Day 188 – King Amaziah (Southern King 29 years)

• Another day, and another king! Spend a moment looking at the timeline of the kings to get an understanding of where Amaziah fits in to the bigger picture.
• Is Amaziah a king of Judah or Israel? The first verse tells you, if you look closely. Do the opening verses of 2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 25 describe him as a good or a bad king?
• In 2 Chronicles 25:5-13, Amaziah prepared for battle against the Edomites. Who did Amaziah hire?
• A prophet visited Amaziah in 2 Chronicles 25:7. What did he say? What was Amaziah’s concern, and what was the response of the prophet? Do you think Amaziah worried about his money more than trusting in God? Nevertheless, what good thing did Amaziah do?
• Did God bring victory to Amaziah in verses 11-13?
• What wrong thing did Amaziah do in the aftermath of the victory? What did he do with the prophet when he warned the king about his actions? You can read about this in 2 Chronicles 25:14-16.
• Amaziah then sent a letter to Johoash (the ESV version names him Joash), the king of Israel. What’s the reply? Did Amaziah listen to Jehoash’s advice to stay away?
• In the final verses of 2 Chronicles 25, Johoash defeated Amaziah in battle. What did Johoash do after the victory, and what happens to Amaziah?
• What are your thoughts about the sad steady decline you can see in this divided and fragile nation? What do you think God felt about His people?

Amaziah wasn’t a completely bad king by any means, but you could see that his heart wasn’t completely for God. In 2 Chronicles 25:10 you can see him choosing God’s way over the way his heart desired, which was good.

But in time, he forgot Deuteronomy 8:18, where is says that it’s God who gives power and wealth. God had given Amaziah both, initially. But Amaziah’s idolatry and boastfulness gave him a false sense of pride, which led to his defeat to the king of Israel.

Amaziah lost his freedom and wealth as quickly as he had gained them before. What important lesson can we learn from all this?