Amaziah Reigns in Judah II Kings 14

v3 "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did."

It is good to have a bright spot with the kings. Amaziah did pretty good. He did not give God his full attention though as David did. He left the high places as did other kings. These were places where false gods were given reverence.

v8 "Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoshaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying Come let su look one another in the face."

Jehoash virtually laughed at Amaziah by comparing him to a thistle that was broken by the cedar tree. A fight broke out and Amaziah was routed. Jehoash also took the gold and silver that was in Jerusalem. That was his last deed recorded here and he died.

Amaziah lived fifteen more years but he also died without further deeds being recorded in this chapter.

v21 "And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. v22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah after that the king slept with his fathers."

The kingship seems to be changing fast now. Notice the small spelling difference in the names Azariah and Amaziah. It is easy to get confused with that plus the grandchildren taking the names of their forefathers makes it hard to keep up.

v23 "In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years."

We can call him Jeroboam II for clarity. The Bible is blunt. He did evil. Yet he was used to fulfill the word of the LORD. v25

v25 "He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher." Verse 26 explains "For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel..."

Time is passing and we are going through the kings of Judah and Israel very swiftly now that we have left David and Solomon. It is obvious from our study that David was the greatest king of all and his place and adoration in history is well deserved among the kings.

Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Billy Sunday's wife said of him in his last days that he talked to God so much that she could not tell when he was speaking to her or to God.

Keywords: Israel, Judah, Bible Study, Old Testament, Amaziah, Kings, King, thistle. The list and deeds of the kings continues for Judah and Israel.