Day 169: Joash Is Crowned (2026)

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death.” Father Mike Schmitz closes Day 169 of The Bible in a Year with that line from Song of Solomon 8, and it anchors the episode’s central tension: human rulers fail and fall, but God’s covenantal love—and his promise to David—holds steady.

The episode covers three chapters that form a hinge in the biblical narrative: the death of the wicked northern king Ahab (1 Kings 22), the coronation of the boy-king Joash after a brutal coup (2 Chronicles 23), and the final chapter of the Song of Solomon. Father Mike’s commentary weaves these threads together around one dominant claim: God remains faithful even when his people—especially their leaders—are spectacularly unfaithful.

The Death of Ahab: Prophetic Truth vs. Popular Opinion

The first reading recounts the battle at Ramoth-gilead. King Jehoshaphat of Judah, a relatively good king, allies with King Ahab of Israel to retake the city from the Syrians. Jehoshaphat insists they first “inquire of the Lord.” Ahab summons 400 prophets, all of whom give the king the answer he wants: “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshapfat senses something is off. He asks if there is another prophet, and Ahab admits there is one—Micaiah—but adds, “I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.”