Saturday – 2nd Kings 14 - Be Careful with Whom You Pick a Fight

Let's begin this chapter by listing the kings who stood on the stage during the time that this chapter covers. In the north, Israel was ruled successively by Joash, Jeroboam II and Zachariah. In the south, Judah was under Amaziah... followed by his son, Azariah.  And apparently Jonah, Hosea Joel and Amos were all prophesying during those days (II Kings 14:25).

Now, Amaziah was a good king... not as good as his ancestor David, but good nonetheless (II Kings 14:3). Amaziah had some success on the battle field. He fought against Edom and won (II Kings 14:7). That was good. But, on the heels of that victory he got a big head and went to pick a fight with his brethren to the north. However, it was a military mismatch and evidently not part of God's plan for him. Joash, then king of Israel, tried to avoid the conflict. He justly warned Amaziah not to come against him in battle, but Amaziah wouldn't listen. As a result, Jerusalem ended up with a gap in its wall as wide as the length of 2 football fields. Not only that, the temple and the palace were also stripped of their treasures. We should all consult God at every step. Evidently, Amaziah didn't do that. He must have had many other problems too because his own people ended up conspiring against him and killing him to end his reign (II Kings 14:19).