The house of Israel under king Jeroboam did not want his people to go south to Jerusalem each year and worship at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, so Jeroboam made two golden calves, and put them at the two ends of his kingdom for the people to worship. For this point on, the nation of Israel fell deep into Idolatry, grove worship, and sexual religious forms.

Judah on the other hand, had kings like Jehoshaphat that would bring the people back to the ways of the Lord, and clean out all those heathen religious forms that had crept in. He even killed those sodomites that would not leave the land peacefully.

The real problem started with king Omri of Israel came to a peace alliance with the king of Tyre [Hamath], and forced the marriage between their children. It is from this union that Ahab married the wicked Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Tyre. The people of Hamath, are Kenites, son of the lineage of Cain, through his father Satan. This relationship has to be understood before much of what is happening here will fall in line for you.

When Ahab and Jezebel had children, they forced an alliance with King Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and this alliance was seal by the marriage between Ahab's son and daughter with Jehoshaphat's son and daughter. So this woman that is spoken of here in verse ten, is the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, that married the son of King Jehoshaphat, Jehoram. This daughter's name that married Jehoram is Athaliah, who is the mother of Ahaziah. Keep in mind that both Ahab and Jehoshaphat named their sons by the same name, so it is important not to get the two Jehorams and Athaliahs mixed up.

The prior chapter ended with Jehoram's death, for this was caused directly by his wickedness and that of his wife, Athaliah, a Kenite daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. The people of Jerusalem will not appoint a new king to reign over them.

II Chronicles 22:1 "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."

This king named Ahaziah, the youngest son of king Jehoram, is also known throughout the other scripture passages by the names of Jehoahaz in (21:17), and Ahariah in 22:6. This book of the Chronicles was written years after the event, and the captivity in Babylon, by the Kenites that took over the duties of the Levite Scribes. This is recorded in I Chronicles 2:55.

I Chronicles 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hamath, the father of the house of Rechab."

So if the record in these Chronicles gets mixed up a bit, keep in mind it was many years later, and the priesthood and records keeping was in the hands of these Kenites, or offspring of Cain. It is to their benefit to remain hidden to the reader, for then when they make confusion to the Word of God, the Levites get the blame. On returning to Jerusalem after the time of captivity in Babylon, The prophet Ezra noted in Ezra 8:15; "And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava: and there abode we in tents three days; and I viewed the People, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi."

Notice the fact that these 43,000 were returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and streets of Jerusalem, and there is not one Levi amongst these over 280 priests and their families. In fact over half of those claiming to be of Judah, were from the house of Rechab, Kenites, and not of Israel or Abraham. These Kenites entered into the families of the House of Judah through business arrangement, and marriages that started as far back as David and Solomon.

II Chronicles 22:2 "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,"

Remember that king Omri of the house of Israel had his son Ahab marry Jezebel, the wicked queen that went through out the kingdom murdering priests and prophets. So Jezebel's grandson would be this King Ahaziah that is beginning his reign in Jerusalem, for his mother Athaliah was married to Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram. Though it states "daughter" it is really his granddaughter.

II Chronicles 22:3 "He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly."

Under the guidance of his mother Athaliah, a Kenite by lineage and the daughter of Jezebel, this king was taught to do wickedly from a baby. When he became king, that was his life style and mode of thinking for he had the mind of his grandmother Jezebel.

II Chronicles 22:4 "Wherefore he 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."

This king Ahaziah was no different than his grandfather Ahab, for that is where Ahaziah went for his counselors. All the evil and wickedness that existed in the house of Israel was the pattern for his life and his kingdom.

II Chronicles 22:5 "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."

Don't get mixed up with the two Jehoram's for this Jehoram is not his father, the former king of Judah, but the son of Ahab. Remember both Ahab and Jehoshaphat named their son and daughter by the same names. I assume by their dates given that Ahab's children were copied from Jehoshaphat's naming of his children, for times like this.

We see here that king Ahaziah just never learned by his grandfathers mistakes, not to trust the false prophets. For just as Ahab was killed in battle with the king of Syria, here also Ahabs son was killed on the battle field with Syria.

II Chronicles 22:6 "And he returned to be healed in Jezreel 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."

"Azariah" is the same person as stated above, "Azahiah". When the battle with the Syrians was over, king Jehoram of Israel and he returned wounded in the battle. So he went north to meet with his uncle at Ramah. It was time to heal the body.

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."

As you read this verse, note that "the destruction of Ahaziah was of God". Ahaziah was a wicked king, and God was removing him from the throne over His People. We see in I Kings 9:6, 7 that God anointed Jehu to kill Ahaziah for his wickedness.

II Kings 9:6, 7 "And he [Jehu] arose, and went into the house; and he [Elisha] poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, `I have anointed thee king over the People of the Lord, even over Israel." [6] "And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel." [7]

Remember all the wickedness that Jezebel brought upon the house of the Lord when she sought to destroy all the prophets of God. Here two generations later, her grandson, who is suppose to be over the house of God, is out doing the same thing Grandma Jezebel did years ago. Its time to get even, and Elisha is anointing Jehu, the mission sent from God, to make things right.

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."

This act by Jehu of killing Ahaziah, who was running to the heathen Kenite king over Israel, is sentenced to die by God, and Jehu is carrying out the act. It is a righteous act, for he was anointed to do the job by the prophet of God.

II Chronicles 22:9 "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."

Ahaziah knew that what he was doing was not right, and that the people and priest would not put up with it. They did not threat his body like they treated his fathers, for out of respect for Jehoshaphat, they buried him. Ahaziah had lost control in Judah long before this successful attempt on his life. His mother, Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel sat back and watched as these men hunted her son down, and killed him.

II Chronicles 22:10 "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."

When mother Athaliah saw what they did to her youngest son, she plotted the death of all the royal seed line that lived in Judah. Just as Satan had tried all the way back to the killing of Abel by Cain in the garden of Eden, Satan their father was trying to destroy the royal seed line that would continue to sit over the Israel, and the line of the Seed of the promised Messiah that would be born in Bethlehem some 788 years later. Jesus pointed out who these Kenite people were in John 8:44.

John 8:43, 44 "Why do ye [Jesus speaking to scribes and Pharisees] not understand My speech? even because ye cannot hear My word." [43] "Ye are of your father the devil [Satan], and the lust of your father [Cain] ye will do. He [Cain] was a murderer from the beginning [Genesis 4:8-10], and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him [Cain]. When he [Cain] speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own [Satan]: for he [Satan] is a liar, and the father of it." [44]

Do you see why Athaliah wanted to kill off the royal seed line now, for she is of her mother Jezebel, and Jezebel's interest are hers.

II Chronicles 22:11 "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."

The safest of all places to keep this small child that would be heir to the throne of Judah was in the house of God. Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram, and married to a priest of God. So this would be her little brother that the wicked Queen Athaliah was after. Sure Athaliah was successful in murdering off the sons of the king, and all the seed line to the throne, but she over looked on little child, nestled away in the arms of his sister in the house of the Lord. This lad Joash will grow to know the ways of God, just like Jehoshaphat, and the priests will teach him will the laws and commandments of God.

God has his women down through the ages, that are picked out to do the one thing that only she could do. There are many such women in the bible, and Jehoshabeath is one of those women, selected to do their job for the Lord. Women of God, like Deborah who led the army of God when the generals refuse to lead into battle for fear for their lives. Then we think of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, who ran the spike through the head of Sisera, when he was trying to kill the men of God. These women and others can be read of in Judges 5:1 - 31.