2 Chronicles 22: He Reigned One Year

If you think the last chapter was hard to read—this one is worse. A major element for all of the bad things in these years can be traced to an arranged marriage between the offspring of the kings of the two rival countries (Israel and Judah) in chapter 18. Not only were they united by that marriage, they continued marrying evil women of the north (21:6), and they practiced the idolatry of the north (22:3). This new king (22 years old) took some bad advice, associated with the north (who were now his relatives), and was killed after one year when Jehu avenged the evil house of Ahab. Meditation suggestions: bad worship, bad marriages, bad advice. To make matters worse, Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, took the throne after he was killed.