“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 22:2-4).
The reign of king Ahaziah in the southern kingdom of Judah was short due to a variety of factors. But the one problem highlighted in the text above is the advisors who had the king’s ear. First, it was his own mother. Usually, out of all people, you can trust mom to give you good advice. But Athaliah was an exception. Rather than guiding him in the right direction, she “...was his counselor to do wickedly.” In this case, the hand that rocked the cradle was the hand pointing him toward evil. Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, there were other “...counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.” These counselors helped Ahaziah’s father down the wrong path and they were more than happy to “serve” the young king as well. All this bad advice doesn’t absolve Ahaziah of his own responsibility to choose good and avoid evil. But right choices are hampered when you surround yourselves with bad counselors.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with seeking the advice of others. The Bible affirms the importance of wise counsel. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” (Proverbs 12:15; cf. Prov. 11:14; Prov.15:22). But we need to learn to discern between wise and unwise advice. Not all counselors have our best interests at heart. After affirming the wisdom of walking with wise persons, the proverb writer tells us that “...the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Prov. 13:20). Bottom line? Choose your counselors carefully!
God loves you!
Mike
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