2 Kings - Chapter 8

In Matthew 1 we see the genealogy of Jesus, following the line from King David and his son Solomon:

"Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,"

Jehoshaphat and his son Jehoram and grandson Uzziah are all Kings in Judah, and all three feature in this chapter in 2 Kings.  Jehoram does not get a good report:

"Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

He receives God's mercy not because he deserves it, but because of God's promise to David:

"Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever."

Through that promise the Messiah will come as a King from the line of David.  And we can receive God's mercy through Jesus, not because we deserve it, but because of God's promises.