2 Kings 14:8-10 – Don’t allow pride to derail us

In  2 Chronicles 25:7-13, Amaziah was told by the man of God not to involve the 100,000 mercenary soldiers he had recruited from Israel in his battle with Edom. He was told that God would not be with those mercenaries thus they would be of no help to him in the battle. When Amaziah felt that the 100 talents of silver he paid to recruit them would be wasted, he was assured that God could make it up to him. So he listened to the man of God, sent the mercenaries back, and did not involve them. But those men felt insulted, so they raided some cities of Judah and took spoil from them.

True to what he was told by the man of God, Amaziah won the battle against Edom without the help of the Israelite soldiers. He became proud after his victory in Edom and felt that he was strong and invincible. So he challenged Jehoash of Israel for what those men of his did to the cities in Judah. He should just let the matter rest, but he did not. So in response to  his challenge,  Jehoash chided him. Using a fable, the king of Israel insulted him. Calling him a little thistle of Lebanon seeking to make an incredible demand on the great cedar of Lebanon. He had insinuated that he had overestimated himself and as a result was unwittingly trampled by wild beasts in the forest. Jehoash also counseled him to be content with the victory he had over Edom, and not allow the victory to make his head swell. He was telling him not to invite trouble for himself by challenging him.

Know it or not, Jehoash’s counsel to Amaziah, though insulting, was good advice. And it’s here that we derive our lessons for today. Firstly, Amaziah should have let the sleeping dog lie. Here we are reminded of the idiom that says, “Don’t trouble trouble till trouble troubles us.” The first lesson for us is the same. Don’t seek needless trouble for ourselves. In life, we must learn to cut losses for mistakes we have made and move on. Secondly, Amaziah should know that his victory at Edom does not mean that he would win every battle henceforth. He still needed to evaluate and take the right and needful steps to win his future battles. From this, we learn the second lesson. Be sure that “one swallow doesn’t make a summer.” Therefore, let us trust God to guide and lead us and not “trouble trouble, till trouble troubles us.” Let us also know that one swallow doesn’t make a summer.