The family tree of Jehoshaphat and Ahab can get overwhelming. If you are reading and getting confused, below is a helpful family tree of this chapter.
2 Chronicles 22 Family Tree (credit: https://alittleperspective.com)
The root of the issue lies with the decision to allow Jehoram (Jehoshaphat’s son of Judah) to marry Athaliah (Ahab / Jezebel’s daughter of Israel). Jehoshaphat had tried his best to establish a Godly kingdom and Ahab had done just the opposite. Judah was moving toward God and Israel was moving far away.
So as you can see, this decision was more than just a marriage. It was an alliance between a faithful king and an unfaithful king. It was ultimately the joining of two very different nations. There was a reason God forbid His people to intermarry with pagan religions. The results almost always came out the same.
“and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.”
Exodus 34:16 NASB
This is exactly what happened.
The house of Ahab eventually poisoned David’s kingdom within Judah. What may have seemed good on the surface would lead to generations of sinful rebellion. Not only would this affect the leaders but also the people who were being led. The moral of the story is to remember that our choices today may influence generations to come… some of which we will never know.