FAMILY LIFE!
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Opening Prayer
I praise you, Loving Christ, that your strength is made perfect in my weaknesses. Help me to rest in your power.1
Read 2 CHRONICLES 22:1—9
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 22
1 The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders, who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.
2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
3 He too followed the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly.
4 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing.
5 He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram;
6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.
7 Through Ahaziah’s visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
8 While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them.
9 He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.
Reflect
‘Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.’2
Have you noticed how often the family relationships of the various main characters are mentioned and discussed within these chapters? It is not just the line of succession; we read of mothers, grandmothers, brothers, wives, and in-laws. The influence of these wider family members is seen as profound, for good or for bad. Throughout Scripture, families are depicted as a God-given means for society to function well. Family responsibilities are clearly very important, but the possibility of family loyalties leading to turning away from God and failing to recognize the priority of loyalty to him is also an issue. This passage presents the dangers here. Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, became king unexpectedly. He was not a child (v. 2) but was still strongly under the influence of his mother, Athaliah (the daughter of the northern king, Ahab, v. 2) and the rest of that side of his family. Following their advice led ‘to his undoing’ (v. 4), and allying with them led to his death (v. 9). He reigned for only one year.
Jesus is well aware of the issues and possible conflicts between our responsibilities to support and honor our families and putting God first. He makes it clear that you can’t use giving to God as an excuse for not fulfilling a God-given responsibility to care for parents.3 However, he also strongly implies that blood relatives do not always have priority.4 In some cultures, pressure to take money from church funds to give to family is almost irresistible. In other cultures, pressure to prioritize children’s leisure activities is equally irresistible. The challenge to the kings of Judah is the same as ours: how do we reconcile our two responsibilities?
Apply
This week, look at ways you balance your responsibility to God and your responsibilities to your family.
Closing prayer
Father in Heaven, if my balance of responsibilities between you and my family needs adjusting—in either direction—please show me and help me change it to what pleases you.
1 2 Cor 12:9 2 Ps 68:5, 6, NLT 3 Mark 7:9—13 4 Matt 12:46—50.
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