Ahaziah

2 Chronicles 22 – How to Change the Future

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There are times in the life of a nation when corruption seems to be the only rule of government. Government leaders seem more loyal to their perks than their public. Officials publicly speak about honesty and morality, but later are found to be living dishonest and immoral lives.

During such discouraging times, people may cry out for a change, but they often feel anyone they put in office will just turn out the same. It can feel like a lost cause.

This was the climate in 2 Chronicles chapter 22.

  • Judah’s King Ahaziah was as corrupt as King Ahab of Israel. He even made some of Ahab’s family his advisors.
  • King Ahaziah’s mother (Athaliah) was even encouraging him to do wrong.
  • After Ahaziah was assassinated, Judah was left under the evil influence of his mother (Athaliah,) who assassinated any of her family members who might be an heir to the throne.

But, in the midst of all this corruption, one person decides to do the right thing. Jehosheba, the sister of the wicked queen mother, takes king Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and hides him so his grandmother won’t kill him. And because Jehosheba was willing to do what was right, Judah would later experience one of its greatest times of reform and revival.

Jehosheba’s act not only leads to national reform but also continues to speak to readers today. This should remind us that our actions – no matter how small or unnoticed – will have an impact later on.

So don’t get discouraged. Do what’s right. You can make a difference. Because what you do (no matter how small) will have a domino-like impact on the future.

2 Kings 1 – Fishing for Answers

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When you were growing up and needed to get your parents to sign off on something, didn’t you know which parent was more likely to say “yes” to what you wanted? Isn’t that the parent you went to?

As adults, we still tend to seek advice from friends and family whose opinions are in line with ours.

King Ahaziah

In 2 Kings chapter 1, King Ahaziah of Israel is seriously injured and seeking the advice of a pagan prophet.

Elijah

But Elijah, the prophet of God, intercepts the king’s messenger. Elijah tells the messenger to return to king Ahaziah and tell him that, because he turned to a false god for information, he would die in the bed to which he was currently confined.

Furious at not receiving the answer he wanted, the king sends soldiers to arrest Elijah. But the soldiers are destroyed as a sign that Elijah was delivering truth from God. The king sends more soldiers, and the same thing happens to them. Then, the king sends even more soldiers. But this time the soldiers ask Elijah to be merciful and spare them. Elijah not only spares them, but he also returns with them to confront the king.

Elijah comes before the king and delivers the exact message he delivered in the beginning. No embellishment. No dramatics. He simply repeats the original message.

What happened next?! 2 Kings 1:17 makes this simple, matter-of-fact statement: “So Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.” It happened exactly as God said it would.

Us

What is it that leads us to turn to anything and everything but God? Why do we turn to that which will feed our ego, rather than to that which will feed our soul? Why do we fish for the answers we want, rather than the truth we need?

God knows the beginning from the end. (Revelation 1:8) He has the answers we need, and we should pursue His answers, even if they’re not really what we want to hear.