◄ 1 Kings 22:51 ►
In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years.
Study Bible
In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah,

Judah enjoyed relative stability under Jehoshaphat, whose reign was marked by efforts to restore faithful worship of the Lord and strengthen the kingdom.

2Ch 20:31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years…
2Ki 8:16 In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab…
2Ch 17:1 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place,…

Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel,

Ahaziah inherited the throne and the spiritual corruption of Ahab’s house. Raised under the influence of Ahab and Jezebel, he continued their devotion to Baal and their opposition to the Lord.

2Ki 1:2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room…
2Ch 20:35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance…
2Ki 1:18 As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah,…

and he reigned in Samaria

Samaria remained the political center of the Northern Kingdom and the base of the Omride dynasty, whose power was joined to widespread idolatry.

2Ki 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go up to meet…
2Ki 1:6 They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said…
2Ki 3:1 In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah,…

two years.

Ahaziah’s brief reign continued Israel’s decline and ended without spiritual reform, leaving the kingdom under the judgment brought on by the sins of Ahab’s house.

2Ki 15:23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah,…
1Ki 15:25 In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah,…
1Ki 16:8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ahaziah
The son of Ahab and Jezebel, Ahaziah became king of Israel. His reign is noted for continuing the idolatrous practices of his parents, which led Israel further away from God.

2. Ahab
The father of Ahaziah, Ahab was a king of Israel known for his wickedness and idolatry, particularly his worship of Baal, influenced by his wife Jezebel.

3. Jehoshaphat
The king of Judah during Ahaziah's reign in Israel. Jehoshaphat is often remembered for his efforts to follow God and his attempts to bring reform to Judah.

4. Samaria
The capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where Ahaziah reigned. It was a center of political and religious activity, often associated with idolatry during this period.

5. Reign of Two Years
Ahaziah's short reign is significant as it reflects the instability and judgment upon the house of Ahab due to their continued disobedience to God.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Idolatry
Ahaziah's reign serves as a reminder of the destructive path of idolatry. His short rule and the judgment upon his family illustrate the consequences of turning away from God.

Leadership and Influence
The influence of Ahab and Jezebel on Ahaziah underscores the importance of godly leadership and the impact it can have on future generations.

The Importance of Godly Alliances
Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahaziah, despite his own faithfulness, shows the potential pitfalls of forming partnerships with those who do not share a commitment to God.

The Brevity of Life and Leadership
Ahaziah's two-year reign is a stark reminder of the fleeting nature of life and leadership, urging us to make the most of our time by living in obedience to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ahaziah's reign reflect the influence of his parents, Ahab and Jezebel, and what can we learn about the impact of family legacy on our spiritual lives?

2. In what ways does the short reign of Ahaziah serve as a warning about the consequences of idolatry and disobedience to God?

3. How can Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahaziah inform our decisions about forming partnerships and relationships with others, especially those who may not share our faith?

4. Considering the brevity of Ahaziah's reign, how can we ensure that our own lives and leadership are marked by faithfulness and obedience to God?

5. Reflecting on the events of Ahaziah's reign, what steps can we take to avoid the pitfalls of idolatry and ensure that our worship remains focused on the one true God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 16:30-33
Provides background on Ahab's reign and his introduction of Baal worship, setting the stage for Ahaziah's continuation of these practices.

2 Kings 1
Details the events during Ahaziah's reign, including his injury and subsequent death, which further illustrate his reliance on false gods rather than the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 20:35-37
Describes Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahaziah, which was condemned by God, highlighting the dangers of aligning with those who do not follow God's ways.
Sermons
SurvivalJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 22:39, 40, 51-53
Two Life StoriesJ. Urquhart 1 Kings 22:41-53
People
Ahab, Ahaziah, Amon, Aram, Asa, Azubah, Chenaanah, David, Geber, Imlah, Jehoram, Jehoshaphat, Jeroboam, Joash, Micah, Micaiah, Nebat, Ophir, Shilhi, Sodomites, Syrians, Tarshish, Tharshish, Zedekiah
Places
Edom, Ezion-geber, Jerusalem, Ophir, Ramoth-gilead, Samaria, Syria, Tarshish
Topics
Ahab, Ahaziah, Ahazi'ah, Jehoshaphat, Jehosh'aphat, Judah, Reign, Reigned, Reigneth, Rule, Samaria, Sama'ria, Seventeenth
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 22:41-53

     5366   king

1 Kings 22:51-52

     8739   evil, examples of

Library
Unpossessed Possessions
'And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?'--1 KINGS xxii. 3. This city of Ramoth in Gilead was an important fortified place on the eastern side of the Jordan, and had, many years before the date of our text, been captured by its northern neighbours in the kingdom of Syria. A treaty had subsequently been concluded and broken a war followed thereafter, in which Ben-hadad, King of Syria, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ahab and Micaiah
'And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? 8. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.'--1 KINGS xxii. 7,8. An ill-omened alliance had been struck up between Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah. The latter, who would have been much better in Jerusalem, had come down to Samaria …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
1. The Hebrews reckon but three books as poetical, namely: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are distinguished from the rest by a stricter rhythm--the rhythm not of feet, but of clauses (see below, No. 3)--and a peculiar system of accentuation. It is obvious to every reader that the poetry of the Old Testament, in the usual sense of the word, is not restricted to these three books. But they are called poetical in a special and technical sense. In any natural classification of the books of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
Sections. 1. Summary of the doctrine of Divine Providence. 1. It embraces the future and the past. 2. It works by means, without means, and against means. 3. Mankind, and particularly the Church, the object of special care. 4. The mode of administration usually secret, but always just. This last point more fully considered. 2. The profane denial that the world is governed by the secret counsel of God, refuted by passages of Scripture. Salutary counsel. 3. This doctrine, as to the secret counsel of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Of Councils and their Authority.
1. The true nature of Councils. 2. Whence the authority of Councils is derived. What meant by assembling in the name of Christ. 3. Objection, that no truth remains in the Church if it be not in Pastors and Councils. Answer, showing by passages from the Old Testament that Pastors were often devoid of the spirit of knowledge and truth. 4. Passages from the New Testament showing that our times were to be subject to the same evil. This confirmed by the example of almost all ages. 5. All not Pastors who …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Of Passages from the Holy Scriptures, and from the Apocrypha, which are Quoted, or Incidentally Illustrated, in the Institutes.
TO THE AUTHORS QUOTED IN THE INSTITUTES PREFATORY ADDRESS TO HIS MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, THE MOST MIGHTY AND ILLUSTRIOUS MONARCH, FRANCIS, KING OF THE FRENCH, HIS SOVEREIGN; [1] JOHN CALVIN PRAYS PEACE AND SALVATION IN CHRIST. [2] Sire,--When I first engaged in this work, nothing was farther from my thoughts than to write what should afterwards be presented to your Majesty. My intention was only to furnish a kind of rudiments, by which those who feel some interest in religion might be trained to …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
WHEN St. Paul wrote his Epistle to Titus about his duty as a minister, he mentioned young men as a class requiring peculiar attention. After speaking of aged men and aged women, and young women, he adds this pithy advice, "Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded" (Tit. 2:6). I am going to follow the Apostle's advice. I propose to offer a few words of friendly exhortation to young men. I am growing old myself, but there are few things I remember so well as the days of my youth. I have a most …
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times

General Principles of Interpretation. 1 Since the Bible Addresses Men in Human Language...
CHAPTER XXXIV. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION. 1. Since the Bible addresses men in human language, and according to human modes of thinking and speaking, the interpreter's first work is to ascertain the meaning of the terms employed. Here he must proceed as in the case of other writings, seeking by the aid of grammars, lexicons, cognate languages, ancient versions, ancient interpreters, and whatever other outward helps are available, to gain a thorough knowledge of the language employed by …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Instruction for the Ignorant:
BEING A SALVE TO CURE THAT GREAT WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH SO MUCH REIGNS BOTH IN YOUNG AND OLD. PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM IN A PLAIN AND EASY DIALOGUE, FITTED TO THE CAPACITY OF THE WEAKEST. 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'--Hosea 4:6 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This little catechism is upon a plan perfectly new and unique. It was first published as a pocket volume in 1675, and has been republished in every collection of the author's works; and recently in a separate tract. …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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