seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Chronicles 25:17 After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash[c] son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”
18 But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 19 You say to yourself that you have defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant and proud. But stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”
20 Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might deliver them into the hands of Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. 22 Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah,[d] at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about four hundred cubits[e] long. 24 He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.
25 Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 26 As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28 He was brought back by horse and was buried with his ancestors in the City of Judah.[f)
c. 2 Chronicles 25:17 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 18, 21, 23 and 25
d. 2 Chronicles 25:23 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah
e. 2 Chronicles 25:23 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
f. 2 Chronicles 25:28 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 14:20) David
You know... I keep thinking of the cowardly lion.... Amaziah had an "amazing" battle when he took on the Edomites. God was on his side and he could not loose..... and then Amaziah got a big head about himself and thought he could take on anybody.... and the result.... death and a hole in the wall..... "put "em up" stupid human..... God is the secret weapon. After walking 10,000 people off a cliff Amaziah was murdered in his hiding place.
This is from bible.org.
A city with a 600 foot hole in its wall was defenseless. Jerusalem and the southern kingdom could not be strong under these conditions. Some of the people were taken as hostages. The few items of gold and silver left in the Temple and king’s house (which Joash had not lost to the Syrians, or which Amaziah may have restored) were taken. The worship life of God’s people was at a low ebb, thanks to Amaziah. Half-hearted commitment always weakens the entire church, especially when the half-heartedness is in the leadership.
His power was gone. His riches were gone. His army was defeated. The last 15 years--more than half of his 29 as king--were futile and wasted. When Amaziah turned from following the Lord, it gave rise to discontent which eventually led to a conspiracy. The very thing he tried to prevent by executing his father’s murderers came upon him. He fled to the stronghold city of Lachish on the Philistine border. But it could not protect him if the Lord was not protecting him. He was murdered, carried home, and buried. Ho-hum. The epitaph of a blah believer, whose heart was not wholly for the Lord.
Acting all big and bad.... can get you killed. Fighting with your neighbor can get you killed. We see it on the nightly news every day.... someone got big headed and dead. Sure innocent people get the brunt of the brutality of bigheadedness..... they get the whip.... innocent people tried to carry out their orders when the amazing Amaziah decided he was big enough to take on his cousin Johash's army in Israel. Judah had a secreit weapon.... but Amaziah forgot to ask God, his secret weapon, to lead the way. God doesn't follow along like a cowardly lion. This is from biblestudytools.com.
Those who were invested with the prophetic character were entitled to counsel kings. Amaziah, had he not been offended by unwelcome truths, would have admitted the claim of this prophet, who was probably the same that had given him counsel previous to the war with Edom. But victory had elated and blinded him.
It's really hard to do.... winning without getting big headed.... I'd even bet that twenty years from now... they'll fund a "put 'em up" gene that causes otherwise well tempered, well educated, caring men to go big headed and stupid at the worst times. They'll probably try to blame the gene on the Irish.... we're blamed for a lot of stuff these days.... but this is a much older acquisition.... this gene is as old as Amaziah and others before him. Figure out one little simple math problem and they think they're Einstein..... or they settle a tiny office dispute and they think they're Kissinger..... win a battle.... they're king of the world.
Stupid humans should not get out of the bed in the morning without talking to God about the day ahead..... but we do it all the time!
