2Ch 28:11 | KingComments | STEP | The Israelites have already killed 120,000 men ( ). Now they also take 200,000 “women, sons and daughters” as prisoners ( ). It is noticeable that it says that they carry away “of their brethren”. It is a brother-people. From them the Israelites also take a great deal of spoil which they take with them to Samaria. Judah suffers an enormous loss of people and goods. Deviation from the LORD never results in profit, but always in loss. The fact that all this is happening among brothers makes the matter even more tragic. In fact, the winners are also losers. That is clear from the sequel. There comes a prophet from Samaria, Oded ( ). It is remarkable that he is there, in the center of wicked Israel. He goes to the army that is on its way to Samaria with the prisoners and the spoil. The prophet has no pleasant message for them. He does not come to congratulate them on their victory, but to point out their sins in God’s Name and to announce judgment to them. It is a testimony of great courage to speak in this way to a people in a rush to victory and to call upon them to become humble because of their own condition (cf. ; ). Oded reminds the Israelites that they owe the victory only to the LORD’s anger with Judah. The prophet strongly admonishes them about the way in which they have dealt with Judah. They raged in such a way that the cries of their victims rose to heaven. And as if all this were not enough, they also subjected the Judeans and the people of Jerusalem to themselves to use them as male and female slaves ( ), something the LORD explicitly forbids ( ). Do they have no idea how much they themselves are guilty toward the LORD their God ( )? Oded tells the ten tribes that the wrath of the LORD rests upon them. God has used them as a rod to punish Judah. But the anger of God also comes over the rod of discipline when they act as they see fit. We see this also in Assyria, for example, which is used by God as a disciplinary rod against Israel. That people will also be judged because of their unfaithfulness to the LORD ( ). After his serious words, Oded calls on them to listen to him and to do what he says ( ). They must bring back to Judah the prisoners “whom you captured from your brothers”. They must do so because the LORD’s burning anger is against them. The LORD is very wroth with their revenge. They did bring His discipline over Judah, but they did not take Him into account in its execution, nor did they take into account their own sinful practices. They did it in pride and bloating. For us, this is a lesson if we have to point out a mistake to someone personally or if discipline is required in the church. We must then be aware that we are not better and also should not exercise discipline in a haughty attitude ( ; ).

‏ 2 Chronicles 28:11

The LORD Speaks to the Israelites

The Israelites have already killed 120,000 men (2Chr 28:6). Now they also take 200,000 “women, sons and daughters” as prisoners (2Chr 28:8). It is noticeable that it says that they carry away “of their brethren”. It is a brother-people. From them the Israelites also take a great deal of spoil which they take with them to Samaria. Judah suffers an enormous loss of people and goods. Deviation from the LORD never results in profit, but always in loss. The fact that all this is happening among brothers makes the matter even more tragic. In fact, the winners are also losers. That is clear from the sequel.

There comes a prophet from Samaria, Oded (2Chr 28:9). It is remarkable that he is there, in the center of wicked Israel. He goes to the army that is on its way to Samaria with the prisoners and the spoil. The prophet has no pleasant message for them. He does not come to congratulate them on their victory, but to point out their sins in God’s Name and to announce judgment to them. It is a testimony of great courage to speak in this way to a people in a rush to victory and to call upon them to become humble because of their own condition (cf. Deu 9:5; Rom 11:20-21).

Oded reminds the Israelites that they owe the victory only to the LORD’s anger with Judah. The prophet strongly admonishes them about the way in which they have dealt with Judah. They raged in such a way that the cries of their victims rose to heaven. And as if all this were not enough, they also subjected the Judeans and the people of Jerusalem to themselves to use them as male and female slaves (2Chr 28:10a), something the LORD explicitly forbids (Lev 25:46b). Do they have no idea how much they themselves are guilty toward the LORD their God (2Chr 28:10b)?

Oded tells the ten tribes that the wrath of the LORD rests upon them. God has used them as a rod to punish Judah. But the anger of God also comes over the rod of discipline when they act as they see fit. We see this also in Assyria, for example, which is used by God as a disciplinary rod against Israel. That people will also be judged because of their unfaithfulness to the LORD (Isa 10:5-19).

After his serious words, Oded calls on them to listen to him and to do what he says (2Chr 28:11). They must bring back to Judah the prisoners “whom you captured from your brothers”. They must do so because the LORD’s burning anger is against them. The LORD is very wroth with their revenge. They did bring His discipline over Judah, but they did not take Him into account in its execution, nor did they take into account their own sinful practices. They did it in pride and bloating.

For us, this is a lesson if we have to point out a mistake to someone personally or if discipline is required in the church. We must then be aware that we are not better and also should not exercise discipline in a haughty attitude (Gal 6:1; 1Cor 5:2).