II Chronicles 25:1-2- Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
It is possible that Amaziah's mother had been chosen by the kind priest, Jehoiadah, that had raised his father, King Joash. If so, this woman would have been a very good woman, and she would have raised her son to love the Lord God Almighty.
Amaziah did love the Lord. He did want to do what was right for his people.
II Kings 14:5-6- And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
Remeber, that at the end of Joash's reign he began to worship false idols, and he became a very mean man. He even killed the son of the kind priest who raised him. Because of this, his servants murdered him.
When King Amaziah took the throne, he brought judgment on the men who had killed his father. But, the good king, Amaziah, didn't make those men's families pay for their father's sin because he was reading what the Lord said in the Law of Moses. He wanted to obey God and be a good king.
Amaziah knew that he needed an army to protect his people. He gathered all the men he could find that would be soldiers, but he thought he needed more than he had. He didn't ask God what he should do.
II Chronicles 25:6-8- He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down.
Amaziah hired a thousand men out of Israel. He paid them a hundred talents of silver to come and fight for him. But, that's not what God wanted.
God sent a prophet, possibly Jonah, to tell the king that God would make him lose the battle if he went with these wicked men that he had hired.
II Chronicles 25:9-10- And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this. Then Amaziah separated them, [to wit], the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.
Amaziah asked the prophet, "What about the money?" It seems that is what we all think about. God isn't worried with how much something costs; He wants you to obey Him regardless of the price tag.
The prophet told Amaziah to let them keep the money. He said God could repay so much more. So, Amaziah obeyed God and told them to leave.
Now, I would think that they would be happy to get paid to do nothing! They didn't have to go out onto the battle field and risk their lives. But, these men were so wicked that it made them angry to be sent home.
II Chronicles 25:11-12- And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.
God did allow Amaziah to win the battle! And he destroyed 20,000 soldiers out of the enemy army.
Do you remember the guys he let keep the money and go home? Well, sometimes when we act without asking God, we still get into trouble even if we end up obeying Him.
II Chronicles 25:13- But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.
These wicked men wanted to fight and kill so badly that they attacked Amaziah's kingdom while he was away. They killed a bunch of people and kidnapped others.
Maybe it was because Amaziah was angry that the Lord allowed these soldiers to attack his kingdom. Or perhaps, he watched Joash turn to idols and he though he would try this for himself. We don't know what he was thinking.
II Chronicles 25:14-16- Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
God, again, sent a prophet to warn Amaziah that he was doing wrong. But, instead of obeying and humbling himself like last time, he threatened to kill the prophet.
The prophet realized that Amaziah's heart had turned completely away from God, and he knew that God was going to destroy him because of it.
Amaziah thought that his army was great. Perhaps, he even decided that he won his last battle because of his strength and not because the Lord was blessing him.
He asked his counsellors, and they all decided to go to war with Israel.
II Kings 14:8- Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
The king of Israel, Jehoash, warned Amaziah that the battle wouldn't end well. He told Amaziah that he was being boastful because he had won a single war. But, Jehoahaz had a mighty army that was not easily beat!
II Chronicles 25:20-24- But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
Amaziah lost the war. He watched as many of his soldiers were killed. He watched as the king of Israel destroyed the wall around his capitol city. He watched as the soldiers went through Jerusalem and took all his precious treasures.
But, worse than that was the fact that the King of Israel left him alive. He had to face his entire kingdom knowing that he failed them- he hadn't been a good king.
II Chronicles 25:26-28- Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.
There is a saying, "History repeats itself". This is true in Amaziah's case. He turned to idols like his father, and was murdered by his people just as his father had been.
II Chronicles 26:1,3-4 - Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
Uzziah, who is sometimes called Azariah, began to reign at 16 years old. He tried to do right. He had one of the longest rules in Judah's history- 52 years as king!
Who was the next prophet after Jonah? Well, the next man named was Zechariah. He has a book in the Bible of all his prophecies. He helped King Uzziah during his reign.
II Chronicles 26:5- And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
II Chronicles 26:6-7- And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.
It seems that war is always a part of Jewish history. God helped Uzziah to win the wars that he fought against the Philistines, the Arabians, and another people called the Mehunims.
But, God also helped him to have some peace during these times by making friends.
II Chronicles 26:8- And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
God greatly blessed Uzziah. And, God gave him wisdom in fortifying his kingdom. He built up towers and walls all throughout his kingdom. He found water in the desert and dug wells for his animals. He had many flocks and herds. He also had lots of gardens and vineyards. God's blessings made his name well known.
He was also blessed with a large, mighty army to protect his land. He had 2,600 leaders with 307,500 soldiers under them. They had weapons, and armor, and something even more interesting- war machines.
II Chronicles 26:14-15- And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones. And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
Truly, God made Uzziah a great king.
But, Uzziah made the mistake so many make when they get blessed by God- he got prideful!
II Chronicles 26:16- But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
Uzziah thought that he could over step his bounds. He was king, yes, but he was NOT a priest. And, God had made it very clear in the Law of Moses that only priests were allowed to burn incense in the temple.
II Chronicles 26:17-18- And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
When 80 priests confronted him and told him that he was breaking the law and God wasn't going to bless him, he became angry!
II Chronicles 26:19- Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
God punished Uzziah right there in front of all 80 priests. He turned Uzziah into a leper. That horrible disease that no one ever recovered from- the walking death sentence!
II Chronicles 26:20-21- And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he [was] leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
Because of his pride, Uzziah had to go live in a special place for sick people. He could never go back to his house, or to the temple of the Lord again. He had to live in isolation because of the leprousy.
His son, Jotham, performed the duties of king in his place.
II Chronicles 26:22-23- Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write. So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
All of things that Uzziah went through were written down by another great prophet, Isaiah. He, also, has a book in the Bible named after him.
Uzziah died, but because he was a leper he was buried in a field instead of the royal sepulchre.
The son who had been taking care of things in his place was crowned king in his stead.
How sad that a once good and righteous king who brought so much wealth and safety to his people had to leave this world in such a shameful way. But, sin always costs more than we think it will. And, Uzziah had to find that out the hard way!
