2Kings, chapter 14, brief comments

 

2Kings 14:1 ¶  In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah. 2  He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did. 4  Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places. 5  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. 6  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. 7  He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

 

Amaziah reigns over Judah and eliminates the cabal that murdered his father. He was a good king but didn’t measure up to the standard set by David. He did, however, follow the Law given to Moses with regard to the children of his father’s killers.

 

Deuteronomy 24:16  The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

 

Verse 7 shows us that he was an active and war-like king.

 

2Kings 8:20  In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21  So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents. 22  Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

 

2Kings 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. 9  And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 10  Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 11  But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which  belongeth to Judah. 12  And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents. 13  And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 14  And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

 

Amaziah has gotten a little ahead of himself. He must think, in his pride, he is unstoppable after his victory in Edom. But he is warned by Jehoash when Amaziah challenges him. Israel defeats Judah and Amaziah is taken captive and part of the walls of Jerusalem are torn down and treasure from the temple and the king’s house is taken, along with hostages. Chronicles will give some additional detail when we get there.

 

 

 

2Kings 14:15 ¶  Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16  And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. 17  And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. 18  And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19  Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. 20  And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21  And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22  He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

 

Here begins the reign of Jeroboam II. Amaziah is later murdered in a coup that places his son, Azariah, on the throne. He then rebuilds the Edomite seaport of Elath and takes it back from Edom. That is his crowning achievement and then he dies.

 

Deuteronomy 2:8 ¶  And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

 

1Kings 9:26  And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.

 

2Kings 14:23 ¶  In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. 24  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 25  He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher. 26  For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. 27  And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28  Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29  And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

 

Jeroboam II is as evil as his namesake was. He was active as a king though in restoring land to Israel as per a prophecy by Jonah, which prophecy is not in the Bible even though there is a book dedicated to Jonah’s activity in Nineveh. God did this for Israel out of His mercy. So, God used Jeroboam to accomplish this. Jeroboam, one more step downward for Israel died and his son, Zachariah took the throne.