Thus far the book of 2 Kings is filled with death and destruction. I don’t expect anything less in this chapter.
“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 Jehoaddan; 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.” – 2 Kings 14:1-4
This is God at his finest. Amaziah does what is right in the eyes of the Lord, but it just isn’t good enough. God has found that one thing not quite perfect.
“Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: ‘Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.’” – 2 Kings 14:6
This makes Amaziah more moral than God. Despite the Law of Moses, God has multiple times punished the children of the parents. The first born children in Egypt were all slaughtered at the hands of God!
“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.’’” – 2 Kings 14:9
Um…what the fuck! A thistle gives a message to a cedar and then a wild beast tramples the thistle? Sigh.
“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.” – 2 Kings 14:23-24
Don’t worry if you have done evil in the eyes of the Lord. As we’ve already seen in this chapter, even if you do right in the eyes of the Lord you are punished.
“The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them.” – 2 Kings 14:26
God now finally sees the Israelites are suffering but doesn’t make the connection that he is the one causing the suffering.
To sum up this chapter, it simply does not matter if you do good or evil. God punishes you regardless.
Coming Soon: 2 Chronicles – Chapter 25: Amaziah King of Judah