Scripture References
2 Kings 18:2; 2 Chronicles 29:1
Name Meaning:
My father is Jehovah or The Will of God
The name Abi is a shortened version of the name Abijah.
Family Connection
Daughter of Zechariah
Wife of King Ahaz
Mother of King Hezekiah
Introduction
Abi is mentioned only twice in the Bible and nothing much is said about her other than being a mother. Since Scripture is so quiet about this woman, it is easy to skip right over her and assume there is nothing of value to be learned. But ALL Scripture is useful for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16) and there are lessons to be learned.
Lesson
There is very little said about this woman of the Word. She is found just two times in the Bible, both times as the mother of King Hezekiah and daughter of Zechariah. She is not even listed as the wife to King Ahaz. We only know she was married to Ahaz because he was cited as the father of Hezekiah.
Her father, Zechariah, was the son of Jeroboam II who was a king of Israel (2 Kings 14:23). Jeroboam was not a good king. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Despite that, Israel experienced some prosperity during his reign. But it wasn’t to last. Zechariah succeeded him as king of Israel (2 Kings 14:29) but reigned for only six months. He, too, did evil in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 15:9).
With a father and grandfather who both did evil, one might assume Abi would follow in their footsteps, having been raised around idolatry and evil. Not only did she have negative influences within her family, but she also married a king who did evil in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 16:2). Her husband reigned for 16 years before he died of natural causes.
She was raised by a man who did evil, she married a man who did evil, yet her son was one of the best kings Judah would see upon the throne. He was devout and his actions pleased the Lord.
Obviously Abi had a strong faith herself to raise such a devout, religious son. Though she was raised by a man who did evil in the eyes of the Lord, they were still Israelites and still knew the Law of Moses and had Jewish beliefs. But it was supplemented with evil practices of idolatry.abi was raised in a house that was a mixture of both beliefs.
How Abi ended up with King Ahaz is not clear. Abi was a part of the Israelites, thus not able to go to the Temple in Jerusalem. Yet she married a king of Judah. We can assume this was a diplomatic marriage between the people of Judah and the Israelites. It was probably an arranged marriage, not a marriage of love.
As a wife to the King, her responsibilities included running the household and bearing and raising children. Sadly, Ahaz offered his own children as living sacrifices in the fires of the Valley of Ben Hinnom. We don’t know if these children belonged to Abi or another wife or concubine, but as a mother it must have been horrific to witness regardless of who birthed them.
Her marriage meant she lived in the palace in Jerusalem. As the wife of a King, she had access to the best of the best for her children. It is obvious that she provided not only quality tutors for Hezekiah’s education, but raised him to understand Jewish culture and traditions. She had great influence on his spiritual development growing up.
Final Thoughts
Though Abi is only mentioned in two short sentences, her influence is evident in her son. Though she was raised in a strongly pagan culture, she embraced the faith of King David and made sure her son was raised in a godly home, too. And Judah saw one of the best kings as a result
As mothers, we have the responsibility to raise children and teach them good from bad. Mothers have great influence on the spiritual growth of their children. And if you are not a mother, know that you can help influence this generation of children as tutors, babysitters, and friends. We are all called to share our faith and make disciples of all nations. Those disciples might just be in our own homes and communities.
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