DCLM Daily Manna 16 September 2026: Ungodly Influence
KEY VERSE: “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” (2 Chronicles 21:6).
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 21: 1-11
Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
2 And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.
4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.
5 Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 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.
7 Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.
8 In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.
9 Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.
10 So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.
11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.
READ OTHER DCLM DAILY DEVOTIONAL HERE
Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, was a Phoenician princess, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians. She reduced her husband to a mere puppet and established the Phoenician worship on a grand scale in the court of Ahab with no less than 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the groves. The prophets of Jehovah were attacked on her orders and killed. Her name represents all that is ungodly, crafty, malicious, vengeful and cruel.
Jehoshaphat, a righteous king, set the stage for corruption in the royal family of Judah through his unequal yoke with the idolatrous ruling family of Israel. Although he was a good man, his friendship with Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, paved the way for marriage between Jehoram his son and the daughter of Jezebel. Jehoram’s killing of his siblings in our text, his idolatry and wickedness were all the characteristics he learnt from Ahab and Jezebel. Things started falling apart for Jehoram and Judah because the way of transgressors is hard. It was so sad that such a God-fearing king could provide a fertile ground for evil through his wrong choice of a friend. To underline the seriousness of ungodly marriage in the ruin of Jehoram, we read that “he walked… 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” (2 Chronicles 21:6).
This is a lesson, especially to unmarried believers today. Jehoram’s reign was a failure, and he died “without being desired” (verse 20)—because of one mistake: he married a worldly woman—Ahab’s daughter. Unholy alliances always lead to compromise and spiritual disaster.
Paul wrote, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” but “…be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing” (2 Corinthians 6:14, 17). To cleave to God, one must first separate from the world!
The Bible in One Year: Numbers 19–21
Thought for the Day
Who you get married to will either make or mar your destiny.
DCLM Daily Manna 16 September 2026
