2 Chronicles 25:14-28 (October 15, 2025)

Amaziah's Idolatry

25:14 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?” 16 But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

Israel Defeats Amaziah

17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 18 And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19 You say, ‘See, I have struck down Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, in the care of Obed-edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time when he turned away from the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28 And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David.

Falling After Victory: When Pride Replaces Trust

Summary

After returning from his victory over Edom, Amaziah unfortunately brought back the gods of the defeated people and set them up as his own, bowing down and offering incense to them (v. 14). This act of shocking ingratitude marked a tragic reversal. The same king who had once obeyed the word of the Lord now worshiped powerless idols.

God sent a prophet to confront him:

But Amaziah, proud of success, rejected correction. He interrupted the prophet:

The prophet replied with sorrow,

Soon after, Amaziah’s pride led him to challenge Joash, king of Israel. He sent a message of arrogance, “Come, let us look one another in the face” (v. 17). Joash warned him with a parable of a thistle and a cedar. It was a warning against pride, but sadly, Amaziah would not listen (v. 18–20).

So Judah went to battle at Beth-shemesh and suffered a humiliating defeat. Joash captured Amaziah, broke down part of Jerusalem’s wall, looted the temple treasures, and took hostages (v. 21–24).

Even after Joash’s death, Amaziah’s own people turned against him in conspiracy. He fled to Lachish, but they pursued and killed him there (v. 27). The man who once sought God now died far from Jerusalem, the city of God’s presence. The Chronicler records:

Who Is God?

God is jealous for His people, and He deserves undivided worship.

God blesses the humble but resists the proud.

God is gracious. Even though Amaziah's obedience was half-hearted, God still blessed him.

God is patient, showing His mercy even when judgment is called for. He gave Amaziah victory, yet Amaziah’s heart grew proud, stealing glory that belonged to God. Rather than destroying Amaziah for such an atrocity, God sent warning after warning. But His patience does not mean permissiveness. When Amaziah hardened his heart, God finally judged him.

God is not mocked. His blessings are meant to lead us to deeper worship, not self-exaltation.

What Is Our Guilt?

Like Amaziah, we easily turn victory into vanity. When God grants success, we often attribute it to ourselves. We let comfort replace devotion and pride replace prayer. We cling to the idols of recognition, financial security, or control, forgetting that these are nothing but false "gods" that “could not deliver their own people.”

We resist correction because it threatens our pride. Even when someone warns us in love, we react defensively. We say, “Stop! Don’t tell me what to do.” The tragedy of Amaziah is not that he failed once, but that he stopped listening to God’s Word.

Spiritual decline rarely happens overnight. Sadly, it often begins with pride after blessing. Then, it continues with a refusal to repent and ends in isolation and ruin.

How Does Grace Shine?

Grace shines in the warnings that God patiently provides. Each prophetic rebuke is an act of mercy. God could have abandoned Amaziah right after his idolatry, yet He sent a prophet again, offering a chance to repent.

Ultimately, grace shines in Jesus Christ, the true King who never turned to idols. Where Amaziah took victory for himself, Jesus gave His victory for others. Where Amaziah silenced the prophet, Jesus Himself became the Prophet who was silent for us when He was wrongly accused. He bore our pride and idolatry on the cross so that we, who have fallen after victory, might be restored.

Through Christ, God calls us back to humility and worship. He teaches us that victory belongs to the Lord, and the safest place for the believer is not on the throne of self-sufficiency but at the foot of the cross.

Prayer

O Lord,

You give victory to the humble and you judge the proud.

Forgive us for turning Your blessings into idols and for trusting in ourselves rather than in You.

Thank You for Your patient warnings and merciful correction.

Teach us to remain humble in success and steadfast in worship.

Keep our hearts from pride and our lives centered on Christ,

who humbled Himself to save us and reigns forever in glory.

In His name we pray. Amen.