Civil War - Again



2 Kings 14:8-15
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”
9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.
10 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”
11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home.
13 And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
14 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Amaziah, the king of Judah, has defeated his southern enemy the Edomites. His head puffs up with pride and self-importance and he looks to the north, assuming that he will be able to defeat his brothers in Israel as well. Jehoash, the king of Israel rejects his claims, waving Amaziah off with a derogatory parable. (vs. 9 – You, a thistle, stand beneath me, a cedar, and ask for respect and equality. In the meantime, a wild animal walks by and crushes you. – My personal translation.) Amaziah gets angry and a battle ensues in which Amaziah is completely crushed. Judah flees in terror. Jehoash knocks down a large section of the wall surrounding Jerusalem and steals the precious items found in the temple and in the king’s treasury. He also grabs a few hostages on his way out of town. Pride takes us down every time.

It’s tough not to want more power or riches. It looks so attractive and we live under the false belief that more would make our lives easier. Contentment is one of the keys to a peace-filled life. Had Amaziah been satisfied with his victory over Edom and his place in life, Jehoash would have left him alone and all would have been well. But the desire for more reared its ugly head and disaster followed not long after. As with yesterday’s reading, we would do well to take a lesson from these Old Testament stories and apply them to our own lives.

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