Jehoash had been king of Israel and in his second year, Amaziah became king of Judah. He was twenty-five when he became king and his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of God, but not as King David had done. He followed his father Joash’s example. The high places were not removed and people still burned incense and offered sacrifices there (v1-4). Like his father he started well but didn’t finish so well.
Once established as king, Amaziah murdered the officials who had killed his father, Joash, but he did not put their children to death for their parents. A person shall only be put to death for his own sin (v5,6). It was understandable for him to eliminate these people, and it was lawful for him to do so (see Genesis 9:5-7). He showed courage by sparing the children as they could have taken revenge on him, rather he chose to obey God (see Deuteronomy 24:16). He defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela (also known as Petra. The book of Obadiah will throw light on it) in battle and renamed it Joktheel (v7).
2 Chronicles 25:5-16 throws more light on this event. Amaziah got together a very large army to attack Edom, three hundred thousand men who could handle a spear and a shield. He also hired a hundred thousand mercenaries from Israel. God sent a prophet to warn him not to use men from Israel because they were rebellious and idolatrous. Amaziah believed he must trust God and sent the mercenaries away even though he lost the money he paid them. God blessed them with victory. Amaziah started well but after his victory his heart turned away from God and brought the gods of Seir and worshiped them.
As the mercenaries returned having been discharged after the prophet warned the king, they raided cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, killing three thousand and taking lots of spoil.
Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, king of Israel, and challenged him to face each other in battle. Jehoash replied, “The thistle in Lebanon sent to the cedar, saying, ‘Give me your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that,and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall— you and Judah with you?” (v8,9)
Jehoash suggested that Amaziah was arrogant because he had defeated Edom and told him to stay at home and glory in his victory, in other words to rest on his laurels. He suggested that if they faced each other, he would be asking for trouble, and all Judah would fall (v10).
Amaziah wouldn’t listen and so Jehoash attacked Judah at Beth Shemesh in Judah. Judah was defeated by Israel and every man fled to his tent. Amaziah was captured, the wall of Jerusalem four hundred cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate was broken down, which would mean that Jerusalem had lost some of its security (v11-13). He took the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD, as well as the treasuries of the king’s house, together with hostages and returned to Samaria (v14). Amaziah lost his freedom, yet he had a large army compared to Jehoash, but God gave Jehoash victory because of the idolatry of Amaziah (see 2 Chronicles 25:20).
Once more the chronicles of the kings of Israel contained the rest of Jehoash’s acts and his battle with Amaziah king of Judah. Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel and Jeroboam II succeeded him as king of Israel.
Amaziah lived a further fifteen years and his acts are contained in the chronicles of the kings of Judah. He was killed in Lachish where he had fled, by those who conspired against him. They took him on horses and buried him in Jerusalem the City of David (v17-20).
The people made Azariah king, he was sixteen years old, and he rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah (v21). Azariah was also known as Uzziah who was probably the greatest king of Judah after David.
In verses 23-27, Jeroboam II had become king of Israel and reigned forty-one years and did evil following the sins of his predecessor Jeroboam I who previously caused all Israel to sin. Whilst he was king, Jonah, Amos, and Hosea, God’s prophets spoke the words of the LORD. The king restored the territory of Israel from Hamath to the Sea of Arabian, which had been spoken by Jonah the prophet from Gath Hepher for the LORD had seen that his people were in affliction and had no-one to help. God showed kindness even though they were being disobedient. Jonah was the reluctant prophet we see in the book by his name where we read of God’s command to go to Nineveh a wicked city.
We see clearly God’s mercy to Israel despite their rebellion, how He used Jeroboam II to regain Damascus and Hamath from Judah. The rest of his acts are written in the chronicles of the kings of Isreal. He died and his son Zechariah succeeded him as king (v28,29). From archaeological discoveries it appears that there was some prosperity during the reign of Jeroboam II, with some larger houses being built. However, the prosperity led to the oppression of the poor and judgment came upon them (see Amos 2 and 8, Isaiah 3 and 5 and Micah 2). The prophets, especially Amos, show that Israel did not do well under Jeroboam II and pronounced judgment upon them.
When Jeroboam II died in 752BC, he left a strong kingdom but one which was spiritually rotten. His son Zechariah was the fourth generation from Jehu, and a decline set in. God in his mercy sent messengers with His words to warn them of coming judgment.
