2 Chronicles 21 Devotional

Kept for David's Sake

“Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”2 Chronicles 21:7 (BSB)

Jehoram's reign is one of the darkest in Chronicles. He secures his throne by killing all his brothers, marries a daughter of Ahab, and leads Judah into idolatry (21:4-6, 21:11).

In the middle of that record stands one sentence of grace. The LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of his covenant with David and his promise to keep a lamp for him and his descendants forever (21:7). God's promise is not cancelled by the king who least deserves it. Yet the promise does not shield Jehoram from judgment. A letter comes from Elijah naming his sins (21:12-15). Raiders carry off his household, leaving only his youngest son, and Jehoram dies of a painful disease, to no one's regret (21:16-20). God judges real evil, and God keeps his word. David's line survives through a single child, a line that would one day lead to Jesus. God's faithfulness does not depend on the people he works through, which is good news for anyone who knows their own failures.

To think about: Where do you need to remember that God's faithfulness rests on his promise rather than on your track record?