November 30, 2025

One of King Jehoram’s sons was preserved in the lineage of David because of God’s covenant with him. Ahaziah was made king, but his mother, Athaliah, ruled the kingdom. He reigned for only one year. He was the grandson of Ahab and Jezebel through his mother, Athaliah, and was as evil as they were. He got together with Jehoram, son of Ahab, to fight against the Syrians; Jehoram was wounded and went back to Jezreel to heal. Ahaziah went to visit him in Jezreel. It was to his destruction to see Jehoram, because the two of them got together to go against Jehu, whom God anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu killed them all, including the nephews of Ahaziah, and went looking for Ahaziah, found him in Samaria, and killed him too. When Athaliah found out her son was dead, she set out to kill all those in the royal lineage so she could take over the throne. What she didn’t know was that her grandson was saved by Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, and was hidden away for six years. God honored His commitment to keep a son of David on the throne. Athaliah reigned over Judah. 

The names can become confusing because there is more than one Jehoram mentioned in 2 Chronicles 22, and they were both kings. King Jehoram, son of Ahab, ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel, and King Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, ruled over Judah before he died, and Ahaziah was made king. Trying to keep this information on paper is one thing, but keeping it straight in my head is another. That’s why I’m explaining it. 

Evil has its place in this world, and it is to sort out the good from the bad, but it doesn’t win. Keep that in mind when you see evil going on around you. God wins; it’s no competition. The devil is not his equal, but was created by God for a purpose. 

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. 2 Chronicles 22:8