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2KINGS
CHAPTER 14

1 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah. 2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did. 4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places. 5 And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. 6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

Amaziah became king of Judah when Joash his father was killed in a conspiracy (2Kings 12:21). He was 25 years old, the son of a Jewish mother, and wanted to do that which was right in God's sight.
He killed those who murdered his fater, but according to the written Word and will of God, he did not kill those men's children (verse 6).
He did not follow David's leadership fully, because he didn't destroy the "high places," where people worshipped. But he did try to establish righteousness in the land.
Every king (leader) should seek to have righteousness established in the land.

7 He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

Amaziah was quite a warrior. He assembled the troops and fought against the Edomites and took the stronghold of Selah.
In that battle, Amaziah took idols he found, and worshipped them. See 2Chronicles 25:14-15.
Because of that sin, God allowed Amaziah to be consumed by pride, and he defiantly declared war on Israel. He lost, and was taken captive. Then he was returned and, like his father before him, was murdered for his insolence against God.
God is a JEALOUS God and will not allow us to worship something or someone along with Him.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. 9 And Jehoash the 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 daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-she'mesh, which belongeth to Judah. 12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents. 13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-she'mesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

Amaziah challenged Joash. Remember, Joash is a very capable warrior too. Joash sent bake a cnote trying to discourage the war. The note was very interesting. Joash had now built up his forces considerable, and Judah was much smaller than Israel.
Joash told a parable about a "thistle" (thorn bush) that demanded a marriage to the "cedar" (huge tree) in Lebanon. But before the tree could answer, a wild boar came along and destroyed the "thistle."
The message was very clear. Don't let yourself think you are SOMETHING when you are very SMALL!
But Amaziah wouldn't listen (verse 11). He assembled his troops and Joash assembled his. They met in battle. Amaziah was soundly defeated and captured.
Joash took Amaziah back to Jerusalem. There he tore down the wall of Jerusalem for quite a distance and took all the gold and silver from both the temple and the kingdom's treasury.
Then he let Amaziah go free. Which was probably a worse thing than just killing him. Amaziah had to face his people in shame and disgrace.
The once proud king was now humbled greatly. Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:18 says, "Prode goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

Soon after this victory, Joash (king of Israel) died. And his son, Jeroboam II, took his place.

17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. 18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. 20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

Amaziah had to "face the music" so to speak. For fifteen years he was consigned to a kingdom of shame and disgrace. Even those who desire to go the way of righteousness are at times carried away with PRIDE!
God has a way of humbling us.
Finally, the people conspired agains him and killed him. They did not aspire to take his throne, but to rid the nation of the shame. And they took his son, Azariah, and made him king.
Azariah was only 16 years of age when he became king and reigned for 52 years!
This Azariah was also called Uzziah.

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. 27 And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

Jeroboam II, in Israel, reigned almost at the same time. The Bible records that he was a very influential king. But God also records that he was an "evil" king. His reign was for 41 years.
Jerobaom II did not seek to follow God; instead, he chose the path of the original Jeroboam and caused Israel to sin by worship of false idols.
Jerobaom II did regain Damascus and Hamath (verse 28), and he once again extended Israel's border northward.
In verses 26-27 we see that God's compassion was what allowed Jeroboam to be successful. God did not (does not today) desire for evil people to suffer. God's desire is that "all might come to repentance" (2Peter 3:9).
Eventually, Jeroboam II died, and Zachariah his son took the kingdom of Israel.
Jeroboam II had a longer reign than all the kings of Israel which succeeded him - longer than all their reigns TOGETHER!
His reign was filled with prosperity and strength. But in less than 32 years Israel would fall and be a nation NO MORE!
See how quickly a nation can fall when it walks in the paths of unrighteousness!

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