Week 21 2 Chronicles 25
Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly. Hmmm. Kings adds: he followed the example of his father, Joash. Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines.
Amaziah did take the (good) advice of a prophet who warned him not to hire mercenaries to protect Judah. It was an exercise of faith for him to accept that the Lord has the power to help.
On the downside Amaziah imported foreign idols – he set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and presented sacrifices to them. It seems like such a crazy act of infidelity and the Lord sent a prophet to warn him about it. But Amaziah disregarded him: since when have I asked your advice? Be quiet now before I have you killed!
I have to give Amaziah (limited) credit for doing what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight (but I’m left wondering how to rate his half-hearted loyalty to the Lord).
Amaziah also gets credit for that time he trusted the Lord in the face of military aggression.
But otherwise he has a very thin resume of actively following the Lord. Plus his worship of other gods seemed like a tipping-point. After that the chronicler said (ominously): God was arranging to destroy Amaziah for worshipping the gods of Edom. And sure enough Jerusalem was ransacked by Israel.
Note: quotes from 2 Chronicles 25:2 2 Kings 14:3-4 2 Chronicles 25:8 14 16 & 20 (NLT)