Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions:
One-sentence summary: The king of Judah turns from the Lord and is destroyed, and Israel forsakes the Lord.
Amaziah, son of Joash of Judah, becomes king at 25 in the 2nd year of Joash king of Israel. He reigns 29 years in Jerusalem. He does right in the sight of the Lord, "but not like David." He does as Joash had done and does not take away the high places. As the kingdom is established in his hand, he executes his servants who had murdered his father the king, but not their children, since Moses wrote in the law that a man must be put to death for his sins only. He kills 10,000 Edomites. Then, he sends messengers to Jehoash of Israel, saying let them face one another in battle. Jehoash sends back that Amaziah's heart has lifted him up in defeating Edom and that he will surely fall, and Judah with him. Amaziah will not listen, so Jehoash comes to face him. Judah is defeated, and every man flees to his tent, and Jehoash captures Amaziah and breaks down the wall of Jerusalem. He takes all the gold and silver and articles in the house of the Lord and the king's house and takes hostages and returns to Samaria. Jehoash dies and is buried in Samaria, and Jeroboam his son reigns in his place. Amaziah lives 15 years after that. They form a conspiracy against him, and he flees, but they follow him and kill him and bury him in Jerusalem. And the people of Judah take Azariah and make him king instead of his father. In his 15th year, Jeroboam of Israel becomes king in Samaria and reigns 41 years and does evil. He restores the territory of Israel according to the word the Lord spoken through the prophet Jonah. The Lord sees that the affliction of Israel is bitter and that there is no helper for them, whether bond or free. He did not say He would blot out their name from heaven, so He saves them by Jeroboam. Jeroboam dies, and Zechariah his son reigns in his place. Amaziah's reign is retold in Chronicles (see yesterday's blog.) His heart is not loyal, though he does right. He has 300,000 choice men able to go to war and hires 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel to go up against Judah, but a man of God tells him not to take Israel's army with him, because the Lord is not with Israel. He says nevertheless, if he is to go, to be strong, but God will make him fall, "because God has power to help and overthrow." Amaziah asks what to do about the money he spent on hiring the men, and the prophet says the Lord can give him more. So he tells the hired men to go back home, and they are angry against Judah. Then, Amaziah strengthens himself and goes to the Valley of Salt and kills 10,000 Edomites. But the soldiers of the discharged armies raid the cities of Judah and kill 3,000, taking much spoil. After he comes from the slaughter, he brings their gods with him and sets them up as his gods and worships them. So the Lord's anger is aroused against him, and He sends him a prophet to ask why, and Amaziah asks if the prophet has been made the king's counselor and to shut up so he won't die. The prophet ceases but says the Lord has determined to destroy him because he did not heed his advice. However, Amaziah asks Joash of Israel to face him in battle. Joash sends him back a riddle, and the meaning is that his heart has become proud. He tells him not to get himself into trouble and fall, and Judah with him. Amaziah doesn't listen, so that God can defeat him, since he sought the gods of Edom. They face each other in battle, and Judah is defeated. Joash captures Amaziah and brings him to Jerusalem and breaks down the wall and takes the gold, silver, articles, and treasures from the king's and God's house and returns to Samaria. Amaziah lives 15 years after that. After he turns from following the Lord, he is conspired against. He flees, but they pursue him and kill him and bury him in Judah.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
Pride is the original sin. It leads to all other sins. We need to humble ourselves constantly before the Lord and seek humility, asking Him to help us.