That’s kind of what we’re dealing with in the story of Joram, son of Ahab.

Now, Ahab wasn't exactly winning any "Father of the Year" awards. But according to Legends of the Jews, Joram managed to inherit all of his father's flaws, while somehow skipping the good parts. Ahab, at least, was known for being generous. Joram? Not so much. In fact, he was downright stingy.

We're told he even stooped to usury – charging exorbitant interest. And get this – he did it to Obadiah! Yes, that Obadiah, the one who risked his neck to hide and feed the prophets. Joram was basically profiting off the piety of others. Can you imagine? The text says he extracted a high rate of interest on the money needed for their support.

The result? A pretty grim end. The text tells us that at his death he fell pierced between his arms, the arrow going out at his heart. A pretty poetic justice, right? He had stretched out his arms to receive usury, and had hardened his heart against compassion. Ouch.

Now, one event did happen during Joram's reign: a campaign against Moab. He teamed up with the kings of Judah and Edom, and they actually won a pretty impressive victory. But did Joram and his people learn anything from it? Nope. According to Legends of the Jews, their disobedience to God’s commands went on as before. Business as usual, unfortunately.

But here’s where things get really interesting. The king of Moab, on the other hand, had a… unique reaction to the war. He wanted to understand why the Israelites seemed to have a leg up. So, he calls in his astrologers. They tell him that God favors Israel because their ancestor, Abraham, was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

And here’s where it takes a dark turn. The Moabite king figures, "Hey, if God values intention so much, imagine how much He'll value the real deal!" So, this guy, who was normally a sun worshipper, decides to sacrifice his own son, the heir to the throne, to the God of Israel. Talk about extreme!

What was God’s reaction to all this? Not exactly pleased. The text presents God as saying, "The heathen do not know Me, and their wrong-doing arises from ignorance; but you, Israelites, know Me, and yet you act rebelliously toward Me."

It's a powerful contrast, isn't it? The Moabite king, in his own twisted way, is trying to connect with the divine. Meanwhile, the Israelites, who should know better, are just going through the motions, their hearts far from God. It makes you wonder: is it worse to be ignorant, or to know the right path and deliberately stray from it? Something to consider, right?