Listening To Bad Advice

Joram or Jehoram had been a wicked and unpopular king, and an invasion by Arabians from near Yemen had resulted in the deaths of all but his youngest son, Ahaziah.  Jehoram died as a result of prolapsed bowels and Ahaziah became king inII Kings 8:24-26a.  “And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.  In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.  Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem.”

Jehoram had married one of Ahab’s sisters, Athaliah and hse had exercised a great deal of influence with the result he copied Ahab’s way of life.  Ahaziah followed in his father’s footsteps. Marrying one of Ahab’s daughters, as II Kings 8:26b-27 tells us.  “And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.  And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.  Both his mother and his wife encouraged him to copy Ahab, as II Chronicles 22:35 tells us.  “He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.  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.  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.”

Following their advice, like his father and grandfather, he joined forces with his brother in law, Joram king of Israel to fight the Syrians, where Joram was wounded.  Ahaziah went down to visit Joram because he wasn’t recovering as fast as expected, as described in II Kings 8:29.  “And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.”

Ahaziah as unaware that a coup against Joram, led by Jehu was underway when he went.  II Kings 9:16-26 describes the coup.  “So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.  And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace?  So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace?

And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.

And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again.  Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace?

And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.

And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.

And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.  And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu?

And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.  Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him; Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.”

Ahaziah was with Jehoram when Jehu killed him, and Jehu proceeded to kill Amaziah as well, in II Kings 9:27-28.  “But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.  And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David.”

God used Ahaziah’s wife and his mother’s bad advice to punish Ahaziah for his wickedness, getting him to associate with Joram, according to II Chronicles 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.”    While he was at it, Jehu also killed Ahaziah’s nephews and other family leaders, in II Chronicles 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.”