Daily Devotional

“Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel” (2 Kings 8:26). 

Decades of research has conclusively shown that children are greatly affected by observing violent and aggressive behavior, whether that behavior comes from movies, television, or games, or from observing the actions of parents or other real-life role models. All ages of children are affected, but the strongest effect is seen in young children. 

In one study, boys and girls who had been exposed to television violence at an early age were followed into their adult years. Those who had observed the most violence when very young were the most likely to become aggressive or violent as adults. The results were quite predictable. 

Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel, certainly had violence and aggression patterned to her by the adults in her life. There were few, if any, positive behaviours modelled by her parents, who lived lives of rebellion and disobedience to the laws of God. 

God speaks to every heart, but many—as did Athaliah—reject His voice and choose wrong. This granddaughter of the infamously wicked Omri went so far down the wrong path that she was even willing to murder her own descendants simply to secure the throne for herself after her reigning son was killed. 

However, she missed one grandson. When six-year-old Joash was crowned as king, Athaliah threw her last temper tantrum. When she heard the celebrating crowds and discovered her grandson standing in the temple, “Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, ‘Treason! Treason!’” (2 Kings 11:14). Her cruel life then ended violently as she was dragged from the temple and executed. 

God hates violence, and His Word assures us that one day He will make an end to all of it (see Psalm 46:9). Since the Lord says that in His kingdom “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:9), shouldn’t we do all we can right now to remove the damaging influence of violence from our families? 

Dear Lord, in this age of violence, may I honour You by being an ambassador of gentleness and peace.