Life Lessons – The Queen of Judah, Athelia

Mayhem, Murder, and Mystery   (From the end to the beginning)

I.  The Monarchy – Reign of Athalia, Queen of Judah

2 Chronicles 22:12  And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

  A.  Her final moments of her reign are recorded in 2 Kings chapter

       11

Filled with wrath and trying to escape in fear “…Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.”

Why did this take place?  We can discover why by learning of her –

  A.  Her family – the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of

        Israel.  Her grandfathers were Omri of Israel, father of Ahab, and

        Ethbaal of Phonecia, father of Jezebel.  (Thoroughly wicked

        heritage).  Her family influence developed her evil nature which led

        to –

  B.  Her infamy – she was renowned for her wicked acts –

The young king Joash, as he set about the reforms in Judah said of his grandmother, Athalia, “…that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.”

Which were results of –

  C.  Her ferocious character!  She was what we would call today “pure

        evil”!  She claimed the monarchy for herself through

 II.  Murder

  2 Kings 11:1  And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

And she created –

III.  Mayhem in the kingdom enabling her to keep control

  A.  The promotion of evil through her influence –

    1.  Jehoram, her weak husband

2 Chronicles 21:1-6  Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel…… Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

    2.  Ahaziah, her equally weak son

“…Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. 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…”

2Chronicles 22:3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counseller to do wickedly.

Through all of this mayhem, we thank the Lord for –

  B.  The Protection of God from Her evil intentions –

2 Kings 11:2   But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

For six years those that worshipped God had to live carefully to avoid the wrath of Athalia and those that supported her.  God gave them protection, from their own people, from their own government!

As I considered these accounts of history, I thought that if Jehoshaphat had been alive to see the end of his daughter-in-law, it would have been a –

IV.  Mystery – “How did all of this happen? Where did they go

       wrong?

We hear these words too often as parents and grandparents seek the cause of their children’s and grandchildren’s destroyed lives.  In this case, if Jehoshaphat was able to ask “Lord, was it something that I did that set all of this in motion”? the answer from the Lord would be “yes, Jehoshaphat, it was you – and I told you so at the time, but you did not accept your responsibility, take the leadership in your family and correct the –

V.  Mistake

A.  Jehoshaphat was wrong in thinking that King Ahab had truly

       repented and turned to the Lord.

1 Kings 21:27-29  And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Three years later, Ahab had returned to his evil way –

1 Kings 22:6-7  Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?

And yet, Jehoshaphat continued to join with him!

2 Chronicles 18:1-2  Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab. And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.

We all know people that suddenly become ‘spiritual’ when faced with trouble.

  B.  Jehoshaphat, through God’s mercy, was warned of his sin –

2 Chronicles 19:1,2 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

  C.  Jehoshaphat was given time to repent and correct the wrong that he

       had done.

2 Chronicles 19:3-5  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.

And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beer-sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers. And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

2 Chronicles 17:10  And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

Matters of importance tonight – Jehoshaphat could have –

Secured the border between Judah and Israel.  Is it possible that through these accounts from God’s Word, which they knew, –

Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God

Nehemiah 2:20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

That they learned the destructive influence of being the partner of evil men?  Jehoshaphat should have –

Sent Athalia home to her country and her parents –

Deuteronomy 7:3-4  Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Sought the Lord for wisdom and leadership, especially in the matter of the warning he had been given!

While it is good to give people a chance to display their new walk in the Lord, He could have asked counsel from those who knew the character of Ahab, especially for the three years since his repentance before the Lord.

When he met with Ahab, he should have had an honest and open conversation about Ahab’s conversion.  Those who have humbled themselves before the Lord will not be ashamed to give a testimony of the mercy and grace of God.

When he was encouraged to join with Ahab in a war with Syria, Jehoshaphat should have referred to God’s Word in Solomon’s admonition to refrain from evil –

Proverbs 26:17  He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

Jehoshaphat may have thought that because he wanted to do what was right, everyone was like him.  He was a good guy, and everything would work out okay. 

Murder and mayhem are never okay!

Are there things in your lives that make you uncomfortable, but you want people to think well of you and everything will be okay?  Decide here and now to search the Word of God and settle everything His way.