2 Kings Chapter 1 Study Guide
The great king Ahaziah (well, not so great) is the son of Ahab (now deceased), and lives at the palace in Samaria and only reigns for two years. He follows in the ways of his father and mother (Ahab and Jezebel), and not only follows Baal but also follows the ways of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was promised of God that his kingdom would be as great as David’s (1Kings 11:33) if only he was obedient. But Jeroboam chooses another route. Instead of allowing his people in the northern kingdom to worship at the temple (located in Judah, in Jerusalem), he sets up a few spots in Israel for them to worship God instead. He not only perverts the proper worship of God, but allows anyone to be priests, appoints his own holidays, and leads Israel on a path of spiritual destruction for the next 200+ years.