2Ch 25:6 | KingComments | STEP | Amaziah proceeds to a military action which, as we will see later, is directed against Edom ( ; ). The reason for this is not clear. Amaziah assembles Judah and appoints an army of the best men from twenty years old and upward (cf. ). There appear to be 300,000 men who qualify and who can handle spear and shield. This is a considerable army, but it still does not reach to the armies of Asa and Jehoshaphat who had an army of 580,000 and more than 1,000,000 men respectively ( ). Perhaps Amaziah has those numbers in mind when assessing the size of his army. In any case, he is not convinced that he can defeat the Edomites with this army. Therefore he complements his army with mercenaries from the northern empire, for which he pays a hundred talents of silver ( ). In his calculations, however, there is no room for the LORD. Although Amaziah does not count with the LORD, He in His goodness sends a prophet, a man of God, to him ( ; cf. ). The name of the man of God is not given. His name doesn’t matter, because it’s about what he has to say. He warns Amaziah not to rely on the soldiers of Israel and not to take them with him. The reason is that “the LORD is not with Israel [nor with] any of the sons of Ephraim”. Because there is no place left for Him in the northern kingdom, He cannot be with them either. If we deny the Lord the first place in our lives, He cannot help us in what we do. The man of God tells Amaziah that he is free to fight with Edom despite the warning, and to use the soldiers he hires ( ). If he wants to, he must do so. Then he must encourage himself to be strong in battle. But he must also know that he will lose the battle because God will bring him down before the enemy. For God has power to help, but if he refuses to use that power, God will prove His power by bringing him down. Amaziah is almost convinced. The only question he still has is what about the money he has invested in this expedition ( ). To this question the man of God gives the beautiful and encouraging and also comforting answer: “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” Amaziah may choose: loss of money or loss of the battle. The choice between these two possibilities is in reality the choice between fighting with or without the LORD. We may know that the Lord will pay double for all we abandon for Him. Every loss suffered for Him is amply compensated by Him. The only question is whether we trust Him in that promise. Amaziah made his choice ( ). He wants to go out with the LORD and thus without the troops from Ephraim. He dismisses the mercenaries so they can go back home. We might think that the hired troops like it. They have their money ( ) and can, without having to do anything for it and therefore without the chance that they will be killed in battle, return home. It is not like that, however. They get angry at Judah that they have been sent away. The question is answered and the choice is made. Through the words of the prophet Amaziah takes courage and leads his people away to the Valley of Salt to fight against Edom ( ). Nothing is said about the battle, but what is mentioned is the result. The result is overwhelming. Amaziah defeats the sons of Seir – those are the Edomites, named after the area where they live – 10,000 men. Another 10,000 are taken away as captives ( ). These prisoners are taken to the top of a cliff and thrown down from the top of the cliff. They are all dashed to pieces by it, by which, so to speak, their corrupt inner being comes out. Edom or Esau ( ) is a picture of sin, the old nature or flesh. Edom has always behaved as a merciless enemy of God’s people, and will be judged for it. The whole of Obadiah’s prophecy is devoted to this ( ). We cannot feel sorry for sin, but must judge it mercilessly. Scripture calls us to kill our members which are on earth ( ). This means for us that we must learn to judge ourselves ( ) and also to judge sin in the church ( ). Then the chronicler makes another comment about the mercenaries sent home by Amaziah ( ). We have seen that these men have become furious about their sending away ( ). From what we read now, we might conclude that the cause of their burning anger is that by sending them away they will miss a great booty. They are therefore going to get the loss of profit and compensate themselves by attacking the cities of Judah. There they kill a large number of men and plunder much spoil. How could such people be a help to God’s things? People with selfish motives can never be a help in the struggle that children of God have to fight. They inflict losses on Amaziah. We may wonder what about the LORD’s promise that He has more to give than Amaziah lost by sending the mercenaries away. That promise will be fulfilled. The LORD has also given Amaziah a great victory. Yet there is no complete trust in the LORD, as the sequel shows.

‏ 2 Chronicles 25:6

God Has Power to Help

Amaziah proceeds to a military action which, as we will see later, is directed against Edom (2Chr 25:5; 2Chr 25:11). The reason for this is not clear. Amaziah assembles Judah and appoints an army of the best men from twenty years old and upward (cf. Num 1:2-3). There appear to be 300,000 men who qualify and who can handle spear and shield. This is a considerable army, but it still does not reach to the armies of Asa and Jehoshaphat who had an army of 580,000 and more than 1,000,000 men respectively (2Chr 14:8 ; 2Chr 17:14-16).

Perhaps Amaziah has those numbers in mind when assessing the size of his army. In any case, he is not convinced that he can defeat the Edomites with this army. Therefore he complements his army with mercenaries from the northern empire, for which he pays a hundred talents of silver (2Chr 25:6). In his calculations, however, there is no room for the LORD.

Although Amaziah does not count with the LORD, He in His goodness sends a prophet, a man of God, to him (2Chr 25:7; cf. 2Chr 16:7 ; 2Chr 19:2). The name of the man of God is not given. His name doesn’t matter, because it’s about what he has to say. He warns Amaziah not to rely on the soldiers of Israel and not to take them with him. The reason is that “the LORD is not with Israel [nor with] any of the sons of Ephraim”. Because there is no place left for Him in the northern kingdom, He cannot be with them either. If we deny the Lord the first place in our lives, He cannot help us in what we do.

The man of God tells Amaziah that he is free to fight with Edom despite the warning, and to use the soldiers he hires (2Chr 25:8). If he wants to, he must do so. Then he must encourage himself to be strong in battle. But he must also know that he will lose the battle because God will bring him down before the enemy. For God has power to help, but if he refuses to use that power, God will prove His power by bringing him down.

Amaziah is almost convinced. The only question he still has is what about the money he has invested in this expedition (2Chr 25:9). To this question the man of God gives the beautiful and encouraging and also comforting answer: “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” Amaziah may choose: loss of money or loss of the battle. The choice between these two possibilities is in reality the choice between fighting with or without the LORD. We may know that the Lord will pay double for all we abandon for Him. Every loss suffered for Him is amply compensated by Him. The only question is whether we trust Him in that promise.

Amaziah made his choice (2Chr 25:10). He wants to go out with the LORD and thus without the troops from Ephraim. He dismisses the mercenaries so they can go back home. We might think that the hired troops like it. They have their money (2Chr 25:6) and can, without having to do anything for it and therefore without the chance that they will be killed in battle, return home. It is not like that, however. They get angry at Judah that they have been sent away.

The question is answered and the choice is made. Through the words of the prophet Amaziah takes courage and leads his people away to the Valley of Salt to fight against Edom (2Chr 25:11). Nothing is said about the battle, but what is mentioned is the result. The result is overwhelming. Amaziah defeats the sons of Seir – those are the Edomites, named after the area where they live – 10,000 men. Another 10,000 are taken away as captives (2Chr 25:12). These prisoners are taken to the top of a cliff and thrown down from the top of the cliff. They are all dashed to pieces by it, by which, so to speak, their corrupt inner being comes out.

Edom or Esau (Gen 36:1) is a picture of sin, the old nature or flesh. Edom has always behaved as a merciless enemy of God’s people, and will be judged for it. The whole of Obadiah’s prophecy is devoted to this (Oba 1:1-21). We cannot feel sorry for sin, but must judge it mercilessly. Scripture calls us to kill our members which are on earth (Col 3:5). This means for us that we must learn to judge ourselves (1Cor 11:31) and also to judge sin in the church (1Cor 5:13b).

Then the chronicler makes another comment about the mercenaries sent home by Amaziah (2Chr 25:13). We have seen that these men have become furious about their sending away (2Chr 25:10). From what we read now, we might conclude that the cause of their burning anger is that by sending them away they will miss a great booty. They are therefore going to get the loss of profit and compensate themselves by attacking the cities of Judah. There they kill a large number of men and plunder much spoil.

How could such people be a help to God’s things? People with selfish motives can never be a help in the struggle that children of God have to fight. They inflict losses on Amaziah. We may wonder what about the LORD’s promise that He has more to give than Amaziah lost by sending the mercenaries away. That promise will be fulfilled. The LORD has also given Amaziah a great victory. Yet there is no complete trust in the LORD, as the sequel shows.