II Chronicles Chapter 22
Please read: II Chronicles 22 –
In the previous chapter the son of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, had a short reign in Judah of eight years because of the evil he perpetuated. We also learned that he was married to the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, the extremely wicked king and queen of the northern kingdom. The only surviving son of Jehoram was Ahaziah and he was the youngest son. His reign was even shorter than his father’s reign. He only reigned for one year. As you read this chapter keep this in mind that the chronicler is telling the events of King Ahaziah, the successor to the throne of Judah. But there is this side note about his mother named Athalia.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the Jehoram (or Joram) that Ahaziah went to visit as mentioned in this chapter is not a reference to Ahaziah’s father, but a king in the northern kingdom who had the same name. Ahaziah seemed to have more to do with the people of the northern kingdom and their ways because of the influence of his mother Athalia.
Let's Reflect
1. The chronicler has previously summed up the life of the king he was currently writing about as a man who followed after God in the pattern of his predecessor, such as King David, or after one of David’s successors. This particular king was described as following after the ways of the king of the norther kingdom even though Ahaziah was king of Judah. What king of the northern kingdom was Ahaziah compared to?
2. According to verse 4 who were the counselors that King Ahaziah listened to after his own father’s death?
3. Ahaziah made an alliance with Jehoram (or Joram), who was the king of Israel and the son of Ahab. They went to battle together against the king of Syria. Who was injured in that battle?
4. In II Kings 9 we read of the commander of the army of the northern kingdom, Jehu, who was anointed by a prophet of God declaring that Jehu would be the next king of Israel and he was to strike down the house of Ahab. Caught in the slaying work of Jehu were relatives of Ahaziah. They had gone with Ahaziah to visit the injured king of Israel. According to verse 8 who was killed that had been with Ahaziah?
5. Ahaziah was not killed with the others at first. Why?
6. With Ahaziah dead his evil mother, Athaliah, made herself regent king of Judah. And just to make sure that she could keep this position, what did she do?
7. There was one child that Athaliah missed in her killing spree. The daughter of Ahaziah hid her brother from their murderous grandmother. What was the boy’s name that survived in hiding?
