Bible in one year 7/7/2022 2Chronicles Chapter 25-27Amaziah's foolish & Uzziah’s pride By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Bible in one year 7/7/2022  2Chronicles Chapter 25-27Amaziah's foolish & Uzziah’s pride   

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce                                                                                                           Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

           2Chronicles 25  Amaziah king of Judah captured the capital of Edom, yet, he bowed down to the gods he brought back from the people of Seir. He forsook the Lord, and aroused Jehoash king of Israel to come out to fight face to face. The Lord destroyed him, Amaziah was captured by Jehoash king of Israel. (796-767; 2Kings 14:1-22).

             Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. He acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, “ Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins.”(vv.2,4). He executed the officials who had murdered his father Joash the king of Judah, but he didn’t put their sons to death.  A man of God warned Amaziah to send home the one hundred thousand mercenaries he hired out of the northern tribes for the one hundred talents (120,000 ounces) of silver lest he lose God’s help and blessing.(vv.6-10). Amaziah then marshaled his strength and led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he killed ten thousand men of Seir. The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces. (vv.11-12). Meanwhile, the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided Judean towns from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.(v.13).

 Amaziah did foolish thing, though he captured Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir, set them up as his own gods, bowed down to the gods that he brought back from Edom, and forsook his own God, the Lord’s anger burned against Amaziah.

When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.(v.14). The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah and he sent a prophet to him; who said, “ Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” while he was still speaking, the king said to him, “ Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why 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.”(v.16).

After Amaziah king of Judah consulted his advisers, he sent this challenge to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son the Jehu, king of Israel: “ Come, meet me face to face.”(v.17). But Jehoash king of Israel urged him to stay at home, don’t ask for trouble and not be arrogant and proud, after he captured Edomites. Amaziah however, would not listen, for God so worked that he might hand them over to Jehoash, because they sought the gods of Edom. (v.20). 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 brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. (v.23) He took all the gold, silver and all the articles found in the temple of God that had been in the care of Obed-Edom, together with the palace treasures and the hostages, and returned to Samaria.(v.24). 

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.(v.25). From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. (v.27). He was brought back by horse and was buried with his fathers in the City of Judah. (v.28).

 Chapter 26 Uzziah sought the Lord, God gave him success, and was powerful. yet his pride led to his downfall, God had afflicted him leprosy until the day he died.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.(v.5).

He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites.(vv.6-7). The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful.(v.8).

Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. The Total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. (vv.11-13). His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.(v.15).

However, after Uzzaih became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense of the altar of incense, which was priests the descendants of Aaron who have been consecrated to burn incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord confronted him and said, “ It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. This is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”(v.18).

Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. (v.19). The Lord God afflicted him with leprosy on his forehead, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him, he excluded from the temple of the Lord, his son Jotham had changed of the palace and governed the people of the Land.(v.21).Uzziah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in a field for burial that belonged to the kings, for people said,” He had leprosy.” And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.(v.23).

 

Chapter 27 Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord of God.

            Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the Lord. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord and did extensive work on the wall a the hill of Ophel. (vv.1-3). Jotham made war on the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.(v.5). Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.(v.6) He was twenty five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen year. He rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David, and Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.(v.9).

Bibliography,

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986