Amaziah Of Judah (2 Chronicles 25)

Do many start on the right path but wander away? Will we stay with God? Let’s begin in 2 Chronicles 25.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, yet not with a whole heart. Now it happened as soon as the kingdom was strong in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. But he did not put their sons to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which Yahweh commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor sons be put to death for their fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin.” (2 Chr 25:1-4 LSB)

What did God tell Amaziah about his hired soldiers from pagan Israel?

Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he took a census of those from twenty years old and upward and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war and handle spear and shield. He also hired a hundred thousand valiant warriors from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel come with you, for the Lord is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has the power to help and to bring down.” Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what are we to do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The Lord has much more to give you than this.” Then Amaziah dismissed the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah, and they returned home in fierce anger. (2 Chr 25:5-10 NASB)

Was Judah victorious against Seir? Meanwhile, what did the soldiers from Israel do to Judah?

Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces. Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder. (2 Chr 25:11-15 NIV)

What great evil did Amaziah do? Did he listen to a prophet’s warning?

Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them. Therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?” So it was, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?” Then the prophet ceased, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.” (2 Chr 25:14-16 NKJV)

What insult did Jehoash send to Amaziah rebuffing his challenge to battle?

After consulting with his advisers, King Amaziah of Judah sent this challenge to Israel’s king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: “Come and meet me in battle!” But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it! “You are saying, ‘I have defeated Edom,’ and you are very proud of it. But my advice is to stay at home. Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?” (2 Chr 25:17-19 NLT)

Did Amaziah decide to fight against Israel anyway? Did God punish him?

But Amaziah would not listen; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought after the gods of Edom. So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. Judah was defeated by Israel; so every man fled to his tent. Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in God’s house with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, and the hostages, and returned to Samaria. (2 Chr 25:20-24 WEB)