II Chronicles 21:20 “Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.”
Do you like cemeteries? That seems like an odd question, but I like walking through cemeteries. I do not have a weird fascination with the dead, but I do find it fascinating to learn about people by what is written on their headstone. The headstones are just markers of real people who are missed by their families and other people. Space is limited on a headstone, so you get a snapshot of their life in ten words or less.
I’ve seen the words “Gone, but not forgotten” written on a few. Perhaps the most unique was the one I saw in Michigan: “Gone fishin’.” I guess this person really loved fishing since he (or someone else) chose to have his life carved in stone with those two words!
In II Chronicles 21:20, we find Jehoram’s epitaph in four words: “departed without being desired.” His whole life was that way–never desired. He lived for himself, died for himself, and mourned for himself; he was the only one to do it. The reason he “departed without being desired” is he lived for himself.
We find out why in verse 4: “Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren. . . ” The first order of business for Jehoram was to kill off anyone who might challenge him for the throne! He invested everything he had in himself. I cannot help but think that had he invested in anybody else, there would have been at least one person to mourn his death.
Jehoram also spent time hanging with the wrong company. Verse 6 says, “And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.” Instead of serving the Lord as king of Judah, he aligned himself with wicked Ahab. Is it hard to imagine where he learned selfishness when his in-laws were Ahab and Jezebel? (Remember the vineyard Ahab wanted?)
How about you? When you leave the room today, will people say, “Every time I’m around (your name), they are a blessing”; or will they say, “Whew! I’m glad they are gone!” There is a danger in seeking only to be liked and appreciated (but that goes back to living for self).
How great a return on your investment depends on how broadly you invest. Are you investing in others or only in self? Jehoram lived for himself, and God wrote his epitaph as “departed without being desired.” What about you?
Prayer Requests:
1. Protection and provision for staff
2. Salvation of unsaved Deaf, teen, and junior campers
Camp Quotes:
Regarding trusting Christ for salvation . . .”It’s not believing in but believing on.”
-Evangelist Cranston Knowles