06/07/2026
Family connections can offer powerful incentives for good and destructive influences for evil. Queen Athalia was the daughter of the most wicked married couple in Israelβs history β King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel. She continued their legacy of evil deeds in the kingdom of Judah.
Although the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah had a long-standing relationship marked by tension, Ahab and Jezebel negotiated an alliance with King Jehoshaphat of Judah by giving their daughter Athaliah in marriage to Jehoshaphatβs son Jehoram. The son of Athalia and Jehoram, Ahaziah, would later rule Judah.
After her husbandβs death, Queen Athalia remained close to the throne of her son, Ahaziah, ensuring that the influence of Ahabβs family continued to saturate and decay Judahβs moral and spiritual life. But her evil character came fully to light when her son was killed alongside her brother, King Joram of Israel. Athaliah immediately tried to murder all potential heirs to the throne of Judah and took the throne herself. When she slaughtered her own grandsons, she unwittingly helped carry out Godβs promise to judge her parentsβ wicked actions. But for the sake of His promises to David, God also preserved one royal heir in Joash, who was saved and protected by Athaliahβs daughter Jehosheba, the lone rebel follower of the true God in the family. Joash eventually took the throne when Athaliah was overthrown.
Athaliahβs seven-year reign was a shameful chapter in the history of Judah. Athaliaβs followers raided the Temple for valuables to build and furnish a temple for Baal. Her life demonstrates that in families as well as in individual lives, an increasing commitment to evil leads to self-destructive actions. It also reminds us of Godβs true design for families as an environment where character and faith are developed and encouraged.
