2 Chronicles 21:20: “[Jehoram] was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”

October 8th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

No one mourned the death of King Jehoram, and he was not given the normal honor of being buried with the past kings. The Amplified Bible says he “departed without being wanted.” Literally, “He departed without any feeling of loss.” What a sad commentary on a person’s life. The reason there were no tears shed at his death was because he was a wicked king. Even when a nonbeliever dies we are saddened, because we know they are going to a godless eternity. But when Jehoram died, no one cared.

This sad story of Jehoram reminds us of the modern story of billionaire Howard Hughes, who was reportedly worth 2.5 billion dollars at his death. He had spent the last 15 years of his life as a drug addict. Time magazine reported that not a single acquaintance or relative mourned his death. The only honor he received was a minute of silence in his own Las Vegas casinos:

Howard Hughes’ death was commemorated in Las Vegas by a minute of silence. Casinos fell silent. Housewives stood uncomfortable, clutching their paper cups full of coins at the slot machines, the blackjack games paused, and at the crap tables the stickmen cradled the dice in the crook of their wooden wands. Then a pit boss looked at his watch, leaned forward and whispered, “O.K., roll the dice. He’s had his minute.” (Time, December 13, 1976)

We don’t want to live our lives so selfishly, with so little true, eternal purpose, that when we die it is “without any feeling of loss.” Jesus said if we build our lives to please ourselves, we are building on sand and our lives will crumble. But if we build our lives on Him, on the Rock, putting others before ourselves, taking the Gospel to a dying world, then our lives will be solid and will count for all eternity.

“LORD, we want to build only on You, the Rock, today.”