2 Chronicles 25

2 Chronicles 25:17-28

1. Amaziah revenges his father’s death, ver. 1—4. 2. Obferous the command of God, ver. 5—10. 3. Conquers the Edomites, ver. 11, 12, 13. 4. Worcings the gods of Edom, ver. 14, 15, 16. 5. Challenges the king of Israel, but imparts for it, ver. 17—24. 6. Ends his days vigilantly, ver. 25—28.

2. • AMAZIAH was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2. And he did that which was right in the light of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. 3. ¶ Now it came to pals, when the kingdom was established to him, that ‘he flew his servants’ that had killed the king his father. 4. But he flew not their children, but did as it written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, ‘The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin. 5. ¶ Moreover, Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, also to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. 6. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel, for an hundred talents of silver. 7. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee: for the LORD it not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. 8. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. 9. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, ‘The LORD is able to give thee much more than this. 10. Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go I home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger. 11. ¶ And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and some of the children of Seir ten thousand. 12. And other ten thousand left alive, did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they were broken all in pieces. 13. ¶ But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria, even unto Beth-horon, and some three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

3. 1—13. Amaziah’s reign we had before, 2 Kings xiv. His lukewarm temper in religion, and his execution of his father’s murderers were there recorded; his expedition against Edom is here more at large described.

4. He collected his own forces, which we find greatly diminished under the three last reigns. To strengthen them therefore, he hired an 100,000 auxiliaries out of Israel.

5. God, by a prophet, rebukes him for desiring Israel’s assistance, whose forces being under the Divine displeasure, would weaken instead of strengthening his army. If he hopes to prosper therefore, he is commanded to disband them immediately. God with fewer forces can cast down his foes before him; and these offensive auxiliaries, if retained, will but insure his overthrow. Note, (1.) Multitudes poult nothing, when God is our foe. (2.) Connection with God’s enemies, is the way to bring his curle on our enterprizes.

6. Amaziah with some reluctance at last confents, unwilling at first to lose the hundred talents with which he had hired the Israelites, but encouraged by the promises of the prophet that he should be no loser by his compliance. Note, (1.) Worldly-mindedness is apt to raise many objections against the precepts of self-denial. (2.) They who are content to trust God, will never have cause to regret it. He will more than repay whatever he calls us to part with for his fake.

7. When he had dismissed the Israelites, he advanced into Islam, and obtained a complete victory; flew 10,000 on the spot, and executed, with terrible severity, 10,000 captives which fell

into his hands. What induced him to exercise this cruelty is not recorded.

5. The disbanded army relented highly the affront put upon them. Ungodly as they were, they could not bear to be treated as such; and in their return, miserably ravaged a part of Judah, and flew three thousand men, in revenge for their disappointment of the spoil of Edom. Note, (1.) Those who have no concern about religion, feel their pride hurt to be treated as irreligious. (2.) Though we suffer for what is well done, we ought not to be discouraged.

6. ¶ Now it came to pals, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and let them up to do his gods, and ‘bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. 15. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, ‘Why hath thou fought after the gods of the people,’ which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? 16. And it came to pals as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldst thou be limited? Then the prophet, forbear, and said, I know that ‘God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hath not hearked unto my counsel.’

7. 14—16. What infatuation, what foreth stupidity! To leave the service of the conquering Jehovah, for the idols of a vanquished foe. We have,

8. The reproof given to the idolatrous king. Justly was God displeased, and sends his prophet to reason with him on his folly, v. 15. Note, They who depart from God, act as unwieldy as wickedly.

9. With indignation he received the mild rebukes; infidelity rejects his warning as impertinent, bids him hold his peter, or threatens him with Zechariah’s fate. Note, (1.) The soul that bateth reproof is bruised. (2.) Prophet must not wonder if their kindest notices are thus infidelity returned.

10. The prophet perceiving his labour fruitless, retires; leaving however behind him a solemn notice of that approaching ruin, which his hardened oblivionary provoked. Note, They who comfort themselves in having removed their troubles, will quickly feel by their punishments, how little cause they have to rejoice in their success.

11. ¶ Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu king of Israel, saying, ‘Come, let us see one another in the face. 18. And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, ‘The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy slaughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 19. Thou sayest, So, thou hast limited the Edomites, and ’thine heart blasts thee up to boast: abide now at home,’ why shouldst thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldst fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 20. But Amaziah ‘would not bear,’ for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they fought after the gods of Edom. 21. So Joash the king of Israel went up, and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belonged to Judah. 22. And Judah was put to the worke before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. 23. And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim to the corner-gate; four hundred cubits. 24. And he took all the gold, and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. 25. ¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, fifteen years. 26. Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, ere they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27. ¶ Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish: but they fled to Lachish after him and flew him there. 28. And they brought

him

Before Chord him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Amaziah’s pride and fall were before recorded, 2 Kings six. Urged on by evil counsellors, instead of advising with God’s prophet, and justly hurried to his rule, as the punishment of his apathy from God, he first was enslaved by the king of Israel, and then slain by a conspiracy of his own servants, from whom he in vain attempted to flee; they pursued him to Lachith, and there murdered him. Note, (1.) They who royal the counsel of God, are justly given up to be deluded and destroyed. (2.) However wicked the instruments may be who are employed, God is righteous in his judgments.