2 Chronicles 22:4: “Therefore [Ahaziah] did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.”

October 9th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, was king for less than two years. 2 Kings 9 records his death. He was fatally wounded while trying to escape northwest to Megiddo by chariot. After he died, his body was carried to Jerusalem for burial. We know very little about this evil king beyond the shortness of his reign and the statement that “he did evil in the sight of the LORD.”

Years ago, British pastor Alan Redpath shared that at one point in his life he was so busy, he had 2 years of speaking engagements booked, that he didn’t even have time to pray. Then he had a stroke that left him unable to speak for 2 years. He said the irony was that for those 2 years, he couldn’t do anything but pray. At the end of the 2-year period, he was reading his Bible and came to Psalm 39:9–10: “I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. Remove thy stroke away from me” (KJV). As he read that prayer, he was healed. He said, “It was God’s stroke, and it was given to show me that I wasn’t to preach messages that I couldn’t cover in prayer.”

Diseases and death are the result of sin entering into the world through Adam’s failure. God uses the reality of death and disease to remind us that everyone dies and that we have to be ready for the life to come. As we come to understand how short our time on earth really is, we become more careful with the time we have left.

“LORD, we want to live today as if we are on the edge of eternity. Give us opportunities to share Your love with others so that they might find eternal life.”

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2 Chronicles 22 KJV

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 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. ³ He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. 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. 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 Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians smote Joram. 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.   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. 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. 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. 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. 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.  ¹² And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.