55.  THE DYNASTY OF OMRI.



                               ISRAEL                                                                 JUDAH

                                OMRI             ETHBAAL OF TYRE
                                    |                               |
                                AHAB          =        JEZEBEL                           JEHOSHAPHAT
                                    |                               |                                                |
                                    |                               |                                      |         |
                                AHAZIAH               JORAM                        ATHALIAH = JEHORAM
                                                                                                           (2Chron. 21:6.)
                                                                                                                    |
                                                                                                              AHAZIAH
                                                                                                                    |
                                                                                                                JOASH

Athaliah was thus the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel (2Chron. 22:20), and daughter of Jezebel.

The marriage between Jehoram and Athaliah was part of Satan's design to introduce idolatry into Judah, so that Athaliah might do for Judah what her mother Jezebel had done for Israel, and thus secure the same result.

Jehoshaphat began by strengthening himself against Israel (2Chron. 17:1), but married his son to the daughter (an idolatress) of Ahab, the worst of Israel's kings.

The leaven worked, morally and politically; and was ten used by Satan for the destruction of the line by which "the seed of the woman" was to come into the world.  See Ap. 23 and 25.

Jehoram, king of Judah, began by killing off all his brethren (2Chron. 21:4).

The Arabians came and slew all his sons, save the youngest, Ahaziah (2Chron. 22:1), called also Joash, Jehoahaz (2Chron. 21:17), and Azariah (2Chron. 22:6).

Athaliah slew all the sons of Ahaziah on his death (2Kings 11:1.  2Chron. 22:10), or thought she did; but the infant Joash was rescued.

Joash (called also Jehoash) was hid for six years, while the faithfulness of Jehovah's word hung upon the Divine preservation of that infant's life.  Hence Jehoiada's text (2Chron. 23:3).  See, on the whole subject, Ap. 23.  And, note the parallel in the history of England, by James I marrying his son Charles to (an idolatress) Henrietta of France, with similar political results.