Kin and Kingdoms

 As Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) resumed for the year, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia from my high school days when I was first introduced to the challenging topic of the kings in the Bible. I recalled when Reverend Atherton, our Bible Teacher, would take so much time trying to teach us about the different kings and their timelines. The multitude of similar-sounding names and complex timelines made it a daunting subject; knowing I would be tested on the subject matter made it even less appealing. Add this to the boring, tedious life of a Baptist High School student, and you would totally get my plight.

So there I was, about 20-something years later, faced with this “boring book.” As we delved into the study of the books of Kings and the Minor Prophets, I wondered how I would make it to the end. While I could manage the Kings, the thought of the Minor Prophets initially left me a bit flustered, even though I had breezed through many of them years ago. It was, however, not something I was particularly looking forward to. Nevertheless, I embarked on this journey with an open mind, eager to discover what new insights God might reveal to me.

Anyway, we began the study, and I was just wondering what new thing God would teach me or use to catch my fancy. I couldn't have anticipated that this seemingly “dry” topic would hold valuable life lessons, some of which I'd like to share with you today.

One of the first revelations that caught my attention was the interrelation between the books of Kings and Chronicles. It struck me that one provided a more detailed account of the other, shedding light on the complexity of these narratives.

But the real surprise came when I realized that the Book of Kings offered lessons on marriage, choosing the right life partner, and parenting. In case you are in doubt, just keep reading and see for yourself.

2nd Kings 8:18 states, “But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” And 2nd Kings 8:26-27: “Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. Ahaziah followed the evil example of King Ahab’s family. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as Ahab’s family had done, for he was related by marriage to the family of Ahab.”

If by reading these two pieces of scripture you haven’t caught on, then hopefully my highlights did a good job of getting your attention. Jehoram and Ahaziah were said to have followed the examples of the kings of Israel and had done evil in the sight of God, and the main reason given was the fact that they were related by marriage to Ahab’s family or had married one of Ahab’s daughters.

This opened my eyes to the profound impact that entering the wrong family through marriage can have on one's life. Hence, it prompted me to consider how critical it is to be cautious when choosing a life partner, to study their family background, and to be aware of what you're getting into. In fact, family background is one of the first things we discuss in Premarital counseling because a lot of who we are and what we do or will do is influenced by the home and environment we grew up in.

When I saw this while working on my study outline, I was amazed. I had never given much thought to how entering into the “wrong” family through marriage can make or break a human, but there it was, staring right in front of me as it is to you.

While reading that chapter, I heard God say, you need to be careful what you bind yourself to. Study the families and be clear about what you are getting yourself into.

As I continued reading, I stumbled upon another profound lesson in 2nd Kings 11 and 2nd Chronicles 22. Remember I told you that the books of Chronicles and Kings are the same, just that one is the more detailed version of the other; well, now you’ll see it for yourself.

2nd Kings 11:1-3 states, “When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family. But Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom, and they hid him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered…”

While 2nd Chronicles 22:10 explains it as, “When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah’s royal family. But Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way, Jehosheba, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid the child so that Athaliah could not murder him.”

The story of Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah, attempting to destroy the royal family and the courageous act of Jehosheba (Athaliah’s daughter), who protected her nephew Joash, exposed the importance of family dynamics.

It's worth noting that Athaliah was the daughter of the notorious King Ahab and Jezebel. Her actions demonstrated the destructive power of family influences. However, within this evil family lineage, Jehosheba, married to the priest Jehoiada, emerged as a beacon of hope. With her husband's support, they concealed and protected Joash for six years. Jehoiada essentially became a father figure to the young Joash.

2nd Chron 24:2 states that “Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.” However, vs 17-18: after Jehoiada’s death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem.

The end of King Joash’s reign was a sad one. His name was not even mentioned in Jesus' genealogy in both the books of Matthew and Luke, alongside 2 other kings.

Through this, I learned a parenting tip: that as a parent, it is not enough to guide my kids and teach them the word of God. I need to pray constantly that they have their own personal encounter with God, a strong relationship with the Holy Spirit, and are surrounded by the right people so if ever I am not there to guide them, the Holy Spirit, who is our ever-present help, best adviser, and guide, would lead and direct them aright. The goal is to ensure that they can stand firm in their faith even in our absence. While Jehoiada was there, Joash never defaulted, but because his roots were not grounded, it was easy for people to shift and sway him wrongly after the death of his uncle and mentor.

While you are alive, strive to inconvenience yourself if need be and do whatever you must to help sow the right seeds in your children because neither of us knows how long we are here for, and if for any reason you are not, ask yourself whether your children can stand these evil days and the pressures that are before them or would they cave?

As for the singles, I do hope God leads you in making the right choices and entering the right families, and if your family is like that of King Ahab, don’t be dismayed, for you may just be the Princess Jehosheba there to do the right thing. And when you are making a choice in a mate, remember that your choices extend beyond you and can affect generations around you.

See the impact Jehoiada the priest made in the life of Joash, his wife’s nephew. Though not his biological father, he played the role of a father perfectly in the life of the boy. Ask yourself, if something were to ever happen to you, would this person you are with, be able to go the extra mile to love and care for your family members or the things you care about? Without Jehoiada’s support, his wife would never have been able to hide and preserve the life of her nephew.

It's essential to consider whether your partner would go the extra mile to care for your family in your absence. This extends to the choices we make as parents and the role models we choose for our children. I personally sought a mate who could be trusted to love and support my family as I would.

One of the things I looked at when picking a mate was whether or not this candidate would love my family members the way I did and if anything were to ever happen to me, can I depend on him to still love, reach out to them, and be there for them the way I would have? Could my siblings trust my potential spouse and me to raise their kids well if they were not around for any reason?

If ever I have to leave my children in the care of any of my married siblings, I would have no fear because so far, they have been able to marry men whom I am more than confident can be good role models for my children and will raise them right. Hopefully, they would share the same sentiments with me.

I hope these revised reflections on the Book of Kings will provide some clarity and a more seamless reading experience for you.

Allow me to take this opportunity to share a project that God has placed on my heart. In addition to the lessons inspired by my personal struggles and my family, I am in the process of launching a new endeavor called "From My Devotions." Through this platform, I will be sharing insights and lessons drawn from my personal scripture readings. I hope to run this project alongside "Lessons from Nailah." Your prayers, reminders (in case I want to chicken out), and support are greatly appreciated, so please keep an eye out for both of these initiatives.