2 Chronicles 22

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Reign of King Ahaziah; Queen Athaliah Usurps the Throne

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. Mortal men cannot alter the sovereign will of God.

  2. Satanic strategy cannot thwart the sovereign will of God.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Remember, the converse of Proverbs 22:6 is also true.

QUESTIONS

  1. Review the scribal mistake regarding the age of King Jehoram.

  2. Why was Ahaziah chosen to be king?

  3. Review and clarify the kings and kingdoms in this chapter.

  4. What was God's sovereign will regarding wicked kings Ahaziah of the south and Jehoram of the north?

  5. How was baby Joash's life endangered and how was he rescued?

ANSWERS

  1. Verse 2 records Ahaziah beginning his reign at the age of 42. But 2 Chronicles 20:21 reports his father Jehoram died at 40 years of age. It seems there was a scribal mistake in copying the Hebrew text and Ahaziah's proper age should be 22 years, as confirmed in the parallel passage in 2 Kings 8.

  2. Because all his older brothers were killed by the Arabian raiders in 2 Chronicles 21:16-17.

  3. At this time there were two kingdoms in Israel. There was the northern kingdom of Israel with the capital city of Samaria and the retreat city of Jezreel. There was also the southern kingdom of Judah with its capital of Jerusalem where the Temple of the Lord was located. The Omrile dynasty of the northern kingdom included four kings - Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram. Ahaziah and Jehoram were brothers. There was also a Jehoram and Ahaziah in the southern kingdom of Judah, only in the reverse order. King Ahab of the north and King Jehoshaphat of the south arranged a political marriage between Athaliah the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat. Thus Athaliah is the sister of both Ahaziah and Jehoram of the north, the wife of Jehoram in the south, and thus the mother of Ahaziah in the south. So when Ahaziah (verse 5) wrongly made a military alliance with King Jehoram of the north, he was making the alliance with his uncle.

  4. It was His will that both these wicked kings be removed in judgment. He used Jehu, one of Jehoram's military commanders, to carry out this plan. (See 2 Kings 9 for more details.)

  5. Athaliah, the queen mother of the southern kingdom, saw her chance to usurp the throne when her son Ahaziah was killed. She killed off all the remaining royal offspring, which included her own grandchildren. Her grandson baby Joash, however, was rescued by his aunt Jehoshabeath who was married to Jehoiada the priest. He was hidden and raised in the Temple courts for 6 years.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Discuss the doctrinal point "Mortal men cannot alter the sovereign will of God." What thoughts and emotions do you have in response to this statement?

  2. Discuss how satanic strategy was at work in Athaliah's murderous rampage. Can you think of other times in history when Satan has attempted to terminate the Davidic line? How does his strategy continue today?

CHALLENGE

  1. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 Parents, what kind of counsel are you giving your children? And to what kind of counselors are you sending your children? You are responsible for the spiritual development of your children.

KEY VERSES

  • "[Ahaziah] also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother [Athaliah] advised him to do wickedly." 2 Chronicles 22:3

  • "[Joash] was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land." 2 Chronicles 22:12

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