#572 Estimate

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. 3 And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father. 4 But he did not put their children to death, according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, “Fathers shall not die because of their children, nor children die because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin.”
Amaziah's Victories

5 Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers' houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that they were 300,000 choice men, fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. 6 He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents[a] of silver. 7 But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. 8 But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” 9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 10 Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger. 11 But Amaziah took courage and led out his people and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 men of Seir. 12 The men of Judah captured another 10,000 alive and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces. 13 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil.
Amaziah's Idolatry

14 After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. 15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
Israel Defeats Amaziah

17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 18 And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say, ‘See, I[b] have struck down Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits,[c] from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, in the care of Obed-edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time when he turned away from the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28 And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. 2 Chronicles 25 ESV

Sister 2 Kings 14


Sometimes we just go down the list, check the boxes, church on Sunday, pray before meals, don't cuss and every once in a while, hand a dollar to the homeless guy. Amaziah starts out doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, he punishes those who murdered his father, rightly so. He does not punish their children, because that is the law of God, well done. Yet, we read that it is not with his whole heart, so why does he set out to do what's right? Well, all men have the ability to reason in varying degree, even animals can be trained or will adjust to circumstances. When you walk into the room where you keep your fish tank, they take notice and come up to be fed. When I was small my mother would take away something I valued when I did something unfavorable. Maybe he saw the time of his father when he was under the influence of Jehoiada and that he did well, but then he saw his father die at the hands of his own servants whom he now punished. What part of his heart is he holding back, that he feels does not belong to God? He seems to have some head knowledge, but where is his heart? So far, almost every king we read about, could not handle success, peace, blessing, wealth. Once we have, we are healthy, rich, surrounded by "friends", enemies have been placed in check, we have gotten what we wanted all along. Now, do we hold these things with and open hand, reckoning them the gifts of God that we dedicate to His honor, or do I grasp at my own fame, my own renown?

So he prepares to go to war, and as is the custom of his day, he hires mercenaries. He probably thinks nothing of it, other than that it is added assurance, good business, making allies. A prophet comes and tells him not to go with Israel, to cancel his agreement with them, because the Lord is not with them. But I have already paid them, there is an 80 billion dollar arms agreement on the table, I will lose what I have invested so far, and they will lose their pillage. I am fighting one enemy already, but you would have me offend someone else as well? What is the price of doing the right thing? The Lord is able to give you much more, so do what is right in His eyes. I hear men argue all the time against the God of the Bible, about what they stand to lose, about what they have lost here already, but there is the eternal proposition that I was always too dumb to see or too proud to acknowledge. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard right, but it is yet held out by these prophets, by the word of God, 

Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it. 36What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?…Mark 8: 34-36

It will cost you everything you think you have here, your wife, your children, your kingdom, your money, your glory and honor amongst those other thieves. But now lay that thread, that piece of your hair, that single strand, across the line of eternity, now back up to the edge of the universe and with your naked eyes, look back to where you left that thread, "well I think it was that way, but I'm not sure, I can't see it." At my work they will make fun of me, who cares, you should love them more than their approval. I stand to lose a lot of money if I do what's right now, who cares, what if you had all the money in the world and lived a hundred years here, how would that measure against eternity? 

He sends the Israelites home, but they are angry and on their way back they kill and pillage, for the thief only comes for that, to steal, to kill and to destroy. You paid them, you told them what God said, but you had to separate yourself from them, for God was not with them. They were suppose to fight along side you, but they have no issue stealing and killing your people on the way home. God gives you the victory, yet you bring home the gods that could not protect the nations you conquered. This was reserved in your heart all along, once you got what you wanted then you no longer needed God. It is not even just these idols, it is your pride, that you hold up yourself. The prophet warns him, and how kind is it of God to warn us, for we would not even bother. Those who were lost often shake their heads at the lost, but God, Who has long held the right to destroy us all, shows compassion through His prophet. Stop, I don't want to hear it! Shut it, or I will shut it for you! If you want to die, then keep talking. I am the king and you are nobody, I did not ask for your opinion, so what are you doing here? This king has arrived, he is well past the need of prophets, of men who do not look like much, nor have the things he has. He doesn't care to listen, does not want the opportunity to repent, does not see himself as needing saved. “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

Now he takes counsel, but not from the prophet of God, and now he has an idea of right and wrong, that he has been wronged by Israel. There is good reason for him to confront their king, those mercenaries that killed his own people, but just as God is not for them because of their high places, their false doctrines, He is also now even against Amaziah, who has taken to the idolatries of the other nations. He has refused wisdom, whether from God's prophet or from this king who calls him out on his pride, and he makes ready for battle. I have heard so many times at work, the voice of VPs and their hirelings, declaring, "I like his confidence, he sticks with his decision." Too bad he's wrong, too bad God is not with him. 

Harness the steeds to the chariots,

inhabitants of Lachish;

it was the beginning of sin

to the daughter of Zion,

for in you were found

the transgressions of Israel. Micah 1: 13