2 Chronicles 21-24: Power, Intrigue and Violence

Once Jehoshaphat died, the people turned to other gods and their history becomes much more violent, their reigns short lived, and the intrigue multiplies.  Jehoram married the daughter of Ahab and had all of his brothers put to death.  Elijah's message to Jehoram did no good.   'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah.  But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you.  So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow.  You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.' "  - 2 Chron. 21:12-15 NIV

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.  2 Chron 21:20 NIV

Ahaziah, his youngest son became king. 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.  He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. - 2 Chron 22:2-3 NIV

Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother then began to reign and immediately killed all of Jehoram's sons except for Joash who was hidden by King Jehoram's daughter in the temple with the priest Jehoiada.  Her reign lasted seven years.

Joash was anointed king and Athaliah put to death, when he was only seven years old.  He was God fearing as long as Jehoiada was alive, but when he died, he was influenced by the people who wanted to worship other gods.  He put Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest to death after the priest told them, "This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the LORD's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.' "  - 2 Chron 24:20 NIV

Forty years after his reign began, one that originally held the promise that they would again become a God fearing nation, Joash was murdered in his bed.  The kings could not expect to live long unless they followed the Lord God, but the temptation of power by any other means was too great.