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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.
Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king. He reigned 29 years in the southern kingdom of Israel. His mom's name was Jehoaddan.
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.
Amaziah did not fully obey God. Jesus said I should live one day at a time. That makes it easier for me to watch my steps.
4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
God's words are life's instructions. Kings sometimes made God's word look as if it was optional reading. The word is not an option. It is the manual that guides everything about life. We opt to choose or not choose God's word in making decisions, which is not good. The king did not command the reading of God's word. The king did not mandate that God's word was correctly read and followed in the daily lives of his subjects. God's word is the encyclopedia or law book about living. God's word is the Supreme Court.
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.
The two guys who killed his father, he killed them.
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.
Do not kill the children if the fathers committed crimes.
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.
The southern kingdom had more warriors than the northern kingdom. Amaziah killed more soldiers than the northern kingdom had in its whole army. Amaziah seemed to be on a killing rampage.
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.
I am not sure of his motivation to start another war. After winning the battle with Edom and Selah, he wanted a fight with the northern kingdom king.
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?
Jehoash responds to his request to start the war by being sarcastic. He compared him to a little colorful weed (sunflower)coming against a cedar tree. He boasted that you do not want to lose this war against me, so back off, please.
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.
Juda was smitten. Amaziah lost the war he started. This war should have never happened. God's people should not ask for a fight. When we ask for a fight, God leaves us to ourselves.
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. All of this could have been avoided.
Amaziah asked for the war; he lost more than he bargained. Families lost love ones. Amaziah is the king who is in charge of saving lives. He seemed to have forgotten what God's assignment was for him. When we make decisions as Amaziah did, we lose more than we can imagine.
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?
When we get to the book of chronicles, we will learn more about Jehoash.
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.
Jehoash won the war against Judah. Jehoash died. Jehoash did not want to fight, but he chose to fight Judah.
17 And Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
Amaziah lived 15 years after the war with Johaoash.
18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
More about Amaziah is written in the book of chronicles.
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.
The people of Judah did not want Amaziah to be king. Amaziah ran away from the people he led. If you are king, people will be able to find you if you hide. You are well known, and people watch well-known people. They found him and killed him.
20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
Because he was king, they buried him in the city with other kings.
21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, (new king) which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. Amaziah 16 year old son took his place.
Allowing a son to live after the killing of his father, who was king, was unusual. If they thought the father was not good enough to be king in the northern kingdom, they killed his heir too.
22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
Azariah restored Elath before he died.
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam (2)the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
Jeroboam is the same name as the first Jeroboam we met as the leader of the ten tribes of Israel. Jeroboam is a common name, and he is the second king whose name is Jeroboam.
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.
He did evil in the sight of God. Whatever we do, God sees it. He walked lazily as Jeroboam. Jeroboam found a way to work around the discipline of God. When I see denominations today, I think of how Jeroboam led. He was popular, well known, allowed talented people to hold positions without integrity, the young loved him, and you did not have to have the evidence of God's word working in you to lead people.
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.
Some leaders do better at working with things than working with people because they work well with something or are skilled at what they can do. God honors the good we do. The good we do does not excuse the disobedience of God's word in all we do. God used the prophet Johah to give Jeroboam this assignment, and he did what he asked to do.
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.
God loved Israel. Even when we see our children on the wrong path, we want to help them. When Absolam was in rebellion, David tried to help him even though he was trying hard to kill him. David instructed the leaders of the army to deal gently with Absolam. When we see others, who are lost and perhaps trying to hurt us, ask God for the right spirit in how to respond to them.
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 knows what will happen ultimately in the northern kingdom. He dealt more gently with them because he wanted them back in his presence.
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 dies. His son Zachariah takes his place. Another king in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. When a nation forgets God's word as Israel, chaos is inevitable.
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