NOTES for Ch2 22:1-12
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. |
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. |
3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counseller to do wickedly. |
4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellers after the death of his father to his destruction. |
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. |
6 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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. |
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How tempting it would be to regard Athaliah as the principal source of the evil that triumphed in Judah! Her contribution to the spread of lawlessness was undoubtedly great, but only because she opened her heart to the darkness that had been trying for centuries, even without her, to enslave each of us. Once evil has entered the world, it does not disappear but gives birth to new evil. Attempts to end evil by force lead to new bloodshed, and then streams of blood lead to new streams. What, then, should be done? Should the violent eradication of evildoers continue until complete victory, or should we try to stop evil through peace and love?
The second way seems impossible. Those drawn into the cycle of violence, retribution, new violence in revenge for retribution and so on have no intention of ending violence. This is a very human reaction, but, in the words of a Japanese writer, “the human, all too human, is always something animal.” To be truly human, we must open ourselves to what comes from above. Only then can peace enter our hearts and afterward be established on earth.
Readings for 21 June 2018
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