2.6 KiB
+++ title = "2 Chronicles 25:14–28" date = "2025-04-26" +++
Read the passage.
Though the Lord was with the men of Judah when they struck down the Edomites, Amaziah made a critical mistake in his victory. Along with the other goods that were carried off by his army, Amaziah brought the Edomite idols back and set them up to receive worship. Up to this point, he had been following the Lord faithfully, so this seems like a very strange thing to do.
The prophet that God sends to rebuke Amaziah makes this point to the king. "Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?" (v. 15) The Lord granted Amaziah victory, even after dismissing the Israelite mercenaries, so the defeated Edomites' idols get the worship? It's incredibly stupid. Amaziah does not listen, though, and even threatens the prophet's life for calling him out. The unnamed prophet does as the king commands and stops trying to get him to listen, but he gives a final warning that the Lord will strike him down for his idolatry.
This prophecy comes true some time later when Amaziah picks a fight with Joash, king of Israel. Joash responds dismissively, saying Amaziah is puffed up from his victory over Edom and now thinks he can take on whomever he wishes. He warns Amaziah that it will not go well with him or with Judah if he continues down this path. He is entirely correct, but Amaziah does not listen because this is what the Lord decreed would happen. Israel defeats Judah at Beth-shemesh, a Judean city. The army of Judah flees, and Israel captures Amaziah there. They bring Amaziah back home to Jerusalem, knock down a large chunk of its wall, and carry off the gold and silver that was in the house of God, Amaziah's house, and carried off hostages from the city.
As a final insult, it seems Joash leaves Amaziah there in Jerusalem when he departs for Samaria. The king of Judah is so thoroughly defeated that leaving him in charge of his whole country is not a threat. In fact, Amaziah outlives Joash by fifteen years. As Amaziah ruled for twenty-nine years, that places this incident in the first half of his reign. However, all that we have of the latter half is that there was a conspiracy against him because of his idolatry. Amaziah fled to Lachish because of it, but they caught him there and killed him, just as they killed his father. We say "they" because we don't know who is responsible, but it's hard to tell if "they" refers to the same group each time. "They" had the same motivations for killing the king: his idolatry and forsaking the Lord.
Hold us fast and keep us in faithfulness to You, O God.