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2 Kings Chapter 14
Amaziah Reigns in Judah
- 2Kings 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.
This is refreshing to hear that another
king arose that did good. He was not perfect but still allowed false
worship in the high places. He reigned after his father Joash.
The reference of David was interesting.
David was not his direct father of course but was perfect in that he
never went into idolatry. He always loved God. When he sinned he
repented. In the New Testament David's sins were never mentioned.
The gospel is so powerful that one could believe before Jesus came
and look forward to that time yet have their sins forgiven and not
held against them just by believing in the one to come which David
did and wrote about Him in the Psalms. Idolatry was never associated
with David. Idolatry is so evil that it causes a curse upon those
that practice it. Devils are associated with idol worship never the
real God and our creator, Jesus the Son of God.
- 2Kings 14:4 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.
He father was assassinated so he had
the patience to wait until his kingdom was secure before killing the
murderers of his father. The high places were places where
sacrifices were made unto idols.
-
2Kings 14:6 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.
This was the way it was supposed to be.
Other kings would wipe out whole families and distant relatives of
those they sought to kill.
The valley of salt was a place near the dead
Sea.
- 2Kings 14:8 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
Bethshemesh, 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 Bethshemesh, 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.
Surely pride goes before the fall.
Being lifted up in pride after his victory over Edom, Amaziah
challenged the king of Israel to come face to face in battle.
Jehoash tried to presuade him to be happy with his victory and go
home when he spoke the parable of the thistle but Amaziah didn't
listen. Even though Amaziah was a good king, he had his weaknesses.
All the vessels and gold was taken from the temple by Jehoash. This
causes his own assassination later. I'm guessing by those that didn't
agree with his actions.
- 2Kings 14:15 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.
- 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.
Some people were angry at Amaziah and
killed him. Perhaps it was done by those they were angry because of
his actions that caused the war between Judah and Israel. He was
assassinated as his own father was.
- 2Kings 14:20 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.
His son Azariah
became king at only 16 years old. Elath was a city of the
Edomites. It became part of Judah.
Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel
- 2Kings 14:23 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.
Evil rulers over the 10 tribes of
Israel continue on and on doing evil and never learning from those that
went before them. It seems once they get in power, something happens
to them that lifts them up in pride, makes them want to control
people and woe to those that dare to oppose them. Some leaders down
through the ages have done the same things but in the end, it is all
for nothing. They will stand before God. It's been 166
years that the ten tribes had a king and were still apart from the
real God and worshiping idols. False religion though is used by
those in power to control the people with fear.
- 2Kings 14:25 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 Gathhepher.
- 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.
God used Jeroboam to restore the coast
of Israel. God still loved His people. He waits and waits many times
to give people a chance to reunite with Him and be eternally saved.
He is a good God. Why we sometimes forget that, and live according
to our own ways, is hard to understand. He has better things for
those that stay true to Him.
- 2Kings 14:28 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.
So this chapter ends with another evil
king rising up. We will see many prophets rising up next, like
Micah, Amos, Isaiah to whom God used to warn them that they are ready to lose
their nation entirely. Judah remains longer and is the tribe from
which our Lord Jesus Christ will appear. God has plans to save even
the Gentiles who will believe His gospel. DC
2 Kings Chapter 15
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