2 Chronicles 21:12

2 Chronicles 21:12 says, And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,  Jehoram received a written message from Elijah telling him what God said.  He started by saying that Jehoram had not walked in the ways of his father Jehoshaphat or King Asa.  If we are going against God today, we will only have the written message of the Bible to call us to repentance most likely.  Though God could still work through His people to send us a written message, it will be nothing that the Bible doesn't already tell us, and I really don't know of a time when He ever has.  Verse thirteen adds, But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself:  Elijah then told Jehoram that God said that he had walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, who had turned to idol worship, and that he had led all of Judah to do so as well.  He had followed Ahab's ways instead of God's ways.  Elijah also reminded Jehoram that he had killed his brothers, who were better men than he was.  We can never follow the teachings of the world and be successful spiritually, even if we do remain one of God's children by our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse fourteen continues, Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:  Elijah told Jehoram that because of his disobedience to God and the people of Judah following him in it, that God was going to send a plague on them.  Our disobedience of God will always bring consequences.  Though we are forever saved as followers of Christ, we are not given a license to sin without facing any consequences.  Verse fifteen concludes, And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.  Elijah then turned to God's judgment of Jehoram himself.  The people were to be punished for their sins and Jehoram was to be punished for his.  We will never be punished for someone else's sins, nor they for ours.  Elijah said God had said Jehoram was going to get a disease of his bowels until they fell out.  I don't know what this disease was, only that it was sent by God in judgment of Jehoram.  Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will suffer an even greater punishment, and that is everlasting separation from God.  Verse sixteen states, Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:  God then stirred up the Philistines and the Arabians against Jehoram and Judah.  I don't really believe that God causes Christians to be punished by other people, but He can allow it if we rebel against Him.  Verse seventeen adds, And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.  The Philistines took away all of Jehoram's treasures, his wives, and all his sons except one, Jehoahaz.  When God's judgment comes, those who have put their faith in the things of this world and denied God they will lose everything.  Verse eighteen continues, And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.  God's word came true, and Ahab was struck with an incurable disease of the bowels.  We have been struck with an incurable disease of sin unless we put our faith in Jesus Christ for the cure and we will lose everything if we don't turn to Him by faith.  We cannot be healed any other way.  Verse nineteen says, And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.  It took two years of suffering for Jehoram to die.  We may never suffer in this life in such a manner because of our sins, but we will suffer forever when God's judgment comes if we never accept His salvation through putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  Jehoram was not buried the same way as the other kings of Judah were.  Verse twenty adds, 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.  Jehoram ruled for eight years, but the last two were when he was suffering great pain.  He was buried in Jerusalem when he died, but not in the sepulchers of the Kings.  It is not where we are buried that is important, but where we will live forever.  We cannot live with those Christians who have gone before us if we are not born-again Christians.