Day 187 – 2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25

Talking Points

• As the progression of kings moves forward, we read of civil war, halfhearted commitment, and outright rebellion. We read of people blessed by God, yet quickly forgetting about Him. We read of pride, self-promotion, and hatred. And, reading it in print, I wonder, “What is wrong with God’s people?” How patient He must truly be.
• King Amaziah of Judah prepares to attack the Edomites. After assembling his army, he hires 100,000 soldiers from Israel. A prophet tells Amaziah not to make an alliance with the Israelite soldiers, since they were not honoring God. He tells Amaziah, “God has power to help and to bring down” (2 Chronicles 25:8). God’s people are to trust Him. The New Testament tells us not to align with lost people, “for what fellowship does light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Thoughts

God commands us to worship Him alone. He is jealous for us. We are to have no other gods before Him — because there are no other gods. Trust or hope placed in anything other than Him will leave us incredibly disappointed. The question is: Why would He have to command this? Why, after seeing who He truly is, would we want any other god?

King Amaziah sees God’s powerful deliverance as Judah soundly defeats the Edomites. It is clearly God’s hand that delivered. The false gods of Edom have proven empty and powerless. Yet, the Bible says that as he returns, Amaziah, “brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them” (2 Chronicles 25:14).

Why? This was actually a pagan tradition. As a pagan army defeated another nation, it was a sign that the defeated nation’s gods had deserted them for the victor. Therefore, that victor would leave with the newly acquired gods, and add to his power. The victory was being attributed to the defeated nation’s gods.

In this, Judah was acting as a pagan nation. They were saying, “We carry God’s name, but we will take the other gods as well.” Maybe just in case or trying to cover all their bases. Whatever the reason, it was a lack of trust, and it was a sin.

Today, our trust is to be solely in God. We are not to plan a backup. We don’t need a contingency plan. We don’t have to hedge our bets. God is faithful! We don’t have to scurry about as a pagan people. God, help us to confidently, boldly, and unreservedly trust in You!