2 Chronicles Chapter 22
Showing all 12 verses for 2 Chronicles Chapter 22.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"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. "
"The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, king in his place, because the raiders who had come with the Arabians into the camp had killed all his older brothers. So Ahaziah, son of Jehoram king of Judah, became king."
Not every position you find yourself in was something you chose or trained for - sometimes life hands you responsibility through circumstances beyond your control. What matters to me is what you do with it once it's yours, not how you got there.
"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. "
"Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri."
I care less about numbers and records than about who you let form your character. Ask yourself honestly whose voice you're actually listening to when you make decisions - that answer says more about your future than your age or title ever will.
"He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. "
"Ahaziah too followed the corrupt ways of the house of Ahab, because his mother was his adviser, steering him towards wrongdoing."
I want you to examine who is advising you in the quiet, everyday decisions of your life - not just in the big public moments. Choose people who tell you the truth and want good for you, not those who only want to use your position for their own ends.
"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. "
"So he did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just like the house of Ahab, because they were his advisers after his father's death, and this led to his ruin."
The people you surround yourself with after a loss or a big life change matter enormously - that's often when you're most open to influence, good or bad. I ask you to be especially careful about who fills that space in vulnerable seasons of your life.
"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. "
"He also followed their advice and went with Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, to fight against King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, where the Syrians wounded Joram."
The company you keep can carry you into situations you never intended to be part of. I want you to think carefully before joining causes or alliances just because it's convenient or expected - ask where this path is actually leading you.
"And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him 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. "
"Joram went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he'd received at Ramah fighting Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah, son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to visit Joram (Jehoram) son of Ahab, because he was sick."
Even good instincts, like loyalty and care for someone who's hurting, need to be paired with wisdom about the wider situation you're stepping into. I don't want you to stop caring for others - just to stay alert to what you're walking into when you do.
"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. "
"Ahaziah's destruction was ordained by God through his visit to Joram - because when he arrived, he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu, son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to wipe out the house of Ahab."
Sometimes the consequences that catch up with you aren't purely personal - they're bound up with choices about who you've aligned yourself with. I ask you to examine your loyalties honestly, because you may end up carrying consequences that were never really yours to begin with.
"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. "
"While Jehu was carrying out judgement on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the relatives of Ahaziah who served him, and killed them."
Violence and corruption rarely stay contained to those who started them - innocent people connected only by circumstance often get swept up too. I ask you to consider, before you align yourself with power for power's sake, who else might pay the price for that choice.
"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. "
"Jehu then searched for Ahaziah himself; he was captured while hiding in Samaria, brought to Jehu, and killed. They buried him, saying, "He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah no longer had the strength to hold onto the kingdom."
The good you do doesn't only affect you - it can become a kind of shelter for people who come after you, long after you're gone. Live in a way that leaves behind not just achievements but genuine goodness others can lean on, even if they never fully live up to it themselves.
"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 Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed the entire royal family of Judah."
I never call ambition itself evil, but when the pursuit of power costs you your basic humanity towards those who should matter most, something has gone catastrophically wrong. Examine what you're willing to sacrifice for status or control - if the answer includes people who trust you, stop now.
"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. "
"But Jehoshabeath, the king's daughter, took Joash, Ahaziah's son, and secretly rescued him from among the king's sons who were being killed, hiding him and his nurse in a bedroom. Jehoshabeath, daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest (she was Ahaziah's sister), hid him from Athaliah so that she could not kill him."
You may never know how much difference a single brave, quiet act of protection or kindness can make - sometimes the most important thing you ever do isn't seen by anyone at the time. Don't wait for permission or applause to do the right thing when someone vulnerable needs protecting.
"And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. "
"Joash stayed hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah ruled over the land."
Not every good thing happens quickly or visibly - sometimes what matters most is being protected and prepared quietly, out of sight, until the right moment. Trust that the waiting seasons of your life aren't wasted, even when nothing seems to be happening.