CHAPTER 14

1. Amaziah’s reign over Judah (2Kings 14:1-7; 2 Chron. 25)

2. The conflict between Israel and Judah (2Kings 14:8-11; 2Chronicles 25:17-24)

3. Judah’s defeat and Jerusalem taken (2Kings 14:12-14)

4. Jehoash and his successor (2Kings 14:15-16)

5. Death of Amaziah (2Kings 14:17-20; 2Chronicles 25:26-28)

6. Azariah, King of Judah (2Kings 14:21-22)

7. Jeroboam II (2Kings 14:23-29)

Amaziah, a son of Joash, began his reign over Judah. His mother was Jehoaddan (LORD is pleased) of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD and yet he followed the errors of his father. His first deed was to deal in judgment with the two servants who had murdered his father in Millo, both of whom were sons of Gentile women (2Kings 12:19-21; 2Chronicles 24:26). He feared, however, the Word of God. The additional record which is found in Chronicles we shall not follow here, but do so in the annotations of that book. He raised a large army and hired besides 100,000 Israelitish mercenaries at a tremendous cost. He gained a victory over Edom. All the cruelties practised then we shall find recorded in Chronicles. He became lifted up by his victories and then challenged Jehoash, the King of Israel. That King answered by a parable. The thistle in Lebanon is Amaziah; the cedar is Jehoash, King of Israel. The wild beast that was in Lebanon overcoming the thistle (Amaziah) is Jehoash’s army. And the King of Israel gave him a solemn warning to desist. But proud Amaziah paid no attention to Jehoash’s words. God was behind it all. “It came of God, that He might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom” (2Chronicles 25:20). A complete defeat of Amaziah followed and Jerusalem was taken. And Jehoash “took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-Edom, and the treasures of the King’s house, the hostages also and returned unto Samaria.” After this humiliating defeat there followed a revolution in Jerusalem and the unhappy King fled to Lachish, where he was slain. His body was brought back to Jerusalem for burial.

The brief record of the reign of Jeroboam II concludes this chapter. The Prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai is here mentioned. This same Jonah made later the experience which the book of Jonah relates and to which our Lord refers as a historic fact. Hosea and Amos also prophesied at that time in Israel.

(The books of Hosea and Amos, especially the latter, shed much light upon the history of the Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam and his son. This will be pointed out in annotations of both books.)