◄ 2 Kings 14:1 ►
In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.
Study Bible
In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel
This phrase sets the historical context for the events described. Jehoash, also known as Joash, was the king of Israel, the northern kingdom, during this time. His reign is noted in 2 Kings 13:10-25, where he is described as doing evil in the sight of the Lord, continuing the sins of Jeroboam. The synchronization of reigns between Israel and Judah is a common method in the biblical narrative to provide a timeline. This period is marked by political instability and frequent conflicts between the two kingdoms. Jehoash's reign is significant for his military campaigns and his interactions with the prophet Elisha, who prophesied victories for Israel.

Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah
Amaziah's ascension to the throne of Judah, the southern kingdom, marks a continuation of the Davidic line, which is significant in biblical prophecy and typology. His father, Joash, had been a reformer king who repaired the temple but later fell into idolatry, as recorded in 2 Kings 12. Amaziah's reign is detailed in 2 Kings 14:1-20 and 2 Chronicles 25, where he is described as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. His reign is characterized by military campaigns, including a notable victory over Edom, and a subsequent ill-fated challenge against Jehoash of Israel. Amaziah's life and reign serve as a reminder of the importance of wholehearted devotion to God, a theme echoed throughout the scriptures. His eventual downfall due to pride and idolatry serves as a cautionary tale and a typological warning against turning away from God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Amaziah
The son of Joash, who became king of Judah. His reign is marked by both faithfulness and failures, reflecting the complexities of leadership and obedience to God.

2. Joash (of Judah)
Amaziah's father, who was a king of Judah. His reign was characterized by a return to the worship of God, but also by eventual apostasy and assassination.

3. Joash (of Israel)
The son of Jehoahaz, reigning over Israel. His reign overlaps with Amaziah's, highlighting the divided kingdom and the tensions between Israel and Judah.

4. Judah
The southern kingdom, where Amaziah ruled. It was distinct from the northern kingdom of Israel, both politically and spiritually.

5. Israel
The northern kingdom, ruled by Joash during Amaziah's reign. The relationship between Israel and Judah was often fraught with conflict.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Obedience
Amaziah's reign began with obedience to God, but his later actions show the dangers of turning away. Consistent obedience is crucial for a godly life.

Leadership and Accountability
As a king, Amaziah was accountable to God for his actions. This principle applies to all leaders, who must lead with integrity and faithfulness.

The Consequences of Pride
Amaziah's pride led to his downfall. Pride can blind us to our need for God and lead to destructive decisions.

The Role of Scripture in Decision-Making
Amaziah's account reminds us of the importance of grounding our decisions in God's Word, seeking His guidance in all aspects of life.

The Impact of Legacy
Amaziah's actions affected not only his life but also the future of Judah. Our choices can have lasting impacts on those around us and future generations.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Amaziah's initial obedience to God serve as a model for us today, and what can we learn from his later failures?

2. In what ways does the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah reflect the consequences of disobedience to God, and how can this inform our understanding of unity in the church?

3. How can we apply the principles of Deuteronomy 17:14-20 to our own lives, particularly in areas of leadership and responsibility?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to guard against pride in our personal and spiritual lives?

5. How can we ensure that our legacy is one of faithfulness to God, and what role does Scripture play in shaping that legacy?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Chronicles 25
This chapter provides a parallel account of Amaziah's reign, offering additional details about his actions and the consequences of his decisions.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20
These verses outline the laws for kings in Israel, providing a backdrop for evaluating the reigns of Amaziah and other kings.

Matthew 6:33
This verse emphasizes seeking God's kingdom first, a principle that contrasts with Amaziah's later actions when he turned away from God.
Sermons
AmaziahChristian Observer2 Kings 14:1-2
Significant Facts in God's GovernmentDavid Thomas, D. D.2 Kings 14:1-2
Amaziah Doing RightJ. Orr 2 Kings 14:1-7
Significant Facts in God's GovernmentD. Thomas 2 Kings 14:1-29
People
Ahaziah, Amaziah, Amittai, Azariah, David, Edomites, Hepher, Jehoaddan, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jehu, Jeroboam, Joahaz, Joash, Jonah, Nebat, Zachariah, Zechariah
Places
Beth-shemesh, Corner Gate, Damascus, Edom, Elath, Ephraim Gate, Gath-hepher, Hamath, Israel, Jerusalem, Joktheel, Lachish, Lebanon, Lebo-hamath, Samaria, Sea of the Arabah, Sela, Syria, Valley of Salt
Topics
Amaziah, Amazi'ah, Jehoahaz, Joahaz, Jo'ahaz, Joash, Jo'ash, Judah, Reign, Reigned
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 14:1-22

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Library
The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C.
TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 B.C. FAILURE OF URARTU AND RE-CONQUEST Of SYRIA--EGYPT AGAIN UNITED UNDER ETHIOPIAN AUSPICES--PIONKHI--THE DOWNFALL OF DAMASCUS, OF BABYLON, AND OF ISRAEL. Assyria and its neighbours at the accession of Tiglath-pileser III.: progress of the Aramaeans in the basin of the Middle Tigris--Urartu and its expansion into the north of Syria--Damascus and Israel--Vengeance of Israel on Damascus--Jeroboam II.--Civilisation …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

The Girdle of the City. Nehemiah 3
The beginning of the circumference was from 'the sheep-gate.' That, we suppose, was seated on the south part, yet but little removed from that corner, which looks south-east. Within was the pool of Bethesda, famous for healings. Going forward, on the south part, was the tower Meah: and beyond that, "the tower of Hananeel": in the Chaldee paraphrast it is, 'The tower Piccus,' Zechariah 14:10; Piccus, Jeremiah 31:38.--I should suspect that to be, the Hippic tower, were not that placed on the north …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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