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2 Chronicles Chapter 25 (ESV)
1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart…
5 Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers’ houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that they were 300,000 choice men, fit for war, able to handle spear and shield. 6 He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver. 7 But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. 8 But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” 9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 10 Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger…
14 After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them. 15 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?”
REFLECTION:
- Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. His obedience was out of reluctance (25:2). The priest told Amaziah, God will save Judah, but he complained about the money he lost for recruiting the army of Israel (25:14). He regarded military victory to be more important than obeying God’s will. Being halfhearted is a common weakness in many Christians, reflect if this is often your problem in serving God?
- After Amaziah had victory, he worshipped the gods he seized and made offerings to them (25:14). It is easy for us to sin when we are successful; it is easy for us to lose alertness when we are complacent and self-satisfied, allowing Satan to attack us with various temptations. Reflect if you are currently in such moments. We have to be alert and humble in times of victory, be careful not to fall into a deep valley on reaching the summit.
PRAYER:
Ask God to examine your heart and remove all element of disobedience because obeying reluctantly is not true obedience. No matter if you are in times of success, ask God to give you alertness and humility, and keep your feet from slipping.
HYMN:
Lay Me Down – youtu.be/5zqPjzBjVco?si=t-iMMrPKJTC6aTKM
