2 Kings 14:17 – 29 “Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. They carried him back on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.
Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. Azariah was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
And Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. And his son Zechariah reigned in his place.”
After all was said and done, Amaziah wound up dying like his father at the hands of assassins. Amaziah’s inglorious defeat at the hands of Jehoash continued to rankle the leaders of Judah long after it was over. Even though Amaziah outlived Jehoash, he could never outlive the shame of the destruction of 200 meters of the wall of Jerusalem and the sacking of the temple and palace treasuries. Remember that Amaziah himself was also taken prisoner; the elders of Judah must have been forced to pay ransom for his release. Evidently, Amaziah learned nothing from his misadventures and continued to be so obnoxious that even when he fled to Lachish, assassins followed and killed him.
The elders of Judah were so anxious to get rid of Amaziah that after his death, they made his sixteen-year-old son Azariah king in his stead. Presumably, Azariah either behaved better or was more compliant; at any rate, eventually, he rebuilt Elath on the Red Sea and restored it to Judah.
What can be said about Jeroboam the Second, king of Israel? The most telling criticism is “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.” Jeroboam ruled for 41 years, and was a miserable man!
But despite all the evil that Jeroboam the Second did, God still worked through him anyway. “This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash. As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah…”
Why did God use Jeroboam the Second, even though he was so evil? “There was no one to help Israel, and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.” God always uses whoever is available. At that time, Jeroboam was the only one available, so God used him, even though God deplored his idolatry.
APPLICATION: Sometimes, we assume that God uses us because we are so special or so virtuous. We should be warned by this description of King Jeroboam the Second of Israel. This king pursued outright idolatry just as Jeroboam the First had done; however, God used him anyway. God was continuing to keep His promises to Israel; that was why He allowed Jeroboam the Second to be successful in battle.
During the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln is quoted as having said that the question is not whether or not God is on our side, but whether or not we are on God’s side. This wicked king is an example of someone whom God was using, even though he refused to acknowledge God or worship Him. The question for us is this: Are we being careful to follow God? If we are successful, do we take all the credit, or do we realize that unless God has helped us, we would fail miserably?
Psalm 127 tells us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain.” The most common Adinkra symbol in Ghana is the Gye Nyame symbol. “Gye Nyame” is a Twi expression literally meaning “Except God” or “Unless God” or “If not for God.” This symbol stands for several proverbs that asserts that only God can help and that we must rely on Him.
When you succeed, remember King Jeroboam the Second, and remember the Gye Nyame symbol. Jeroboam succeeded because God allowed him to and not because he deserved to do so. Be careful to remain humble, knowing that God is the only author of salvation and success.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to always remember that You are the only One who gives true victories and to rely only on You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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