2 Kings 14:11-14 - Don't allow blessings to become a curse

Despite the warning by Jehoash, Amaziah would not back away. Overconfident, he defiantly insisted on the confrontation. So Jehoash went up to confront him at Beth-shemesh in Judah. In that conflict, Judah was defeated and routed by Israel. They all fled to their tents and Amaziah was captured by Jehoash. Besides capturing him, Jehoash also tore 400 cubits of Jerusalem’s wall from “the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate.” Verse 14 said that Jehoash also “took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.”

Why was Amaziah so badly defeated? Didn’t he just win a decisive victory over Edom? What could be the reason? Here’s where 2 Chronicles 25:14-10 fill us in. We are told that after he had defeated the Edomites, he took their gods and set them up as his gods. Then he bowed to those gods of the Edomites and burned incense to them. What he did, provoked the anger of the LORD who was still gracious to send a prophet to warn him. He was warned of his folly to seek those gods who couldn’t even protect his own people. But Amaziah would not listen and questioned the prophet’s right to speak to him like this. He even threatened the prophet who gave him the last message before he shut up. He told the king, “I know that God has planned to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” Second Chronicles 24:20 affirmed that it was God who had delivered Amaziah and Judah into the hand of Jehoash because he sought after the gods of Edom.   

Here is a case of what could have been an enduring success but ended up becoming a curse. Amaziah had a successful military campaign against Edom with the help of God, but he made the mistake of turning to the Edomite idols. The message is clear, we need to stay clearheaded. As we enjoy the blessings of God, we must not turn those blessings into idols in our lives. We may be blessed with a great career, a wonderful home, a lovely wife, and children. Sure, enjoy them, but remain faithful in your commitment and service to God.  Don’t turn them into our idols in life.