Trusting God Fully: The Joy of Obedience That Costs (2 Chronicles 25:1–13, ESV)
- Brian Lee
- Oct 19
- 5 min read
Introduction
C.S. Lewis once wrote,
“The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings.”
That is the path King Amaziah began to walk. He started well, but his heart grew divided.
The Chronicler summarizes his life in one piercing line:
“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.” (2 Chron 25:2)
Amaziah’s story reminds us that obedience without trust is hollow, and trust without obedience is empty. True faith is both trusting God fully and obeying Him joyfully, even when it costs us.
1. God Calls for Wholehearted Trust, Not Pragmatic Strategy (vv. 1–8)
Amaziah began promisingly. His mother was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem, whose name means “The Lord delights.”
The Chronicler’s mention of her name is intentional. It reflects her likely piety and covenant faithfulness, reminding us that Amaziah had every spiritual advantage. He was raised within the faith community of Jerusalem, the city where God’s temple was. Yet, as we soon see, privilege without whole-hearted devotion leads to peril.
Early in his life, he showed restraint and wisdom when seeking justice. He punished the assassins of his father but spared their children, obeying Deuteronomy 24:16, which states,
“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.”
His early obedience showed justice and restraint.
But when preparing for war against Edom, Amaziah made a fateful calculation. He recruited 300,000 soldiers from Judah and hired 100,000 mercenaries from Israel for a hundred talents of silver—a vast sum, roughly 3–4 tons of silver, or about $3 million today. This was a significant national expenditure and political alliance, not just wages for soldiers.
It looked prudent and strategic. But God sent a prophet—an unnamed “man of God”—to warn him:
“O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel… for God shall make you fall before the enemy.” (vv. 7–8)
The prophet’s words expose Amaziah’s misplaced confidence in human strength and highlight the futility of relying on alliances without God’s favor.
Note on the Ephraimites: The northern kingdom of Israel, often called Ephraim, had long since turned from true worship of God. Ephraim, once a leading tribe descended from Joseph, had become a symbol of idolatry and apostasy. The prophets often used “Ephraim” as shorthand for a people who carried God’s name but not His presence. As Hosea said, “Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone” (Hos. 4:17).
The lesson is clear: God’s power is not revealed through numbers or alliances but through faith and obedience. The Lord delights to act when His people depend on Him with the whole heart.
2. Our Guilt: We Often Obey Reluctantly When Obedience Costs Us (vv. 9–10)
Amaziah’s response exposes the struggle we all face:
“But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?” (v. 9)
He was more concerned about his financial loss than being faithful to God. The prophet’s answer is timeless:
“The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” (v. 9)
Faith is not about calculating risk and trusting God if the odds favor us. It is about trusting divine sufficiency even if the odds are against us. Half-hearted obedience asks, “What will this cost me?” Full-hearted obedience declares, “God can give me far more than I could ever keep.”
Amaziah’s hesitation mirrors our own hearts. We may obey outwardly, but reluctantly. We weigh outcomes instead of resting in God’s character. But the passage dares to say that partial trust is still a lack of faith. We should seek the kind of obedience that flows from confidence in the God who never withholds what is truly good.
3. Grace Shines: God Rewards Even Weak Faith and Calls Us Deeper (vv. 11–13)
To his credit, Amaziah obeyed the prophet’s word and sent the mercenaries home. This was an act of obedience that came at a cost. The Israelite soldiers were furious and later raided Judah’s cities in revenge, killing three thousand and plundering their goods. Yet Amaziah still triumphed over Edom.
“But Amaziah took courage and led his people out and went to the Valley of Salt. He struck down ten thousand men of Seir.” (v. 11)
Note: “Seir” refers to the mountainous region southeast of the Dead Sea, the homeland of the Edomites, descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother. The Edomites had long been Israel’s kin and enemies. This was a tragic picture of rebellion within the family of faith. “Edom” means red, and “Seir” was their rugged territory. So when Amaziah struck down “the men of Seir,” he was conquering the descendants of Esau, who had persistently opposed God’s covenant people.
Theologically, this victory symbolized God’s triumph over the fleshly, self-reliant spirit that resists His purposes. Notice the grace. Even though Amaziah’s obedience was reluctant and his heart was divided, God still granted victory. However, we mustn't assume that the "victory" that we experience means the "approval" of God.
God's faithfulness exceeds our frailty. But His grace also calls us to obey not grudgingly, but joyfully.
Ultimately, this story points beyond Amaziah to Jesus Christ, the true King who obeyed the Father fully and freely. In the wilderness, He rejected Satan’s shortcuts.
On the cross, He entrusted Himself completely to the Father’s will. Through His wholehearted obedience, we who waver are forgiven and made whole.
In Him, obedience is no longer a fearful transaction. It becomes the joyful fruit of a trusting relationship.
Applications
Trust God when obedience feels costly.
Faith is trusting God, even though we don't seem to benefit at all from it. Remember Romans 8:18, which says,
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Obey with “foolish” joy, not "smart" calculation.
God is honored by wholehearted faith, not conditional obedience. God is honored by cheerful faith, not by calculated, risk-assessed, spreadsheet-tested action items.
Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, KJV)
Conclusion
Amaziah’s life warns us, but grace invites us.
Half-hearted obedience measures cost; full-hearted trust rejoices in God’s sufficiency.
So when the call of obedience seems costly or impractical, remember the prophet’s words:
“The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
To trust God fully is to discover the joy that only costly obedience can bring.
Prayer
Father,
We confess that we often obey halfway, calculating our losses instead of resting in Your promises.
Forgive our divided hearts and teach us to trust You fully.
Thank You for Jesus, who obeyed You with joy, even unto death, that we might live with whole hearts.
Give us the courage to follow You wherever You lead, believing that You give us much more than this.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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