1Kings 22:52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: 53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
Biblical commentator Albert Barnes notes that the phrase “in the way of his mother” does not occur anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible, demonstrating the strong feeling of the writer of the Books of Kings regarding the influence of Jezebel. The author of the Books of Kings criticized Ahaziah and Jehoram for following the ways of their father Ahab and their mother Jezebel, and for causing Israel to sin. They were the progeny of evil and the influencers of damnable living. Both of Jezebel’s sons left a wicked legacy, promoting the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth while turning the people away from the God of Israel. Ahaziah paid for his wickedness with his life. He had an accident and was severely hurt, then asked Baal-zebub if he would recover. 2Kings 1:2 Ahaziah had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
The irony is not lost here. How far had Ahaziah fallen? He had fallen through the lattice, but his soul had fallen to the point where he was inquiring of a false god as to whether he would live or die. All of Israel had an idea that there was a true God, because the prophet Elijah was well known throughout the land. The people may not have been following the LORD, but there was a knowledge of Him. God made this point when He sent Elijah to Ahaziah and answered the king’s question concerning his chances of survival. 2Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 “Now therefore, thus says the LORD: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed.
Ahab and Jezebel had taught their sons to trust in and call upon the malicious gods of the land, and the more they did inquire of their false gods, the more sin-filled the land became. Why would a people who had a history with the true God turn around and serve demonic forces that required the sacrifice of their firstborn sons? What is it about family curses that follow the generations, causing the same old sinful activities? Exe. 18:2 “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? The warning that was given to Cain still applies to all men. Gen. 4:7 If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. Sin is always crouching at the door of our lives, waiting to destroy us and the generation to come.
Jezebel had taught her family to express evil and lead people into the same lifestyle. As leaders of a nation, Ahab and Jezebel made it easy for the children of Israel to be as corrupt as the leaders of the state. What are the responsibilities of parents when it comes to guiding and teaching our children about who God is? God made a covenant with Abraham because Abraham had committed himself to teaching his children that Yahweh is the true God. Gen. 18:19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised. We who are parents are responsible for teaching our children who the righteous God is, and, by faith, believe God will make His presence known to them.
Prov. 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it. This proverb does not say that there will not be trouble in life as the children grow up; it says that when they finally begin to mature, they will remember the holy teachings of their youth. Now, whether they act upon those Godly foundational truths is still up to their own hearts. This is why we never stop praying for our children and grandchildren, because there is always hope that God’s love will break through the hearts of mankind. 1Sam. 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.
Jezebel’s sons carried on a legacy of evil and promoted wickedness as an acceptable way to live. Did they have a choice as to what they chose to believe in? Yes, we all have a conscience that God speaks through. Whether we obey our conscience or not is our choice. The habit of sin and the advertising of it as being fun and good is also a person’s choice. However, there will always be consequences to all our actions. Isa. 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. The result of Jezebel’s sinful life made it easy for her sons to be as iniquitous as their parents. As I stretch towards my final years on this earth, I can only hope in God that my prayers for my sons will reach their hearts and let them reason that God is good and that they need Him for eternal life. In Christ Jesus, may this come to pass.
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