2Ki 8:20-22 | KingComments | STEP | There is now a break in the history of the kings of Israel to mention the history of some kings of Judah. This is because these kings were in contact with Israel’s kings. It began with Jehoram, the son of the God-fearing Jehoshaphat, who married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She had an extraordinarily bad influence on him. She was like her parents and made him walk “in the way of the kings of Israel”, a way that is evil in the sight of the LORD. The details we read in 2 Chronicles 21. By this marriage, the wickedness of the house of Ahab penetrated into Judah, into David’s lineage. Yet God’s grace was still over Judah. He remained faithful to His word for His servant David ( ). For his sake, the LORD did not destroy Judah, even though they deserved to be. However, God did apply a form of discipline to them. We see it in the revolt of Edom. Whoever departs from God will face all kinds of setbacks. By this God wants to bring back to Him those who depart from Him. In what seems like an aside, the uprising of Libnah is also mentioned. Libnah is a priest city. It may have revolted because the priests were unwilling or unable to participate in the nation’s prevalent idolatry. That was also a warning voice, a protest, against the deviations, intended to bring about a return to the LORD.

‏ 2 Kings 8:20-22

Jehoram King of Judah

There is now a break in the history of the kings of Israel to mention the history of some kings of Judah. This is because these kings were in contact with Israel’s kings. It began with Jehoram, the son of the God-fearing Jehoshaphat, who married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She had an extraordinarily bad influence on him. She was like her parents and made him walk “in the way of the kings of Israel”, a way that is evil in the sight of the LORD. The details we read in 2 Chronicles 21.

By this marriage, the wickedness of the house of Ahab penetrated into Judah, into David’s lineage. Yet God’s grace was still over Judah. He remained faithful to His word for His servant David (2Sam 7:12-16 ; 2Sam 21:17). For his sake, the LORD did not destroy Judah, even though they deserved to be.

However, God did apply a form of discipline to them. We see it in the revolt of Edom. Whoever departs from God will face all kinds of setbacks. By this God wants to bring back to Him those who depart from Him.

In what seems like an aside, the uprising of Libnah is also mentioned. Libnah is a priest city. It may have revolted because the priests were unwilling or unable to participate in the nation’s prevalent idolatry. That was also a warning voice, a protest, against the deviations, intended to bring about a return to the LORD.