THE DANGERS OF ARROGANCE

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the second year of Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the sons of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins."

He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.

Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: "Come, meet me face to face."

But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?"

Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah. Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home. Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about six hundred feet long. He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.

As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. As for the other events of Amaziah's reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

They conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. He was brought back by horse and was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers, in the City of David.

Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his fathers.

2 Kings 14:1-22

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 14 opens in 2 Kings, we introduced to yet another king. King Amaziah.

Now by now, I know what you’re saying. Please Mark…not another king. But we have to stay the course because we aren’t anywhere finished talking about kings yet. After all, there’s a reason these books are titled 1st and 2nd Kings.

But consider this for a moment as you feel like you’re getting tired of all these kings.

Although they are kings, they are no more different than you and I…sinners who are hopeless without a God who is mighty to save…a gracious, merciful, compassionate God…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And as we have seen and should continue to bear witness to…no elected power in the scriptures was ever greater nor ever will be greater than the power God had and has over them. Just consistently being reminded of this throughout these books is reason enough to continue studying the kings.

Now to the scripture where we find King Amaziah come into power over Judah “in the second year of Jehoash…king of Israel. We read where Amaziah was the son of Joash and “was twenty-five years old when he became king. His reign in Jerusalem would last for twenty-nine years and he started out well enough, doing “what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. We learn he wasn’t as good as David because the “high places…were not removed” and the “people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there”. But David certainly wasn’t perfect either, was he?

Amaziah “followed the example of his father Joash” who you’ll recall had ensured the temple was restored before he was assassinated by his own officials (2 Kings 12:21). And Amaziah wasted no time avenging his father’s death as he “executed the officials who had murdered his father” while sparing their sons so that he didn’t violate the requirements of the “Book of the Law of Moses. It was there where the Lord commanded, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins." (Deuteronomy 24:16)

Amaziah went on to have other successes during his reign. Scripture tells us he “defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela in battle” before renaming it Joktheel.

Yes…all was going well for Amaziah. That is until he let his power get to his head and became cocky, overconfident, pride-stricken and egotistical. We know this happened because Amaziah decided to go after Israel, the northern kingdom, sending messengers to their king Jehoash with the challenge to "Come, meet me face to face."

At first, Jehoash wasn’t interested in a fight one that he knew he could win. No, instead Jehoash tried to send a message to Amaziah in the way of a parable saying:

“A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.”

Jehoash then explained the meaning of the parable, telling Amaziah, “You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?"

Indeed, Jehoash was trying to save Amaziah from himself by trying to get him to see his own arrogance. But Amaziah was so blind to it, he couldn’t act with proper reason. And so he didn’t listen nor back down from his threat, leading to Johoash attacking Judah at Beth Shemesh where he routed them and sent every man fleeing to their homes. He also captured King Amaziah and held him in custody as he took Jerusalem. We read where Jehoash “broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section about six hundred feet long” before he “took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace”. He also “took hostages and returned to Samaria”.

And that’s where the once mighty king Amaziah remained until he faced a similar fate to his father, dying at the hands of men sent by those who conspired against him. Amaziah was followed in rule by his son Azariah.

The story of Amaziah is a sad one but an all too common one I’m afraid. Sometimes people allow success to go to their head in such a way that they start to feel they are more superior to others. And this nearly always ends up bad for the one who displays the excessive pride. Indeed, pride does go before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

Amaziah stopped relying on the Lord’s guidance and instead followed his own will…a will which told him it was a good idea to attack Israel. I have to believe God would have given him much different advice if he had just asked.

How many times are we like that? Too proud…too overconfident…too arrogant to ask God for help when we know we should. Instead, we think we know what way is best and too often it is just that way that gets us into trouble…and even leads us to fall just as easy as the mighty Jerusalem fell to Jehoash and Israel’s army.

Friends, God is definitely speaking to us again…speaking to us from the life of another king.

His message?

Recognize the dangers of arrogance.

If only Amaziah had done it, this story and his life would have had a better ending.

Hopefully, ours will be better from the lessons we learn from him and the God who reigns over us all.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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