06/16/2026
Daily Bible Reading & Devotional — June 16, 2026
2 Kings 11-12 (morning manna); Proverbs 16 (noon); 1 Peter 4-5 (evening meat)
Due to the compromise of godly King Jehoshaphat of Judah in joining himself and his people to pursue projects with wicked, Baal-worshiping King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel, intermarriage was the result and took place between the offspring of Jehoshaphat in the Southern Kingdom and the apostate Baal worshippers in the Northern Kingdom. From such a lack of separation, there came the sharing of names of the kings of both kingdoms. This creates confusion as to whether the Bible is speaking of King Ahaziah of Israel or King Ahaziah of Judah or of King Jehoram of Israel or Jehoram of Judah. I find myself drawing charts or referring to charts to keep in mind who is who when reading in the book of 2 Kings. All this confusion comes from the disobedience and lack of separation of godly King Jehoshaphat of Judah.
Nevertheless, in 2 Kings 11, we are introduced to Athaliah in Judah. I cannot help but think of the phrase, “like mother like daughter.” She is the daughter of wicked Queen Jezebel, who was the wife of King Ahab in the Northern Kingdom. She then intermarried with King Jehoram of Judah, the son of godly King Jehoshaphat, the king of the Southern Kingdom (2 Chronicles 21:1). King Jehoram of Judah later died of an intestinal disease (2 Chronicles 21:18-19). Confusingly, Athaliah was also the sister of Jehoram of Israel. But she and Jehoram of Judah had a son Ahaziah, who became the King of Judah in the south. However, Ahaziah was killed while visiting King Jehoram, his uncle, who was king of the Northern Kingdom. Along came Jehu and killed both Joram (uncle) and Ahaziah. At the same time, Jehu killed Jezebel. When that judgment from God took place, the daughter of Jezebel and mother of Ahaziah of Judah took advantage of the situation. She took over her son, Ahaziah’s throne in Judah. In order to keep power, she had to murder off the sons of her son Ahaziah. She missed one, Jehoash, the only surviving son of her son Ahaziah. This son was hidden as a one year old by his Aunt Jehosheba, perhaps the daughter of Athaliah’s husband, Jehoram of Judah by another wife. Jehosheba, a godly aunt and woman, was raised up to protect Joash from his wicked, power-hungry grandmother. This godly woman, Jehosheba, was married to a godly priest, Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 22:11). This couple kept the child king safe for six years in the temple. When he was 7, they had him installed as the King of Judah. Wicked Athaliah screamed, “treason!” but she was killed and her unauthorized reign over Judah came to an end.
In all this mess, one cannot help but think of godly King Jehoshaphat. He did so much good and is praised for it in God’s word, yet he compromised and failed to stay away from the ungodly crowd. His children, grandchildren and great grandchildren paid dearly for his lack of separation from the wrong crowd and of compromise. The phrase “O what a tangled
web we weave when first we practice to deceive” applies. But
disobedience to God is done by those of us who first deceive ourselves. We think we are getting away with doing something wrong, but God is not mocked. One always reaps what he sows. How sad that by hanging with Ahab’s crowd, Jehoshaphat’s son ended up married to Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter. How sad that when Ahab’s posterity in the Northern Kingdom was judged by the hand of Jehu, so too was the posterity of Jehoshaphat in the Southern Kingdom. You must fear the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? It is to see and depart from evil in your life. Examine your walk this morning. Are you going down the wrong path? Confess, forsake and go on the right path. The truism “obey or pay” is seen in the results of the confusion and compromise coming from Jehoshaphat’s failure to make a clean break with the wrong crowd. Separate now from the wrong crowd and join with the committed, separated, soul-winning crowd.