2 Kings 8:25 - Meaning and Application

Among ordinary people, some are small and overlooked, with little influence. In the same way, among kings there are some we may call minor kings. Ahaziah was one of these. He seems unimportant in the story, and in God’s eyes he was shameful because he was wicked.

It is a clear sign of the closeness between Jehoshaphat and Ahab that their families had the same names at the same time. We may think they meant this as a way to honor each other. Ahab had two sons, Ahaziah and Jehoram, who ruled one after the other. Jehoshaphat had a son and a grandson named Jehoram and Ahaziah, who also ruled one after the other.

Names do not make a person’s character, but it was a bad sign for Jehoshaphat’s family to borrow names from Ahab’s family. Or, if Jehoshaphat gave those names to that wicked family, he could not give them the godly meaning their names carried. Ahaziah means “taking hold of the Lord,” and Jehoram means “the Lord is exalted.” Ahaziah, king of Israel, reigned only two years, and Ahaziah, king of Judah, reigned only one.

We are told that his connection with Ahab’s family led to two things. First, it led to his wickedness. He followed the ways of Ahab’s household, that idolatrous and violent family, because his mother was Ahab’s daughter (2 Kings 8:26-27). He learned sin from her as naturally as a child takes in milk. A child is often like the mother from whom he comes.

When men choose wives, they should remember that they are also choosing mothers for their children. They should choose wisely for that reason. Second, that connection led to his downfall. Joram, his mother’s brother, persuaded him to join him in trying to recover Ramoth-Gilead, an effort that had already brought disaster to Ahab. It brought disaster to Joram as well, because he was wounded in that campaign (2 Kings 8:28) and returned to Jezreel to recover, leaving his army in control of the place.

Ahaziah also returned, but he went to Jezreel to see how Jehoram was doing (2 Kings 8:29). God arranged it so that the man who had been shaped by Ahab’s house would be cut off with them when their guilt was finally full, as we will see in the next chapter. Those who share in sinners’ sins must expect to share in their punishments.