Joel M Bradshaw

17So he [Ahaziah] died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.–2 Kings 1

Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done. (1 Kings 22:51-53)

1. In those days after David and Solomon, the land was divided into two kingdoms: Israel and Judah.
2. After wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel died, their son Ahaziah took over up north in Israel.
3. As you can read above, he followed the influence of his ungodly parents.
4. Jehoshaphat down south in Judah, was actually a good king, one of the few. When he died, we wonder what kind of legacy he left?
5. In our text today in 2 Kings, the prophet Elijah had foretold Ahaziah’s death, and it indeed happened.
6. Ahaziah followed evil with more evil. I can’t imagine being Ahab and Jezebel’s son, be he continued their disastrous legacy.
7. These kings are good examples to us. What do we prioritize? What legacy of faith will we leave? How will we each live our days?–JMB