2 Chronicles 22:1

2 Chronicles 22:1 says, 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.  Ahaziah, who had been called Jehoahaz in the last chapter, Jehoram's youngest and only remaining son was made king of Judah after Jehoram was killed.  Matthew Henry says this is the same name, but the two parts are transposed.  Even if the name is different, it is the same person. God had promised that a descendant of David would always be on the throne, and this continued that promise.  The promise was fulfilled forever when Jesus Christ became the everlasting king of God's people.  Verse two adds, 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 when he began to rule, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem.  Verse three continues, He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.  He followed the ways of Ahab, under the counsel of his mother, Athaliah, who was a daughter of Omri.  Those who are mother's today and are Christians need to council their children to follow God, but too often, they do not and counsel them to not do so instead.  Then, it is up to the child to decide whether to follow God or their mother.  Verse four states, 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.  Ahaziah did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, following the advice of Ahab's counselors.  God had spared his life, but he didn't follow Him.  God has spared people from everlasting punishment if they will only accept His gift of salvation, but too many people refuse to do so.  We need to pray that people today who are in positions of leadership will not follow the ways of the world but will follow the leadership and counsel of God instead.  Verse five adds, 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.  Ahaziah, following the advice of these counselors, went with Jehoram Ahab's son, to battle Hazael, the king of Syria at Ramoth-Gilead.  We should never go into battle without God telling us to.  Verse six continues, 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.  Jehoram had been wounded in the battle, and Ahaziah went to see him at Jezreel.  I guess we could say that he was at least loyal to Jehoram, but being loyal to the wrong person or thing even is not necessarily a good thing.  We as followers of Christ must be loyal to Him first, and then to others if they are following His will.  Verse seven says, 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.  Being loyal to Jehoram led to Ahaziah's destruction, because he went against Jehu, and God had chosen Jehu to replace Jehoram because he was leading the people of Israel to disobey God.  If God has pronounced His judgment on someone, we certainly don't need to ally ourselves with them.  Verse eight adds, 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.  When Jehu found the princes of Judah caring for Jehoram, he killed them as well.  We need to be careful about the company we keep as Christians and never ally ourselves with those who do not obey God's word.  Verse nine continues, 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 was found hiding and brought to Jehu, who had him killed.  If we are disobeying God, there is no place to hide where He will not find us, and if we haven't put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will go away to everlasting punishment when we die.  Ahaziah was buried honorably, because he was a son or descendant of Jehosaphat who had sought God's will in what he did.  It is not going to matter how we are buried, or what our parents or grandparents believed about God, but only our relationship with God in this lifetime will matter.  Verse ten states, 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 saw that Ahaziah was dead, she began to have the rest of the royal descendants killed.  She was trying to establish herself as ruler, or possibly have the people of Israel, her people, take over the kingdom of Judah.  Verse eleven adds, 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.  One of Ahaziah's sisters, Jehoshabeath, was able to rescue one of the princes, and hide him with a nurse.  God's promise to David was not going to be destroyed, and His promise to people today of everlasting life with Him will not be destroyed if they put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twelve continues, And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.  The child was hidden in the house of God for six years while Athaliah reigned.  This might have been a safe place because Athaliah wasn't looking to follow God and might not have gone to God's house.  I can say that the safest place for us is in God's house, which is wherever He is.