. And the end of that shall be the consummation, when we shall see The end of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand. And it gives light to the whole house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works. and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Christ is the lamp, and we shall be made like Him, and we shall burn brightly as well. Jehoram means the Lord is exalted. Jehoram's glory passed away, passed away like a flame snuffed out. But the Lord Jesus Christ, His light shall burn brightly and expand for eternity. And you, as a kingdom of priests, shall not have your light snuffed out either, but it shall ever grow And it shall increase for eternity. And we shall give praise to our Lord. Because this comes not by any of our own works. But this comes by faith in Christ. And this comes from the wonderful working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In this life and through to eternity. Praise the Lord. The Lord is exalted. Let us pray.