2 Chronicles 25:1-28

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  I am not sure who said that first; I just know that it was not me.  However, the statement is proved to be true in the life of Amaziah.  His father, Joash, stared strong but ended in disgrace and he followed in his father’s footsteps.  Both men were taken down by their pride.  Both men were warned by the Lord.  Both men refused to listen.  Both men died in dishonor.  I thank God for my father who has set a great example for me and I hope to be able to follow his footsteps and set an example that is worth of being followed by my children.  There are good examples and bad examples; the question that we need to ask is: which are we?

AMAZIAH STRATED IN FAITH, OBEDIENCE AND VICTORY: It is impressive that Amaziah started well after his father had finished so poorly.  He seems to have learned from his father’s mistakes and starts out by following the Word of God.  He avenged his father’s death but did not kill their children in obedience to the Law.  When he assembled the army for battle he decided it was too small so he purchased the use of 100,000 soldiers from Israel only to send them home because the Lord told him to.  He lost the money that was paid for the soldiers and they ended up attacking him out of bitterness; but in the end he won the battle.  It is clear that he was obeying the Word of God because he trusted the Lord even when it was not logical in his mind.  This policy led him to impressive victories over his enemies.  We must remember that the way of the Lord is not always a way that seems logical to us.  He wants us to obey Him because we trust His Word, not because it is logical from man’s perspective.  There are so many instructions from God’s Word that do not seem to be rational from our point of view, but God honors obedience in these areas.


AMAZIAH ENDED IN PRIDE, REBELION AND CAPTIVITY: Unfortunately, Amaziah picked up the idols of the people he had just annihilated by the power of God and set them up as his own gods.  I cannot understand this rational in the least, but rarely does sin and rebellion make sense.  Amaziah became blinded by his own pride and when God sent a prophet to point out the folly of his logic he threatened to kill him just as his father had done.  Sin is blinding and when it is accompanied by pride, and it usually is, it becomes enslaving to the point that we cannot even see the stupidity of our actions.  God is patient but when we insist on rebelling against Him; He is faithful to bring the consequences of our sin down upon us.  The king of Israel came up against Judah, broke down the wall in Jerusalem, took the riches of the nation and Amaziah found himself in captivity, enslaved to his enemy and his own countrymen conspired against him just as they had done to his father.  We must be warned to never dabble in sin, because we will never know when we will be blinded by it. 

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