2 Chronicles 25:17-28--Israel Defeats Amaziah

2 Chronicles 25:17-28
English Standard Version

Israel Defeats Amaziah
17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” 18 And Joash the 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. 19 You say, ‘See, I have struck down Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at home. Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”

20 But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21 So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23 And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 24 And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, in the care of Obed-edom. He seized also the treasuries of the king's house, also hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

​25 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26 Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27 From the time when he turned away from the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there. 28 And they brought him upon horses, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David.

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Amaziah is now cocky after the victory that the LORD gave him over Edom and he sent a message to Joash, the son of Johoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel to come and face him in battle in person.  Joash refuses, but that doesn't stop Amaziah, because the LORD has put it in his heart to attack Israel so that Judah might be given into the hands of their enemies since they had turned to worship the gods of the Edomites.

Joash prepared for battle and the armies of Israel and the armies of Judah met at battlelines that were drawn at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.  Judah was defeated on their home turf, and all the men of Judah fled to their homes as the LORD made them cowards by putting fear in their hearts.  Israel broke down 600 feet of the wall around Jerusalem, leaving the city open and exposed to beasts and enemy armies alike.  All the silver and gold and precious articles from the Temple and that were in the care of Obed-Edom were stolen by Joash and the men of Israel as well as all the valuables that were in the king's personal treasury.  They also took hostages with them and returned to Samaria (the capital city of Israel).

Amaziah lived 15 years after the death of Joash, king of Israel.  We can read more about both of them in the book of the Kings of Israel and Judah (the books of 1st and 2nd Kings).  The people of Jerusalem knew the trouble they were having was because Amaziah had turned away from the LORD and was in rebellion against Him, so he lived in exile for the last years of his life, and the people sought to kill him if they could find him.  They finally found him hiding in Lachish and sent men there to put him to death (idolatry was a capital offense), but they did bring him back and bury him among the other kings of Judah in the City of David.  As we would expect, they will take one of his sons and make him king next time--you'll probably recognize that king's name from the book of Isaiah as he is the king who reigned during the time of Isaiah serving as both prophet and priest in Judah.