This chapter is a flurry of activity with several more kings and conquests within the sister countries of Judah and Israel.
” ‘…Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?’ But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle… And Judah was defeated by Israel… Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash… and broke down the wall of Jerusalem… 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…” (v10-14 abr)
Amaziah, son of Jehoash King of Judah, foolishly insists on confronting Israel and loses the conflict, suffering great losses of property, people and treasures. It says Amaziah followed God and the laws of Moses in some ways but not others (the false gods remained). His fickle heart meant God allowed Judah to suffer some consequences.
A great passage in scripture warns us about the fickle nature of the heart. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas 1:5-8) Additional passages include Mt 6:24, 1 Ki 18:21, Jos 24:15, and 2 Cor 1:17.
Scripture tells us that we cannot waiver in our faith or allegiance to God. If we are fickle (“driven and tossed by the wind”), changing our mind or wavering moment by moment, we are described as being ‘double-minded’ and ‘unstable in all of our ways’.
God, in whose image we are created, is of one mind and is eternally unchanging (stable). The closer in relationship we are with God, the more stable and ‘single-minded’ we become (‘single-minded’ is a good thing in this context). I encourage us to pursue stability and alignment with God, fully trusting in Him. I realize it’s sometimes difficult to trust when we have many unknowns in our lives, and that’s where faith comes in – we can strongly believe in God and His promises without foreknowledge of the outcome, because God epitomizes integrity.
Father God, our Rock and Fortress, You are our shelter in difficult times. Father thank you for being stable and unchanging. We can trust in You, knowing that You are the same today as You were in the days of Moses. Please teach us to be firm in our faith, and be consistent in Your ways, so others may see You through us. In the name of Jesus who displayed integrity at its finest, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training