2 Kings 14

2 Kings 14

While Jehoash (Joash) was still reigning in Israel, Amaziah took the throne in Judah, and he was careful to follow God. Although Amaziah was obedient to God’s commands, he did not keep the whole law. For instance, by punishing those who had murdered his father, he did not deal correctly with them or their children, according to laws outlined in the Law of Moses. Although he had initially followed God, Amaziah continued to drift further away, bringing Judah down with him. He went to war against Edom, and after finding victory over them, he let his pride get in his way as he next went for Israel.


Now although Jehoash in Israel was not a great example of one who followed God, he showed great wisdom in this situation. He had noticed how Amaziah was becoming a prideful man, especially due to his victory in Edom. He also warned Amaziah that if he were to go to battle against Israel that they would surely defeat him. Amaziah did not listen, however, and was defeated in battle. Even worse, he was taken captive by the Israelites. This was Amaziah’s punishment for not following God. God spoke through the king of Israel to warn Amaziah of what would come if he did not let go of his pride and turn back to the Lord. Amaziah chose not to listen, and as a result, he had to face the consequences.

Sadly, things only grew worse in Judah as Amaziah met his end much like his father. A group of men rose up against him and carried him far away from the capital city to kill him. When they brought his body back to Judah, they buried him and placed his son, Azariah, on the throne. Now although Amaziah was considered to be one of the better kings in Judah’s history, we see that it only took one sin to bring him down. Unable to get rid of his prideful nature, Amaziah faced a series of trials that ultimately led to his death. His story illustrates the importance of not allowing sin to reign in our lives. As God’s children, sin should not have control over us. Instead, we should make fight against it daily, paying attention to the sin that easily tempts us and putting an end to it. This is a daily process where we must depend on God’s strength as we seek to put to death the sin in our lives. Amaziah failed to do this, and it ultimately led to his downfall.

Meanwhile, in Israel, Jeroboam II took the throne (during Amaziah’s reign in Judah). Like most of the kings before him, Jeroboam chose to turn away from God and did not do what was right in His sight. Life in Israel was growing worse and worse. They had no allies, and they found many of their citizens as slaves. They had also lost large chunks of their lands in battles as punishment from God. Seeing their distress, God chose to have mercy on them, knowing it was not yet time for them to be destroyed. Now it was not because of their love for Him or their obedience that God chose to help them out (for they were doing neither). It was purely out of His love for His children and His desire to see them return to Him that God chose to help them out by giving them some land and relieving some of the oppression they were feeling. However, Jeroboam’s reign came to an end, and Israel had still not returned to God.

Like Israel, we do not deserve God’s love, but He has chosen to extend His love to us through His Son. He sent Jesus to die for our sins, conquer death and sin through the resurrection, and offer eternal life to us. This is the Gospel, the story of Easter (which is right around the corner). So we must decide what we are going to do with this gift. Are we going to reject Him like Israel did so many times, or are we going to turn away from our sin and turn to Him? We each have to make this decision ourselves, but know that God is waiting for all of us with His arms opened wide.

Matt