2Ki 14 | MHM | STEP | The Reign of Amaziah. This section introduces Amaziah, the son of Joash, as king of Judah. Amaziah’s reign is described in three main areas: his actions in the temple, his decisions as a judge, and his leadership in battle. He started well by following God’s ways, but he did not reach the level of faith and devotion shown by King David. Amaziah also showed wisdom and justice in dealing with those who killed his father, and he had military success against Edom. However, he did not remove all the old corrupt practices from the land. v. 1-3 : Amaziah became king after his father Joash. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord , but not with the same heart and devotion as David. He kept up the worship of God, but did not go as far as he could in removing wrong practices. It is not enough to simply follow the traditions of those before us; we must serve God with true faith and sincerity (2 Kings 14:3 ).

‏ 2 Kings 14

The Reign of Amaziah.

This section introduces Amaziah, the son of Joash, as king of Judah. Amaziah’s reign is described in three main areas: his actions in the temple, his decisions as a judge, and his leadership in battle. He started well by following God’s ways, but he did not reach the level of faith and devotion shown by King David. Amaziah also showed wisdom and justice in dealing with those who killed his father, and he had military success against Edom. However, he did not remove all the old corrupt practices from the land.

v. 1-3: Amaziah became king after his father Joash. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with the same heart and devotion as David. He kept up the worship of God, but did not go as far as he could in removing wrong practices. It is not enough to simply follow the traditions of those before us; we must serve God with true faith and sincerity (2 Kings 14:3 ^a).

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v. 4: Amaziah did not remove the high places where people offered sacrifices. These places had become accepted over time, but they were not what God wanted. It is difficult to get rid of bad habits or customs that have been around for a long time .

v. 5: When Amaziah’s rule was secure, he punished the servants who had killed his father. He waited until his kingdom was stable before acting, showing wisdom and patience. Sometimes, justice is best served by waiting for the right time .

v. 6: Amaziah did not kill the children of the murderers, because God’s law said, The children shall not be put to death for the fathers (Deuteronomy 24:16 ^b). Even though some people may have advised him to do so for revenge or safety, Amaziah obeyed God’s command and trusted Him with the outcome .

v. 7: Amaziah led his army against Edom, which had rebelled against Judah in the past. He defeated 10,000 Edomites and captured the city of Selah, giving it a new name. This victory brought honor to his reign and helped restore Judah’s strength (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chronicles 25:5-13 ^c).

Amaziah’s Challenge to Joash

This section describes a time when the kingdoms of Judah and Israel became hostile again after many years of uneasy friendship and alliance. Amaziah, king of Judah, challenged Joash, king of Israel, to battle without a good reason. This led to disaster for Judah, showing how pride and foolish decisions can bring trouble not only to a leader but also to a whole nation.

v. 8: Amaziah sent a challenge to Joash, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face” . He wanted to fight, even though there was no real reason. Some people think Amaziah was trying to get revenge for harm done by Israelite soldiers who had been sent away earlier (2 Chronicles 25:13 ^d). Others think he was proud after his victory over Edom and wanted more power. His challenge was reckless and put many lives in danger. The Bible warns, A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows (Proverbs 18:6 ^e).

v. 9-10: Joash replied with a wise warning. He compared himself to a cedar tree and Amaziah to a thistle, saying that Amaziah was overestimating his strength. Joash told Amaziah that his pride after beating Edom had made him think he could easily defeat Israel, but he was wrong. Joash advised Amaziah to be content with his victory and not to start a fight that would only bring harm to himself and his kingdom. Why should you meddle to your own hurt? (2 Kings 14:9-10; Proverbs 20:3 ^f).

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v. 11-12: Amaziah ignored Joash’s advice and insisted on fighting. The result was a disaster for Judah. Amaziah’s army was defeated, and the soldiers ran away in fear. Amaziah himself was captured by Joash. This shows that those who start fights for no good reason often end up losing (2 Kings 14:12 ^g).

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v. 13: After winning, Joash brought Amaziah to Jerusalem. He broke down part of the city wall and drove his chariot through the breach as an act of triumph and shame for Judah. Amaziah’s royal family background is mentioned here, perhaps to show how far he had fallen despite his heritage .

v. 14: Joash took treasures from the temple and the palace and returned to Samaria with many hostages and spoil. Amaziah’s defeat happened even though he had done what was right in the sight of the Lord, while Joash had done evil. This teaches us that God opposes the proud and honors those who honor Him, especially through respect for His prophets (2 Kings 14:14; 2 Kings 13:14 ^h; 2 Chronicles 25:16 ⁱ).

Reign of Jeroboam, King of Israel.

This passage summarizes the deaths of three kings: Joash, king of Israel; Amaziah, king of Judah; and the transition to Azariah’s reign in Judah. It highlights how their lives ended and the consequences of their actions during their reigns. These accounts show the judgment of God on leaders who act with pride or fail in their responsibilities, as well as the continuation of God’s plans through new rulers.

v. 15-16: Joash, king of Israel, died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His death is mentioned here again because the historian had earlier given more details about his reign and actions (2 Kings 13:12-13 ^j). His reign ended, but the consequences of his life’s decisions remained (2 Kings 14:15-16 ^k).

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v. 17: Amaziah, king of Judah, lived for fifteen more years after his defeat by Joash, king of Israel. Although he survived, his life was marked by shame and humiliation. He likely spent this time reflecting on his failures, including his pride and poor decisions that had led to his defeat .

v. 18: The rest of Amaziah’s deeds were recorded in the annals of the kings of Judah. However, his actions revealed a lack of true courage. His cruelty after conquering the Edomites and his arrogance in challenging Israel showed his weaknesses as a leader .

v. 19: Amaziah was eventually killed by his own subjects because they hated his poor leadership. After his defeat by Joash, the people of Jerusalem were angry about the damage to the city walls, which Amaziah’s foolishness had caused. He fled to Lachish for safety but was murdered there. Even though he was killed, his body was brought back to Jerusalem and buried with his ancestors .

v. 20-22: Azariah, also called Uzziah, succeeded his father Amaziah as king of Judah. However, because Azariah was only four years old when Amaziah died, Judah was ruled by protectors for twelve years until Azariah became old enough to reign at sixteen (2 Kings 15:1-2 ^l). Azariah reigned for a long time, but little is mentioned about his achievements here, except that he rebuilt the city of Elath, which had been taken by the Edomites and recovered by his father (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Kings 14:22 ^m).

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The Reign of Jeroboam II, King of Israel.

This section gives an account of Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel for forty-one years. His reign was the longest of all the kings of Israel. Even though he shared a name with Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin, the people still honored that name. Jeroboam II’s reign shows that outward success and a long life do not always mean a person is right with God. God sometimes allows prosperity even when people continue in sin, but He still sees and judges the heart.

v. 23: Jeroboam II became king of Israel and reigned for forty-one years. This was a very long reign, but length of rule does not always show God’s approval. Azariah, king of Judah, reigned even longer—fifty-two years. Both good and evil kings can have long reigns, but what matters most is whether they do what is right in the sight of the Lord (1 Kings 15:10 ⁿ).

v. 24: Jeroboam II did evil in the sight of the Lord. He continued the idol worship started by Jeroboam the son of Nebat. He kept the worship of the golden calves, thinking it was not wrong because it was an old tradition. But sin does not become less serious just because it is common or old .

v. 25: Even though Jeroboam II did evil, God allowed him to be successful in battle. He restored Israel’s borders from Hamath in the north to the Sea of the Arabah in the south, just as God had said through the prophet Jonah son of Amittai. This shows that God sometimes shows mercy and keeps His promises, even when His people do not deserve it .

v. 26: God saw how much Israel was suffering. The people were very oppressed and had no one to help them. Even though they had not truly repented, God had compassion on them because of their misery (2 Kings 14:26; Psalm 86:15 ^o).

v. 27: God had not yet decided to destroy Israel completely or remove their name from the earth. Because of this, He saved them by Jeroboam II. God’s mercy was shown not because of their goodness, but because He had not yet given the final word of judgment (2 Kings 14:27; 2 Kings 13:23 ^p).

v. 28-29: The rest of Jeroboam II’s acts, his power, and his wars are recorded elsewhere. After his death, he was buried with the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king. Even the strongest kings must die, and their power cannot save them from death. During Jeroboam II’s time, prophets like Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Isaiah began to write down their messages, so that God’s word would continue to guide His people (2 Kings 14:28-29; Hosea 1:2 ^q).