**The Reign of Amaziah: A Tale of Pride and Redemption**
In the days when the kingdom of Judah was still striving to walk in the ways of the Lord, there reigned a king named Amaziah, the son of Joash. He was twenty-five years old when he ascended to the throne, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. Amaziah was a man of contradictions—zealous for the Lord at times, yet prone to pride and folly. His story is one of triumph, failure, and the enduring mercy of God.
Amaziah began his reign with a heart inclined toward righteousness. He sought to honor the Lord, though not with the wholehearted devotion of his forefather David. One of his first acts as king was to execute the servants who had conspired to murder his father, King Joash. Yet, in a display of justice tempered by mercy, he spared their children, adhering to the law of Moses which declared, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers, but each one shall die for his own sin.”
Having established his authority, Amaziah turned his attention to the military strength of Judah. He mustered an army of three hundred thousand valiant men, skilled in the use of spear and shield. But Amaziah, eager to expand his power, also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. These mercenaries were strong and battle-hardened, but they were not men of Judah, and their hearts were not aligned with the Lord.
As Amaziah prepared to march against the Edomites, a man of God came to him with a warning. “O king,” the prophet said, “do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim. But if you go, be strong for the battle; yet God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has power to help and to overthrow.”
Amaziah, though initially hesitant, heeded the prophet’s words. He dismissed the Israelite mercenaries, sending them home despite the loss of the hundred talents of silver. The men of Israel, angered by this rejection, raided the towns of Judah on their way back, from Samaria to Beth Horon, killing three thousand people and carrying off much plunder. This was a bitter blow to Amaziah, but he trusted in the Lord’s promise of victory.
With his army of Judah alone, Amaziah marched into the Valley of Salt and struck down ten thousand men of Seir. The Edomites were utterly defeated, and Amaziah captured their stronghold, Sela, renaming it Joktheel, which it is called to this day. The victory was decisive, and the people of Judah rejoiced in the triumph the Lord had given them.
But here, Amaziah’s heart began to falter. Instead of giving glory to God for the victory, he grew proud. He brought back the gods of the Edomites, set them up as his own gods, and bowed down before them, burning incense to them. This act of idolatry provoked the Lord to anger, and He sent a prophet to rebuke the king.
“Why have you sought the gods of a people who could not deliver their own nation from your hand?” the prophet demanded. Amaziah, his pride now fully inflamed, interrupted the prophet. “Have we appointed you an advisor to the king? Stop! Why should you be struck down?”
The prophet fell silent but left Amaziah with a chilling warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
Despite the warning, Amaziah’s pride only grew. He challenged Jehoash, the king of Israel, to a battle, sending him a taunting message: “Come, let us face each other in battle.” Jehoash, a seasoned warrior, replied with a parable: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory, but stay at home! Why should you provoke trouble so that you, and Judah with you, would fall?”
But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God to deliver him into the hand of Jehoash because he had sought the gods of Edom. The two kings met in battle at Beth Shemesh, and Judah was routed before Israel. Amaziah was captured, and Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem, where he broke down four hundred cubits of the city wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. He took all the gold, silver, and articles from the house of God, along with the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.
Amaziah’s downfall was complete. He reigned for fifteen more years, but his influence waned, and his people turned against him. Eventually, he fled to Lachish to escape a conspiracy, but his enemies pursued him there and killed him. They brought his body back to Jerusalem on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the City of David.
Thus ended the reign of Amaziah, a king who began with promise but fell because of pride and idolatry. His story serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of turning away from the Lord and trusting in human strength. Yet even in his failure, the mercy of God is evident, for He sent prophets to warn Amaziah and give him opportunities to repent. The Lord is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. May we learn from Amaziah’s life to walk humbly before our God, giving Him all the glory for every victory.
