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Deep Agreement: Ahaziah king of Judah, 22 or 42?

5th October 2011, hej

 

2) Daughter of Omri: Ahab blotted out

Firstly it must be explained why Athaliah was named as 'the daughter of Omri' the king of Israel in both accounts of Ahaziah her son's reign, and not the daughter of Ahab. Ahab was son of Omri, and therefore he was of the House of Omri, as Omri was the first of that dynasty ruling Israel. But it was prophesied there would be no posterity of Ahab. Though Omri was evil, Ahab did worse over the matter of being complicit in murdering Naboth and taking his inheritance. This ensured the end of the dynasty. Elijah is told to bring Ahab the news.

Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'
And Ahab said to Elijah, 'Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?'
And he answered, 'I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every man child, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,' (1Kings 21:18-21)

Ahab's name was blotted even from the record of the kings of Judah, as he was to have no male posterity. Ahab's fate was determined by the influence of his wife Jezebel.

But there was none like unto Ahab, who did give himself over to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. (1Kings 21:25)


Yet despite this condemnation (which 2 Kings 9:8 repeats), I Kings 22 establishes that Jehoshaphat, when king of Judah and having been made wealthy by God, ended the war with the Northern kingdom of Israel by making peace with Ahab king of Israel. In alliance with Ahab, Jehoshaphat (when about 53 years old) went to war with Syria and witnessed Ahab's death in that battle, which occurred as had been prophesied by Elijah. After that a prophet comes to Jehoshaphat,

At that time a prophet named Jehu (son of Hanani) come to Jehoshaphat and tells king Jehoshaphat, Should thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God. (2Chronicles 19:2-3)


NEXT PAGE... About Jehoshaphat
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