2 Kings 8:25

SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE LIQUIDATION OF AHAB'S HOUSE

"In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign. Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel. And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael the king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram. And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick."

"The reign of Ahaziah was very brief, lasting only about a year in 841 B.C."[34] The purpose of this paragraph is that of bringing to one place the final posterity of Ahab for the execution of God's judgment upon that wicked monarch and the prophecy that his dynasty would end.

This could not have been viewed as an ordinary accomplishment, because the house of Ahab was now on the thrones of BOTH Israel and Judah, but God used Joram's illness in Jezreel to bring Ahaziah from Jerusalem, thus bringing together both branches of Ahab's house and enabling the termination of both of them at once!

Appropriately, the final settlement of God's account with the house of Ahab would take place at Jezreel, at that very vineyard of Naboth, where through Ahab's murder of that righteous man, the dogs licked his blood, and, in the next chapter, we shall see how the dogs indeed licked the blood of Ahab in the person of his grandson Ahaziah in the very same place. None of God's prophecies ever failed!

Regarding that war in which the two kings had jointly opposed Hazael at Ramoth-Gilead, "It was apparently successful. It was recovered by Israel (2 Kings 9:14) and remained thenceforth in the hands of Israel."[35]

Josephus gives us a little more complete information on what took place in that battle. "Joram was struck by an arrow in the course of the siege, but remained until the place surrendered. He then withdrew to Jezreel, leaving his army under Jehu within the walls of the town."[36]

Thus, the stage was set perfectly for the liquidation of the house of Ahab. His total posterity were gathered together at Jezreel, and Jehu who was destined to be the executioner of God's purpose was left in charge of the military force that was needed to accomplish it.

To all intents and purposes, the Syrians killed Joram the king of Israel, although, of course, they only wounded him. "His convalescence at Jezreel became the occasion for the visit of Ahaziah thus providing the occasion when Jehu's bloody purge terminated the dynasty of Ahab."[37]