What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 25:20? But Amaziah would not listen 2 Chronicles 25 records that after defeating Edom, Amaziah was warned by a prophet not to provoke Israel (vv. 15–16), yet “Amaziah would not listen” (v. 20). • He had already ignored the earlier rebuke for bringing Edomite idols home (v. 14). • Pride followed a military win; Proverbs 16:18 reminds us, “Pride goes before destruction.” • His stubbornness mirrors Saul’s refusal to heed Samuel (1 Samuel 15:22-23) and the king-to-king caution Jehoash himself offered: “Why provoke trouble so that you fall?” (2 Kings 14:10). • Proverbs 29:1 warns, “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered.” for this had come from God The chronicler immediately anchors Amaziah’s deafness in divine sovereignty: “for this had come from God” (v. 20). • God sometimes gives people over to the path they insist on (Romans 1:24). • Similar language appears when Rehoboam ignored counsel “for this turn of events was from the LORD” (1 Kings 12:15). • Judges 14:4 shows God working even through human folly; Genesis 50:20 shows His ability to overrule evil for His purposes. • 2 Thessalonians 2:11 echoes the principle: “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash God’s purpose was disciplinary defeat: Israel’s king Jehoash would humiliate Judah. • The outcome is recorded in 2 Kings 14:12-14—Judah’s army was routed, Jerusalem’s wall broken, temple treasures seized. • Deuteronomy 32:30 asks, “How could one man chase a thousand… unless their Rock had sold them?” acknowledging that military loss signals divine withdrawal. • 2 Chronicles 24:24 had earlier noted a small Aramean force defeating a larger Judean army “because the LORD had delivered Judah into their hand.” because they had sought the gods of Edom The root issue is idolatry: “because they had sought the gods of Edom” (v. 20). • After victory over Edom, Amaziah brought home their idols and “bowed down before them and burned sacrifices to them” (2 Chronicles 25:14). • This violated the first commandment (Exodus 20:3) and the repeated warning against adopting conquered nations’ gods (Exodus 23:24). • Jeremiah 2:11‐13 laments exchanging “their Glory for useless idols,” a charge that fits Amaziah. • 1 John 5:21 closes with “keep yourselves from idols,” underscoring the timeless relevance. summary Amaziah’s refusal to listen was more than personal stubbornness; it was the outworking of God’s righteous judgment. Because the king turned to Edomite idols, God withdrew protection and orchestrated circumstances so that pride-filled Judah fell into Jehoash’s hands. The verse is a sober reminder that idolatry and hardened hearts invite divine discipline, while humble obedience keeps us under the Lord’s protective care. |
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