20140820 Wednesday, August 20 2014
2 Chronicles 22: What Did Jezebel's Daughter and Grandson Do?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD"

Jehoshaphat had been a righteous king of Judah (see Jehoshaphat's Castles, The Two Kinds Of Patriotism and Jehoshaphat's Judges). His son Jehoram was a degenerate liberal (see Why Did Elijah Write A Letter To Jehoram?) who sought to destroy the foundation upon which the people and the nation of Israel had been created by the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God).

The LORD destroyed Jehoram before Jehoram could destroy the kingdom of Judah. The wrath included the annihilation of almost all of Jehoram's corrupt family by "the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp" (the LORD often delivered His wrath by means of allowing hostile people of a given time to attack; see Jordan's West Bank Invasion and the Fact Finder question below). There was only one survivor - the youngest son Ahaziah, who became king.

"22:1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest.

So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned." (2 Chronicles 22:1 KJV)

Righteous Jehoshaphat's wicked son Jehoram had married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She is recorded in 2 Chronicles 22:2 below as "the daughter of Omri" according to the custom of sometimes referring to any descendants of someone as their son or daughter. Athaliah was the granddaughter of Omri, and the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel i.e. "for the daughter of Ahab was his wife."

"8:16 And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. 8:17 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 8:18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD." (2 Kings 8:16-18 KJV)

So it was that Ahaziah's brief reign began.

"22:2 Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 22:3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly." (2 Chronicles 22:2-3 KJV)

The kingdom of Israel had become corrupt almost from their start at the division of the united kingdom of Israel into "Israel" and "Judah" (see The First Kings Of Israel and Judah). That more-rapid "progressive" liberalization was the reason that Israel only lasted until 721 BC, while Judah lasted until 586 BC i.e. the kingdom of Judah existed for about 135 years after the kingdom of Israel ceased to exist and became the "lost ten tribes" (see Israel In History and Prophecy: The Lost Ten Tribes).

In the meantime, the kings of Judah often fell under the spell of the corrupt leaders of Israel - such as Ahab and Jezebel.

"22:4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction. 22:5 He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead: and the Syrians smote Joram. 22:6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.

And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick." (2 Chronicles 22:4-6 KJV)

Ahaziah, like everyone else, was nevertheless responsible for his own choice of behavior. His corruption was the reason for his destruction.

"22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 22:8 And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them. 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom." (2 Chronicles 22:7-9 KJV)

When Jezebel's daughter Athaliah saw that her son had been killed, she seized the throne of Judah for herself "and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah" - the Messianic line of Jesus Christ - with a sole survivor, Joash. The royal slaughter would have been complete if not for the courageous action of the princess Jehosheba (also known as Jehoshabeath), the daughter of king Joram, who saved her infant nephew (i.e. "Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah") and hid him in the Temple. Jehosheba was married to the high priest Jehoiada (i.e. 2 Chronicles 22:11) where the true royal heir had refuge for the six years of Athaliah's unlawful reign.

"22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah. 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not. 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land." (2 Chronicles 22:10-12 KJV)

Fact Finder: (a) Why did the apostle Paul say that Mount Sinai is in Arabia? Where is "Arabia"? (b) What does the Bible say about Arabs?
(a) See Paul's Geography Lesson
(b) See What Does The Bible Say About Arabs?