Start Time:	06:42 AM
End Time:	07:23 AM
Date:	July 10, 2014

 

TITLE: Amaziah King of Judah

Scripture: 2 Kings 14:1 – 29

God’s Message / God’s Commands / God’s Promises:

→ In the second year of Jehoash^[a] 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.  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 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.”^[b] 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.

NOTES:

Ø  God wants someone who will obey Him with all his being, like David!  According to the scriptures above, Amaziah became king of Judah and he did right in the eyes of the Lord but not as his father David had done.  Amaziah was a law-abider, it says in the scriptures that he killed his father’s executer but kept their children alive as what the law of Moses says.  This shows that Amaziah was under the law and God wants someone who is like David who was not limited by the law in seeking and obeying Him.  David danced naked in front of the Ark of God when it was paraded back to Jerusalem, which is not appropriate for a king, yet he did it for the Lord.  We live in Grace and not under the law so let us make sure to obey God more than what the law says because in truth, God is the law!  Despite of this, God still blessed and gave Amaziah victory for he did what was right before God.

Ø  God wants us to reign under His Grace and not under the Law!  Amaziah did what was right but he was focused in obeying the law, so it was noted that he did not obey as David did.  David on the other hand, was under Grace because he even asked to keep his son, Absalom, safe despite of the conspiracy Absalom did against him.  So here we can see that David had God’s grace.  He could have killed the descendant of Saul (the lame) but he didn’t for the sake of Jonathan – now that’s grace.

→Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.” 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 four hundred cubits long.^[c] 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 ancestors 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 ancestors, in the City of David.  Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,^[d] 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 ancestors.

NOTES:

Ø  God does not like arrogance! He seeks for us to obey Him like His son David had done.  Amaziah was obedient with the law and he did what was right before God but he became arrogant to even pick a fight against God’s people.  He failed to see the importance of being one and that they are all children of God.  In my own opinion, he was consumed with the law that’s why he challenged king Jehoash (the king of Israel) into battle.  King Amaziah challenged King Jehoash because the law says, sin = death.  And the Bible tells us that King Jehoash did evil in the eyes of God so it is possible that this is the reason why Amaziah challenged him but he failed to see that Israel is God;s children as well.  Amaziah’s story is a typical story today.  A Typical Christian who does everything right and follows the law but then failed to live under God’s grace and they asked themselves or God why they experience defeat in their lives when they have obeyed Him all their lives.  But the truth is, they obeyed the Law and not God.  The same with Amaziah, he did what was right before God but not as David had done.  God seeks for us to obey like David.

→ 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.  He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea,^[e] in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.  The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering;^[f] there was no one to help them.  And since the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.  As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.

NOTES:

Ø  God sees our true condition and He can use anyone, even the wicked to save and deliver His people!  Hallelujah!  Amazing God we have!  Despite of the the wickedness that Jeroboam II did, God’s heart is upon His people and He saw how the people are living bitterly so God used Jeroboam II to deliver His people and saved them.  Amen!  God’s love and grace is always stronger than any wickedness or sins or evil things we did against Him.  His heart is for us always!  Thank You Lord.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, the great I am.  Thank You because Your love endures forever and it is stronger and greater than any sins or wickedness we have committed against You or anyone.  Thank You because Your love is bigger and Your mercy is overflowing.  Thank You Lord because You are my God.  Lord help me to have a heart to obey like David.  Help me not to be consumed with the law but instead, help me to see Your grace and live by them daily.  Lord I want to see Your awesome favor and grace poured out on me and the people around me so I may testify and give thanks of Your Name to the world.  Use me Lord but give me a heart like David who seeks for You and You only.  Help me Lord to obey You with all my being.  Help me to love You the way David did and become an obedient child like David did.  I want You to design me to be the child You want me to be Lord.  Help me not to resist or think otherwise because You are the only source of goodness and I only need You in my life.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!