1. 1. 2 CHRO ICLES 25 COMME TARY EDITED BY GLE PEASE Amaziah King of Judah 1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty- nine years. His mothers name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. BAR ES, "This chapter is evidently taken to a large extent from the same document as Kings (see the marginal reference and the notes). At the same time it contains large and important additions; e. g. 2Ch_25:5-10, 2Ch_25:13-16. GILL 1-4, "Amaziah was twenty five years old when he began to reign,.... Of these verses; see Gill on 2Ki_14:2. See Gill on 2Ki_14:3. See Gill on 2Ki_14:5. See Gill on 2Ki_14:6. HE RY, "Here is, I. The general character of Amaziah: He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, worshipped the true God, kept the temple service a going, and countenanced religion in his kingdom; but he did not do it with a perfect heart (2Ch_ 25:2), that is, he was not a man of serious piety or devotion himself, nor had he any zeal for the exercises of religion. He was no enemy to it, but a cool and indifferent friend. Such is the character of too many in this Laodicean age: they do that which is good, but not with the heart, not with a perfect heart. JAMISO , " K&D, " COFFMA , "THE TRAGIC RECORD OF AMAZIAH'S REIG I JUDAH VIII. AMAZIAH (800-783 B.C.) We have already written about a dozen pages in 2 Kings 14 regarding the reign of Amaziah, taking due note of the additional information provided in this chapter. We shall do little here except print the chapter.
2. 2. ELLICOTT, "THE REIG OF AMAZIAH. (Comp. 2 Kings 14:1-20.) DURATIO A D CHARACTER OF THE REIG . EXECUTIO OF THE MURDERERS OF JOASH (2 Chronicles 25:1-4). (1, 2) Amaziah . . . the Lord.So 2 Kings 14:2. But not with a perfect heart.This is a brief equivalent of the words of the older text: only not like David his father: according to all that Joash his father had done, he did. The reference to Joash is omitted, perhaps because that king appears to less advantage in the Chronicles than ill Kings. In fact, the chroniclers estimate of both princes is less favourable than that of the older historian. Such differences are perfectly natural, and it is needless to attempt to reconcile or eliminate them. GUZIK, "A. His victory over Edom. 1. (2 Chronicles 25:1-2) The limited good of the reign of Amaziah. Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty- nine years in Jerusalem. His mothers name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart. a. He did what was right in the sight of the LORD: Amaziah, son of the great reformer Joash, continued the generally godly reign began by his father. i. He made a good beginning in thus adhering closely to the law. Happy would it have been for him and for his kingdom had he continued as he began. (Knapp) b. But not with a loyal heart: Compared to Joash, Amaziah faithfully continued his policies. Yet some of those policies allowed compromises, such as the allowing of continued sacrifices and incense offerings on the high places (2 Kings 14:1-4). Compared to David - the greatest merely human king to reign over the people of God - Amaziah did not match up favorably (2 Kings 14:1-4). i. The root idea of the Hebrew word translated perfect [loyal in the KJV] is being whole, complete. Imperfection of heart consists in incomplete surrender. Some chamber of the temple is retained for selfish purposes. What it was in the case of Amaziah we are not told, but the fact remains that notwithstanding the general direction of his life . . . the whole heart was not set on doing the will of God. (Morgan) PULPIT, "This chapter is filled up with a very graphic account of the entire career of Amaziah, and its twenty-eight verses are paralleled by the twenty verses of 2 Kings 14:1-20, where the narrative reads in several places much more curtly. Our chapter opens with the familiar anticipatory summary of the man, his age, pedigree,
3. 3. and character, whose course is to be detailed more precisely in following verses, again and yet again sounding the clear key-note of an unclean character and reign (2 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 25:2); it proceeds to record the king's avenging of his father's murder (2 Chronicles 25:3, 2 Chronicles 25:4); his successful sally against "the children of Seir," with the incident of the affronted division of army, formed of them that "came to him out of Ephraim" (2 Chronicles 25:5-13); his defection to idolatry, and insult put upon the faithful "prophet" (2 Chronicles 25:14-16); his jaunty and provocative challenge to Joash of Israel, to his own overthrow (2 Chronicles 25:17-24); his end (2 Chronicles 25:25-28). 2 Chronicles 25:1 Twenty and five years old reigned twenty and nine years. Glance at notes on 2 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 25:15, 2 Chronicles 25:17 of foregoing chapter, from which it appears that, as Joash died aetat. forty-seven, and Amaziah was now twenty-five, he must have been born when his father was twenty-two years old, and Jehoaddan correspondingly likely to have been one of the two wives Jehoiada selected for Joash, at the age, on other data, of twenty-one years. Of Jerusalem. This affix to the mother's name may perhaps carry credit to the memory of Jehoiada, for having been careful to select a woman of the honoured city rather than of any provincial or even less worthy city. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. CLARKE, "He did that which was right - He began his reign well, but soon became an idolater, 2Ch_25:14, 2Ch_25:15. BE SO , "2 Chronicles 25:2. But not with a perfect heart He was not an enemy to religion, but a cool and indifferent friend. He was not a man of serious piety, for his heart was not whole with God. But of this, and the two following verses, see notes on 2 Kings 14:1-7. COFFMA , ""He did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah" (2 Chronicles 25:2). The qualifying clause, "not with a perfect heart" is in effect an admission that
4. 4. his reign was evil. His doing right in God's sight apparently applies only to his sparing the children of his servants whom he executed for the death of his father. The commandment of God through Moses, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 25:4, is found in Deuteronomy 24:16. (See our comments in the Commentary on 2 Kings 14 for the very great significance of this reference.) PARKER, "THE most remarkable feature in the character of Amaziah is his half- heartedness. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned nine- and-twenty years, and was murdered at Lachish by conspirators. He was neither all bad nor all good. His day was made up of cloud and glory. He was neither wise nor foolish; yet he was both. He came as near as any man in history ever came to be that mysterious fountain that can send forth both sweet water and bitter. "And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart" ( 2 Chronicles 25:2). That is the history of the Church in a sentence; that, too, is the history of many a man who sometimes wonders whether he will die, or live; whether he will fall over the abyss into the bottomless pit, or whether he will take wing and fly away to the gate of the morning. The Scriptures insist upon knowing and revealing the state of the heart. Everything depended upon that in the estimate of biblical judges; and everything depends upon that in the appraisement of God himself,not what is the intellect, the head, the genius, the acquisition, the treasure held by the hand; but what is the supreme emotion, the uppermost wish, the dominating desire, the purpose that struggles through all things that embody the life. Our answer to that question settles everything. Could we have a perfect heart we should know the meaning of consecration. We are not consecrated until the heart is filled with divine fire, sanctified by divine ministry, permeated by the Holy Ghost. So we are called upon to grow, to advance, to become wiser, to add to our faith virtue, and to continue the mysterious addition until the pillar of a noble life is crowned with the capital of brotherly kindness and charity. What a marvellous thing is a double life! Men are not all insincere who are adjudged to be double-minded. There is a psychological mystery about this, as well as a spiritual enigma. Let us beware of rough-and-ready estimates of characters. Many a man wants to be good who cannot; that is to say, he cannot realise all his desire and purpose. o one can tell what he suffers; we see the things which he does, but we do not see the temptations which he has resisted; we see when he has gone one mile towards the wrong place, but if he had gone at the speed dictated by the satanic impulse which was focussed in terrific temptation, he would have been there, he would have been all the way, he would have been in the very centre of the flame. It is easy to judge men, saying how imperfect they are, how poor in knowledge, how feeble in character, how mixed in the quality of motive and purpose. Only God knows what some have to do in order to go to church at all. It is almost like winning in a wrestle with death; it will be set down among the battles of the universe which have been crowned with victory. Blessed be God, man is not judge; the Father keeps the judgment in his own hand;
5. 5. and with what graciousness must his face be irradiated when he sees some men moving in the direction of the sanctuary, how reluctantly soever; and when they cross the threshold, who can tell the joy that is in heaven? Judging one another thus, if we judge at all, there will be found to be many better men in the world than we have often reckoned. The statistics are all wrong that are not founded upon charity, love, comprehensiveness of feeling, yea, that sacred enthusiasm which will not let any man be outside who can possibly be brought within. "In my Father"s house are many mansions"many compartments, many chambers, many provinces; they have not all the same aspect or the same garden-land, they do not all accommodate the same wealth of summer; still they are included within the golden circle, and men may grow out of them up into higher possessionsfor heaven is but another name for progress. Amaziah being thus double-minded felt the less difficulty in working out a certain law: " ow it came to pass, when the kingdom was established [or, the sovereignty (power) was confirmed] to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father [After establishing his own government he punished the murderers of his father with death; but, according to the law in Deuteronomy 24:16, he did not slay their children also, as was commonly the custom in the East in ancient times, and may very frequently have been done in Israel as well.Keil]. But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin" ( 2 Chronicles 25:3-4). Here we find two opposing forcesrevenge on the one side, and forbearance on the other. It is here that human criticism so often fails. It is hard not to deal one blow at the son as well as the father. It is almost impossible to distinguish between the one and the other. It requires divine faculty to discriminate, and to use a sword with fineness of justice. Who has not been offended with the son because of something the father has done? Who has not renounced the whole family because one member of it has been found guilty of offence? God doth not thus judge us. He has one in a house, and two in a family, and three in a commonwealth; he will not confound the wise and the unwise, the good and the bad; as he hath himself two hands, so he will make two divisionson the one side shall be the sheep, and on the other the goats, and he will prepare for the destiny of each. Our criticism is rough; we condemn whole nations. If we find that a man who has done something wrong belongs to a certain nationality, we simply send the whole nation down to the bottomless pit. Again, blessed be God, man is not the judge. He will, with fingers of justice that cannot mistake, take the sister from the side of the brother; two women shall be grinding, the one shall be taken, and the other left; yea, two shall be in one bed, and one shall be taken and the other left; it is in this discrimination, this individualisation of judgment, that God shows the fulness of his wisdom and the majesty of his sovereignty. Observe how all this is declared and established in the law of Moses, which is in very deed the law of God. The Lord has trained men by certain
6. 6. dispensations to the use of this very criticism which is so easily abused. "The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers." When the Lord laid down that law he taxed human forbearance to the uttermost. It may not seem to be so in reality, but test the matter by human consciousness and by human action. Have we not wronged whole families? Have we not often thrown in the child as if he were part of the father, and let both be crushed by the mill of revenge? When a man is in hot blood it is difficult to stop with the death of the father: another life would gratify him; he is mad enough to slay a whole house now, and if he should strike the whole family with the sword he will explain himself by a reference to his ill-temper at the moment,as if ill-temper could ever excuse or mitigate any offence! But it is just thus, by calling a sudden Halt! that God educates men to self-control, to nobleness of conduct, and trains them to distinguish between justice and injusticejustice precisely administered, and justice roughly dealt out. It is in the fineness of the discrimination that we reveal the extent of our spiritual education. A most gracious word is the last in the fourth verse, "Every man shall die for his own sin": literally, Every man shall die in his own sin. Where, then, the foolish law that says a man shall die because somebody has sinned; that is to say, shall die eternally, and never know the joy of forgiveness, because some man has somewhere at some time offended against God? One thing we cannot help: every man suffers when any one connected with him sins. o one can help the working of that law. It is a beneficent institution. From some points of view it seems to be severe, but the severity of one aspect is the beneficence of another. o man can do good and keep all the issue of it to himself. If sometimes we would slay the son because the father has been bad, at other times we welcome the son to hospitality because the father was a brave, chivalrous soul to us in the days of the wilderness and in the storms of the winter. For thy father"s sake, we say, come in, and tarry long: would God he were with thee at this moment, for then the joy of thy presence would be doubled! The way of the Lord is equal. He has not a motion of one hand only. The Lord Isaiah , so to say, ambidextrous; if he deals severely he also will deal graciously:"God is a consuming fire:" "God is love": who can connect those two sentences? Yet they are connected, and in their union they make up a complete revelation of the most high God. When it comes to a question of eternal destiny every man stands upon his own feet. "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." o one is judged for another. Why, then, this repining, this impious criticism, about being damned because Adam sinned? "Every man shall die for his own sin." Yet there is the law, and we cannot explain it away, and the bedizening of our fancy comes off like an ill plaster ill laid on. The father cannot sin, and the son be unscathed. The curse that falls from the father"s lips blights the little flower that blooms at his feet. We can only relieve ourselves in the presence of such mysteries by saying that the blessing which falls from the father"s tongue settles like dew on the flower of his house; the child is blessed because of the father"s goodness. Again we see how double-minded was Amaziah by reading 2 Chronicles 25:5-10 : 5. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over
7. 7. thousands [rather, arranged them by the houses of their fathers under captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds], and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and above [compare umbers 1:3; 1 Chronicles 27:23. Twenty was regarded as the military age], and found them three hundred thousand [Asa"s army had been nearly twice as numerous (ch. 2 Chronicles 14:8). The great diminution of force must be ascribed to the Edomite, Arabian, Philistine, and Syrian wars (ch. 2 Chronicles 21:8-16; 2 Chronicles 24:23-24), and in part to the general decadence of the kingdom, attributable mainly to moral causes] choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. 6. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel [from the northern kingdom] for an hundred talents of silver. 7. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. 8. But if thou wilt go [But go thou alone, Acts , be strong for the battle; God shall then not make thee to fail] do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. 9. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army [troops] of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. 10. Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger. He was going to war, so he hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for a hundred talents of silversay, forty thousand pounds of our money. All his arrangements were made, but they were stopped"There came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee: for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy." The best critics say that a word has been omitted there, and that we should read"God shall not make thee fall before the enemy." So the reading must be thus: If thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God hath power to help, and to cast down; he will be with thee in this, but he does not want thee to go; he will not leave thee defenceless, but he wishes thee to hold thine hand from this alliance and this battle. Or it may be read precisely as we find it in the text: If thou wilt go, do it, make thyself as strong as possible for the battle: but when thou hast strengthened thyself at every point God shall touch thee, and thy knees shall melt, and the strength of thy muscles shall be as molten lead. But, said the king, what am I to do? I have invested a hundred talents: what about the money? I have committed myself, the money is already paid: what do you say to that? The man of God answered, The
8. 8. Lord is able to give thee much more than this: let the money go; better obey the divine law than follow the issue of money that was spent without calculation and without judgment. That is grand advice! It applies to every living man. Who does not say, But I have money in it; I have money risked upon it; if I could have the money returned I should willingly obey the law, but I have gone so far, and therefore I must go farther? Such is the foolish reasoning of men; yea, they have turned this reasoning into a proverb, and laughed over their own epigrammatic cleverness; they have said, "As well be hung for a sheep as a lamb;" "In for a penny in for a pound:" we have signed the document, we have deposited the money; how can we go back? This was precisely the position of Amaziah. How few people like to forfeit the deposit! Yet in saving the deposit they may lose the sum-total. The reasoning of the man of God turned into modern language would run thus:Better suffer a little loss than the loss of everything; better endure the wrath of man than the wrath of God; the first loss may be the best loss; no man ever yet obeyed the right and did the good without God finding bread and water for him as long as bread and water were needed; and even if there were no promise of bread and water, do the right. The true gain is the gain of self-approval, not in any sense of vanity, but in the highest moral sense, gaining the glad conviction that all life has been guided by one light, inspired by one motive, and directed to one issue. What a part "the man of God" plays in all this tragedy of life! We meet him at unexpected corners. Why has the Lord instituted this ministry? How it troubles the conscience, how it interferes with the easy working of plans, how it causes disquiet and bubbling and foaming upon the fluency of an otherwise oily course! This man of God is always importing into human counsels great moral judgments, calling men to be measured by spiritual standards; he is a "theorist," an "enthusiast:" but for him we could enjoy the feast. Yet there he is hated. Still there is a fascination about him all but irresistible. We want to see him and to hear him, and we are not easy until we know his mind; but every word he says strikes us like a dagger. How comfortably society would proceed but for this rough, hairy, shaggy Prayer of Manasseh , coming up from the wilderness, leaving his banquet there that he may trouble our feast here! He lives on locusts and wild honey, and he so digests them as to turn them into the strongest manhood that fears nothing and that would as soon snub a king as a peasant. We cannot all live on locusts and wild honey. The meat we eat turns to timidity: the meat he eats turns to lion. He says to kings, "You are wrong;" to the proud drunken ruler, "It is not lawful for thee to have her." The king says to him, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" There is the man of God, sometimes mighty in prayer, sometimes mighty in judgment, sometimes ruthless in criticism, coming down upon compacts and treaties and alliances with a crushing and tremendous power that grinds everything to powder. We plead with him, and say, What about the hundred talents of silver? And he spurns forty thousand pounds as if they were forty thousand feathers. He has no money of his own; there is no bank in the wilderness; there is no stock-taking in the rocks. We cannot awe him by forty thousand times forty thousand, for he knows nothing about arithmetic. Yet there he is! Such are the miracles of God. What a comfortable house we could have but for the Bible! Even if we neglect it, it becomes a judgment. We cannot shut it respectfully; we cannot hide it, for it has a way of rubbing the dust off itself, and uttering mute claims. The bad
9. 9. man never opened the Bible at a pleasant place: whenever he opened the Bible he burnt his fingers, saying, "There is fire there!" There are moral influences in life, judgments, criticisms, standards; there are voices that are only whispers, but they are whispers that chill the marrow. Amaziah consented. It was to be as the man of God had said; and when he detached himself from the evil alliance he came from the slaughter of the Edomites, and "brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them." Here we have the double-minded man again. Yesterday he obeyed, and to-day he disobeyed; a week ago he listened to the voice from heaven, and seven days after he brought a whole houseful of gods up from Pagandom, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them; and if they had been gods with the slightest grain of intelligence they would have laughed at the fool. Our life runs precisely upon these lines. It is not for us to sneer at the old king of Judah. On Sunday we sing hymns, and on Wednesday we cheat the unwary, and when they close the door of the place of business we smile at them; then on Thursday we sing another hymn. Human life is all double. We are body and soul; outside and inside; carcases that can be weighed and spirits that can fly. PULPIT, " ot with a perfect heart. This is illustrated by his coming "to set up the gods of Edom" (2 Chronicles 25:14-16, 2 Chronicles 25:20); also by what the parallel supplies, that he resembled Joash rather than David, and did not suppress "the high places, sacrifices, and in-cense-burning'' (2 Kings 14:3, 2 Kings 14:4). In almost all cases, the not perfect heart speaks of that which began well, but did not "endure unto the end." BI, "And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. Half-hearted, and therefore a failure It was not because Amaziah was not sinless that his life proved such a failure, but because he was not thorough going in his principle and piety. English life at present seems to be afflicted with a plague of levity. There is so much hollowness and unreality, so much veneer in character and work, that it behoves us to preach aloud the gospel of thoroughness. A short time ago some workmen were engaged in trying to remove a piece of old London wall. They tried with hammers, then with pick-axes, but to no purpose, the wall seemed to smile at all their efforts; at last they were obliged to have recourse to boring, and blowing it up like a piece of solid rock. That is hardly the way they build nowadays, for a man might almost push over some of our brick walls with his hand. Now, this is just an illustration of what I mean, the want of thoroughness in every branch of industry and in every walk of life. When a mans own character is not solid, permeated through and through with Christian principle, you cannot have any guarantee of the genuineness of his work. Shams abound everywhere. Gilt and paint carry the day. Ours is an age of tinsel. And the worst of it is that this unrealness characterises much of the religion amongst us. I sometimes meet with a horrible form of Antinomianism, which virtually says, Anything will do for meI am a disciple of Christ; and so the work is actually more slovenly and imperfect because the individual claims to be not under the law, but under grace. Why, it is almost as monstrous as the proposal a good
10. 10. young man made to his landlady, that his own excellent Christian example should serve in lieu of weekly payment for his lodgings! A menI dont care who he isdishonours Christ when any other person is put to disadvantage by his piety. If you imagine you are more free to do slipshod work because you are a Christian, I say, it is precisely the reverse. It is just because you claim to be the Lords that any sort of work will not do. Bearing His name, you are responsible to Him for every detail of your daily life. If your secular duties are more imperfectly discharged because you are a believer, you do great wrong to the Redeemer. If you snatch a little of your employers time to scatter tracts, or prepare for a Sabbath class, or even to read your Bible; or if, in business hours, your thoughts are so given to spiritual themes that you cannot do justice to your work, in any of these cases you do real harm to religion. (J. T. Davidson, D.D.) The character of Amaziah This history is adduced to lead to self-scrutiny. I. The act of assembling is in accordance with Gods revealed wishes; and therefore the act of assembling is a right act. But am I able to believe that every men and woman joins the assembly from such motives as would stand the test of Heaven? Not with a perfect heart. II. Again, in the matter of listening to Gods Word preached. Some listen from the desire of passing away a dull houras a sort of religious entertainment. Alas for the perfect heart! III. As to your conduct outside the walls of the sanctuary. You are upright and honourable in trade. But why? It is a sad thing when a mans actions are right because he wishes to be aggrandised, or because he wishes a high place in human estimation, and knows not the only right motivea desire to please Him who hath loved us, and given Himself for us. (T. W. Thompson, B.A.) Not with a perfect heart Off Cape Horn we witnessed a singular sight. For some miles there was a narrow strip of water, where the great waves flew in broken spray and dashed high over the ship. On either side the sea was comparatively calm, whilst this boiled with fury, rolling and surging. Yet there was no rock about which the sea surged, nor was there any such fierce wind as to account for it. Overhead the air was thick with sea-fowl. Thousands of the birds dived into this troubled water. The smaller fish were, I suppose, flung up by the toss, and thus fell a prey to the birds. I asked, naturally, what was the reason of this strange sight, and found it was the point at which the tide met the strong current of the sea, and here they raged together. Within, the tide only ran, and it was calm. Without, the current prevailed, and there, too, was calm. On this troubled bit they met, and neither prevailed. It is the picture of those who are at once too religious to belong to the worldtoo worldly to belong to religion; torn by both and satisfied by neither. (Mark Guy Pearse.) Whole-hearted religion required At one of the conferences between the Northern and Southern States of America during
11. 11. the war of 1861-1866 the representatives of the Southern States stated what cession of territory they were prepared to make, provided that the independence of the portion that was not ceded to the Federal Government was secured. More and more attractive criers were made, the portions to be ceded being increased, and those to be retained in a state of independence being proportionately diminished. All the offers were met by a steadfast refusal. At last President Lincoln placed his hand on the map so as to cover all the Southern States, and in these emphatic words delivered his ultimatum: Gentlemen, this Government must have the whole. God cannot share us with the world. (A. Plummet, D.D.) 3 After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. HE RY 3-4, "II. A necessary piece of justice which he did upon the traitors that murdered his father: he put them to death, 2Ch_25:3. Though we should suppose they intended to avenge on their king the death of the prophet (as was intimated, 2Ch_ 24:25), yet this would by no means justify their wickedness; for they were not the avengers, but presumptuously took God's work out of his hands: and therefore Amaziah did what became him in calling them to an account for it, but forbade the putting of the children to death for the parents' sin, 2Ch_25:4. GUZIK, "2. (2 Chronicles 25:3-4) An example Amaziahs obedience. ow it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin. a. He executed his servants who had murdered his father the king: This was both just and in the best interest of Amaziah. It was good for him to eliminate those who found the assassination of the king a reasonable way to change the kingdom. i. It also fulfilled Gods command to punish murderers with execution, first given in
12. 12. Genesis 9:5-7. b. He did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law of the Book of Moses: It was the standard practice of the ancient world to execute not only the guilty party in such a murder, but also their family. Amaziah went against the conventional practice of his day and obeyed the word of God instead (Deuteronomy 24:16). i. Wherein he showed some faith and courage, that he would obey this command of God, though it was very hazardous to himself, such persons being likely to seek revenge for their fathers death. (Poole) PULPIT, "Was established to him; Hebrew, . This is kal conjugation of the verb, which we found in piel in 2 Chronicles 25:5 of foregoing chapter, and there rendered "repair." The kal force of the word is simply to "be strong" (Genesis 41:57; Joshua 17:13; 2 Kings 14:5). The hiph; to "make strong," or "confirm," as it is rendered here, is found in 2 Kings 15:19. Again and again the disorders of the kingdom and the violent deaths of prophets and kings must have greatly contributed to nervous apprehensions, in fact only too just, when a new king ascended the throne. In the parallel and in passage last quoted the words, "in his hand," follow the verb. Amaziah both needed to get his own hand in, according to modern phrase, and to get things well into his hand. His servants. It may be held surprising that they should have been found "in the place," or should now be his servants at all. The explanation may be either that their guilt had not yet been known, or, if known, had not been fixed upon them. 4 Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.[a] ELLICOTT, "(4) But he slew not their children.The verse coincides almost exactly with 2 Kings 14:6. Literally, And their sons he put not to death; but
13. 13. according to what is written in the Torah, in the book of Moses, which Jehovah commanded, &c. The reference is evidently to Deuteronomy 24:16, which is more exactly repeated in Kings than here. But every man shall die for his own sin.Literally, But, each for (in) his own sin, shall they be put to death. Kings has the singular. PULPIT, "Slew not their children. Emphasis (the emphasis of mention, at any rate) is laid upon this, perhaps partly to show that Amaziah did in some measure walk by "the Law of the Lord," and partly because of numerous cases that had grown up to the opposite (2 Kings 9:8, 2 Kings 9:26; Joshua 7:24, Joshua 7:25, where, however, very possibly all were more or less aiders and abettors of the wickedness). For Moses' clearly written rehearsal of "the commandment of the Lord," on this subject, see the marginal references, Deuteronomy 24:16; Jeremiah 31:29, Jeremiah 31:30; Ezekiel 18:4, Ezekiel 18:19, Ezekiel 18:20. 5 Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men fit for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. BAR ES, "Three hundred thousand - Asas army had been nearly twice as numerous, amounting to 580, 000 2Ch_14:8. The diminution was due, in part, to wars 2Ch_21:8, 2Ch_21:16; 2Ch_24:23-24; in part, to the general decadence of the kingdom. CLARKE, "Gathered Judah together - He purposed to avenge himself of the Syrians, but wished to know his military strength before he came to a rupture.
14. 14. GILL, "Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together,.... The inhabitants thereof: and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; he divided the people, according to their families throughout his kingdom, into thousands and hundreds, and out of their respective families appointed captains over them: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above; the usual age men were numbered at for war, to the fiftieth, according to Josephus; the Roman law (a) obliged none to be soldiers after fifty, nor might any be dismissed before (b); the age of military men with the Romans was from seventeen to forty six, or, as some, forty five; but with the Persians from twenty as here to fifty (c): and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield; which shows that their number was greatly decreased since the times of Jehoshaphat, 2Ch_17:14, occasioned by the wars under Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Joash; some copies of the Vulgate Latin (d) have only 30,000. HE RY 5-6, "III. An expedition of his against the Edomites, who, some time ago, had revolted from under the dominion of Judah, to which he attempted to reduce them. Observe, 1. The great preparation he made for this expedition. (1.) He mustered his own forces, and marshalled them (2Ch_25:5), and found Judah and Benjamin in all but 300,000 men that were fit for war, whereas, in Jehoshaphat's time, fifty or sixty years before, they were four times as many. Sin weakens a people, diminishes them, dispirits them, and lessens their number and figure. (2.) He hired auxiliary troops out of the kingdom of Israel, 2Ch_25:6. Finding his own kingdom defective in men, he thought to make up the deficiency with his money, and therefore took into his pay 100,000 Israelites. If he had advised with any of his prophets before he did this, or had but considered how little any of his ancestors got by their alliances with Israel, he would not have had this to undo again. But rashness makes work for repentance. JAMISO , "2Ch_25:5-10. Having hired an army of Israelites against the Edomites, at the word of a prophet he loses a hundred talents and dismisses them. Amaziah ... made captains, etc. As all who were capable of bearing arms were liable to serve, it was quite natural in making up the muster-roll to class them according to their respective families and to appoint the officers of each corps from the same quarter; so that all the soldiers who formed a regiment were brothers, relatives, friends. Thus the Hebrew troops were closely linked together, and had strong inducements to keep steady in their ranks. found them three hundred thousand choice men This was only a fourth part of Jehoshaphats army (2Ch_17:14-19), showing how sadly the kingdom of Judah had, in the space of eighty-two years, been reduced in population by foreign wars, no less than by internal corruptions. But the full amount of Amaziahs troops may not be here stated. K&D, "The succeeding section, 2Ch_25:5-16, enlarges upon Amaziah's preparations
15. 15. for war with Edom, which had revolted under Joram of Judah, 2Ki_8:22; upon the victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and on the results of this war; - on all which we have in 2Ki_14:7 only this short note: he smote Edom in the valley of Salt 10,000 men, and took Selah in war, and called its name Joktheel unto this day. But the more exact statements of the Chronicle as to the preparations and the results of this war and victory are important for Amaziah's later war with Kings Joash of Israel, which is narrated in 2Ch_25:17. of our chapter, because in them lie the causes of that war, so fatal to Amaziah; so that the history of Amaziah is essentially supplemented by those statements of the Chronicle which are not found in 2 Kings. 2Ch_25:5-7 The preparations for the war against Edom, and the victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt. - 2Ch_25:5. Amaziah assembled Judah, i.e., the men in his kingdom capable of bearing arms, and set them up (ordered them) according to the princes of thousands and hundreds, of all Judah and Benjamin, and passed them in review, i.e., caused a census to be taken of the men liable to military service from twenty years old and upward. They found 300,000 warriors bearing spear and target (cf. 2Ch_14:7); a relatively small number, not merely in comparison with the numbers under Jehoshaphat, 2Ch_17:14., which are manifestly too large, but also with the numberings made by other kings, e.g., Asa, 2Ch_14:7. By Joram's unfortunate wars, 2Ch_21:17, those of Ahaziah, and especially by the defeat which Joash sustained from the Syrians, 2Ch_24:23, the number of men in Judah fit for war may have been very much reduced. Amaziah accordingly sought to strengthen his army against the Edomites, according to 2Ch_25:6, by having an auxiliary corps of 100,000 men from Israel (of the ten tribes) for 100 talents of silver, i.e., he took them into his pay. But a prophet advised him not to take the Israelitish host with him, because Jahve was not with Israel, viz., on account of their defection from Jahve by the introduction of the calf-worship. To Israel there is added, (with) all the sons of Ephraim, to guard against any misunderstanding. COFFMA , ""Jehovah is not with Israel, to wit, the children of Ephraim" (2 Chronicles 25:7). The man of God here made it plain that the rebellion of the northern tribes against the Davidic dynasty had forfeited their further identity as "God's Chosen People." This is the reason that the Chronicler completely ignored, in as much as it was possible, the entire orthern Israel, focusing his attention completely upon the fortunes of Judah. "The top of the rock" (2 Chronicles 25:12). "This was the height of Petra, the Edomite capital, near where the battle was fought."[1] Other Scriptures which relate the horrible cruelties of the Edomite wars with Israel are 1 Kings 11:15; Ezekiel 25:12; and Obadiah 1:1:14. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother; and there is no more terrible an example of brother hating brother in human history. ELLICOTT, "AMAZIAHS MILITARY STRE GTH, A D CO QUEST OF EDOM (2 Chronicles 25:5-13).
16. 16. This section is for the most part peculiar to Chronicles. In Kings the conquest of Edom is recorded in a single verse (2 Kings 14:7). (5) And made them captains over thousands.Rather, And made them stand (marshalled them) according to father houses, to wit, according to the captains of thousands and according to the captains of hundreds of all Judah and Benjamin. umbered.Mustered. Twenty years old.The military age: umbers 1:2-3; 1 Chronicles 27:23. Three hundred thousand.A total immensely below that of the forces of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:14-18), and not much more than half that of Asas (2 Chronicles 14:8). All these high numbers are no doubt suspicious; but a certain relative propriety is observable in the present instance, inasmuch as the country had suffered great losses by the disastrous wars of Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash. Able to go forth to war.Literally, going out in the host. (See um. l.c.) That could handle spear and shield.Grasping lance and target, i.e., heavy-armed warriors. (Comp. 1 Chronicles 12:8.) GUZIK, "3. (2 Chronicles 25:5-8) Preparations for battle against Edom. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, according to their fathers houses, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them to be three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war, who could handle spear and shield. He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for one hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him, saying, O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel; not with any of the children of Ephraim. But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow. a. He also hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel: In assembling an army (that would eventually fight against Edom), Amaziah hired mercenary troops from the northern tribes of Israel. This was a common practice in the ancient world. b. O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel: This anonymous prophet warned King Amaziah to not use the Israelite troops that he had hired. Going further, he warned him that if he should go to battle using these Israelite troops, God shall make you fall before the enemy. i. Even though it made military sense for Amaziah to hire and use these troops,
17. 17. according to the word from God, it made no spiritual sense. This is because God has power to help and to overthrow. To fight with God is to receive His help; to fight against Him is have God overthrow you. PULPIT, "This and the following five verses are entirely omitted in the parallel, which contents itself with giving in its 2 Chronicles 25:7, in fewer words, but with the supplement of other matter, what is contained in our 2 Chronicles 25:11. Found them three hundred thousand. Compare Asa's "five hundred and eighty thousand" (2 Chronicles 14:8), and Jehoshaphat's "eleven hundred and sixty thousand" (2 Chronicles 17:14-19; see note, however, on these verses, and the improbability of numbers so high). The Hebrew text of the second clause of this verse simply says, "he set them" ( ), or placed them according to fathers' houses, under captains, etc; glancing most naturally at u 1:2-2:34. Twenty years old and above. 6 He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents[b] of silver. GILL, "He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel,.... The ten tribes, judging his own army not sufficient for his expedition against the Edomites he was meditating: for one hundred talents of silver; which amounted to 35,300 pounds sterling, and according to Beckius (e) were about five florins and a half to each soldier. JAMISO , "He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour ... for an hundred talents of silver This sum was paid into the treasury of Jehoahaz - not given as bounty to the mercenaries who were obliged to serve at the sovereigns call; their remuneration consisting only in the booty they might obtain. It was about $170,000, being $17 per man, including officers - a very paltry pay, compared with the bounty given for a soldier in this country. But it must be remembered that in ancient times campaigns were short and the hazards of the service comparatively small. BE SO , "2 Chronicles 25:6. He hired a hundred thousand men out of Israel Out of the kingdom of the ten tribes. If he had advised with any of his prophets before he did this, or had but considered how little any of his ancestors had got by
18. 18. their alliances with Israel, he would not have thus done what he had soon to undo again. But rashness makes work for repentance. ELLICOTT, "(6) He hired also . . . out of Israeli.e., from the northern kingdom. The number has probably suffered in transmission. Thenius pronounces the fact historical, although not recorded in Kings. An hundred talents of silver.Worth about 40,000 of our money, reckoning 400 to the talent. What such a sum would represent in the days of Amaziah cannot be determined with certainty. PULPIT, "Out of Israel. The next verse tells us that "all the children of Ephraim" (which was strictly the northern Israel's chief tribe) are hereby designated. It is not quite clear that this Israel is exactly conterminous with the Israel of 2 Chronicles 13:3, the identity of which, however, with Joab's Israel (2 Samuel 24:9) is very probable. The boundaries of the strict tribe of Ephraim, whose ancestor was Joseph's younger son, are described in Joshua 16:5. The tribe were located as nearly as possible in the centre of the land. Ephraim, however, is here, as in many other places, as the name of the royal tribe, so named upon the whole of the northern kingdom (Isaiah 9:8; Isaiah 17:3; Isaiah 28:3; several times in almost every chapter of Hosea, and for a typical instance, cf. Hosea 14:8). 7 But a man of God came to him and said, Your Majesty, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israelnot with any of the people of Ephraim. CLARKE, The Lord is not with Israel - The Word of the Lord is not the helper of the Israelites, nor of the kingdom of the tribe of Ephraim. - Targum. GILL, "But there came a man of God to him,.... Who the Jews say (f) was the brother of the king, Amos, the father of Isaiah, but without foundation:
19. 19. saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; to war against Edom; meaning the 100,000 men he had hired, and suggesting that to have them with him would not be to his advantage, but his detriment, for the following reason: for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit: with all the children of Ephraim; they being idolaters, worshippers of the calves; and as they had forsaken the Lord, he had forsaken them; therefore no help could be expected from them; the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord is not their help.'' HE RY 7-8, "2. The command which God sent him by a prophet to dismiss out of his service the forces of Israel, 2Ch_25:7, 2Ch_25:8. He would not have him call in any assistance at all: it looked like distrust of God. If he made sure of God's presence, the army he had of his own was sufficient. But particularly he must not take in their assistance: For the Lord is not with the children of Ephraim, because they are not with him, but worship the calves. This was a good reason why he should not make use of them, because he could not depend upon them to do him any service. What good could be expected from those that had not God with them, nor his blessings upon their undertakings? It is comfortable to employ those who, we have reason to hope, have an interest in heaven, and dangerous to associate with those from whom the Lord has departed. The prophet assured him that if he persisted in his resolution to take these idolatrous apostate Israelites with him, in hopes thereby to make himself strong for the battle, it was at his peril; they would prove a dead weight to his army, would sink and betray it: God shall make thee fall before the enemy, and these Israelites will be the ruin of thy cause; for God has power to help thee without them, and to cast thee down though thou hast them with thee. JAMISO , "there came a man of God sent to dissuade Amaziah from the course he was following, on the ground that the Lord is not with Israel. This statement was perfectly intelligible to the king. But the historian, writing long after, thought it might require explanation, and therefore added the comment, with all the children of Ephraim. Idolatry had long been the prevailing religion in that kingdom, and Ephraim its headquarters. As to the other part of the prophets advice (2Ch_25:8), considerable obscurity hangs over it, as the text stands; and hence some able critics have suggested the insertion of not in the middle clause, so that the verse will be thus: But if thou wilt go [alone], do, be strong for the battle; God shall not make thee fall before the enemy. BE SO , "2 Chronicles 25:7-8. Let not the army of Israel go with thee It is comfortable to employ those who, we have reason to hope, have an interest in heaven; but dangerous associating with those from whom the Lord is departed. For the Lord is not with Israel He hath forsaken them; and prosperity shall not attend thy counsels and undertakings, if thou joinest thyself with them. But if thou wilt go, do it It is an ironical concession, like that of Micaiah to Ahab, Go and prosper.
20. 20. ELLICOTT, "(7) The Lord is not with Israel.Comp. 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 20:37; also 2 Chronicles 16:7. To wit, with all the children of Ephraim.Added as an explanation of the term Israel. Ephraim was the name of the northern kingdom (Hosea 5:11; Hosea 5:14; Hosea 6:4, and passim). PULPIT, "(See foregoing chapter, 2 Chronicles 24:19.) The name of this man of God does not transpire. To wit, with. These three words, all in italic type, if entirely omitted, and not even the preposition adopted, as in the Revised Version, into the ordinary type, will leave the intention of the writer clearer rather than less clear. 8 Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow. BAR ES, "If the present text is regarded as sound, this passage must be taken ironically. But most recent commentators supply a second negative, and render it: But go thou alone, act, be strong for the battle - God shall then not make thee to fall. GILL, "But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle,.... An ironical expression; if thou wilt not be advised, take them with thee, and try what thou canst do; exert all thy courage, and use thy military skill, and mark the issue: God shall make thee fall before the enemy; notwithstanding the number of thy troops, and those of thy auxiliaries; though some take them to be spoken seriously, and read the words, "but go thou"; that is, alone, without the hired troops, and fight boldly and courageously; or otherwise "God shall make thee fall", &c. for God hath power to help and to cast down; to help with a few, and to cast down with many; to help without the hired Israelites, and to cast down with them. K&D, "2Ch_25:8 Amaziah is to go alone, and show himself valiant in war, and the Lord will help him to
21. 21. conquer. This is without doubt the thought in 2Ch_25:8, which, however, does not seem to be contained in the traditional Masoretic text. can hardly, after the preceding imperatives - do, be strong for battle - be otherwise translated than by, and God will cause thee to stumble before the enemy. But this is quite unsuitable. Clericus, therefore, would take the words ironically: sin minus, tu vadito, etc.; i.e., if thou dost not follow my advice, and takest the Israelites with thee to the war, go, show thyself strong for the war, God will soon cause thee to stumble. But can never signify sin minus. Others, as Schmidt and Ramb., translate: Rather do thou go alone (without the Israelitish auxiliaries), and be valiant, alioquin enim, si illos tecum duxeris, corruere te faciet Deus; or, May God make thee fall before the enemy (De Wette). But the supplying of alioquin, which is only hidden by De Wette's translation, cannot be grammatically justified. This interpretation of the would be possible only if the negation stood in the preceding clause and was joined to it by . The traditional text is clearly erroneous, and we must, with Ewald and Berth., supply a or before : God thou (alone), do, be valiant for battle, and God will not let thee come to ruin. (Note: Even the old translators could make nothing of the present text, and expressed the first clause of the verse as they thought best. lxx, ; Vulg., quod si putes in robore exercitus bella consistere; after which Luth., denn so du komest das du eine knheit beweisest im streit, wird Gott dich fallen lassen fr deinen Feinden.) After this we have very fittingly the reason assigned: for with God there is power to help, and to cause to fall. COKE, "2 Chronicles 25:8. But if thou wilt go, do it, &c. But if thou wilt be more obstinate, and go to the war, the Lord shall cause thee to fall before the enemy. Houbigant; who renders the last clause of the preceding verse, the Lord is not with Israel, who are all the children of Ephraim. ELLICOTT, "(8) But if thou wilt go.Rather, But go thyself; in contrast with the prohibition, Let not the army of Israel go. Do it, be strong for the battle.Compare 1 Chronicles 22:16 : Arise! act! God shall make thee fall.Before these words, the expression wl, and not, must have dropped out of the text. Venture on the expedition by thyself. with a good courage, says the prophet, and God will not let thee stumble before the foe. For God hath power.For there is strength in God, to help and to make to stumble. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 20:6; 1 Chronicles 29:12; Psalms 9:3.) The ancient versions were evidently embarrassed by the passage. The LXX. render: Because if thou think to prevail through them, then will the Lord rout thee before thy foes; because it is from the Lord both to be strong and to rout. Vulg.: But if thou thinkest that wars depend on the strength of an army, God will make thee to be overcome by the enemy. Syriac: Because thou art going to make war, the Lord will cast thee down
22. 22. before thy foes; because thou hast not praised the Lord, who is the helper and uplifter. It is noticeable that no version inserts the required negative; the omission, therefore, is ancient. PULPIT, "It is hard to feel satisfied as to the correct rendering of this verse. The drift of the next verse, which shows Amaziah a convert to the strong exhortation of the man of God, makes either alternative allowable under the present text very untimely. and not very much in accord with what we should look for at the lips of the man of God. The very conceivable way out of the difficulty is to read , hyphened to (all the rather that no vau is present in , as the present text is), and proceed to supply or again before , crediting some copyist with confusion of eye through these having come close together in his manuscript. The rendering will then be straightforward, and prepare the way for Amaziah's yielding conformably with the tenor of the next verse. "But if not" (i.e. if thou wilt not be guided by my remonstrance as to Ephraim), "go thou, be on the alert, exert all the strength possible for the battle, and yet nevertheless God will cause thee to stumble." And the remaining sentence may bear this significance, "For God hath power to help thee though alone, or to cast thee down though supported by an extra hundred thousand." If such alteration or conjectural restoration of the text be not accepted, we may harmonize the facts of the case with the most utter faithfulness of lip on the part of the prophet, by translating, "For in very truth, if thou go at all, and though thou make the best preparations, God shall make it go ill with thee." And Amaziah is persuaded to this point, that he will neither risk the lives of them of Ephraim vainly, nor risk the likelier displeasure of God on himself. He yields only partly, and therefore is nothing benefited. The difficulty is left untouched, that the prophet did not simply in toto forbid Amaziah to go, and that, saving them of Ephraim, he saves them to be a second scourge for the back of Amaziah, though he took his prophet's advice so far, and lost his own money. A careful and devout observer of human life and perverseness, when once these commit themselves to the vain struggle with God, and equally vain attempt to haggle with his providence as to how much to yield and how much to resist and with. hold, cannot but be struck with the photograph here thrown off, and that it is a faithful one, of hard facts that have met together disastrously times without number in men's lives. The sum, then, of the matter of our 2 Chronicles 25:7, 2 Chronicles 25:8 may amount to this: "Under no circumstances take Israel, and if thou go thyself with all best preparations, yet know that God shall destroy thee." 9 Amaziah asked the man of God, But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?
23. 23. The man of God replied, The Lord can give you much more than that. CLARKE, "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this - Better lose the money than keep the men, for they will be a curse unto thee. GILL, "And Amaziah said to the man of God, but what shall we do for the one hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?.... They will be lost, there is no demanding them back again; this he spake with some concern, as loath to lose so much money: and the man of God answered, the Lord is able to give thee much more than this; whose is the earth, and the fulness thereof, the gold and silver, and all the riches of it; and therefore he had no need to trouble himself about the loss of his money, which, if obedient to the will of God, he might expect it would be abundantly repaid him. HE RY, "3. The objection which Amaziah made against this command, and the satisfactory answer which the prophet gave to that objection, 2Ch_25:9. The king had remitted 100 talents to the men of Israel for advance-money. Now, says he, if I send them back, I shall lose that: But what shall we do for the 100 talents? This is an objection men often make against their duty: they are afraid of losing by it. Regard not that, says the prophet: The Lord is able to give thee much more than this; and, thou mayest depend upon it, he will not see thee lose by him. What are 100 talents between thee and him? He has ways enough to make up the loss to thee; it is below thee to speak of it. Note, A firm belief of God's all-sufficiency to bear us out in our duty, and to make up all the loss and damage we sustain in his service abundantly to our advantage, will make his yoke very easy and his burden very light. What is it to trust in God, but to be willing to venture the loss of any thing for him, in confidence of the goodness of the security he gives us that we shall not lose by him, but that whatever we part with for his sake shall be made up to us in kind or kindness. When we grudge to part with any thing for God and our religion, this should satisfy us, that God is able to give us much more than this. He is just, and he is good, and he is solvent. The king lost 100 talents by his obedience; and we find just that sum given to his grandson Jotham as a present (2Ch_ 27:5); then the principal was repaid, and, for interest, 10,000 measures of wheat and as many of barley. K&D, "2Ch_25:9-10 Amaziah had regard to this exhortation of the prophet, and asked him only what he should do for the 100 talents of silver which he had paid the Israelite auxiliary corps; to
24. 24. which the prophet answered that Jahve could give him more than that sum. Amaziah thereupon dismissed the hired Ephraimite mercenaries. , he separated them (sc., from his army prepared for battle), viz., the band, that they might go to their place, i.e., might return home. The before is nota accus., and is in apposition to the suffix in . But the auxiliaries thus dismissed returned home full of wrath against Judah, and afterwards fell upon the border cities of Judah, wasting and plundering (2Ch_25:13). Their anger probably arose from the fact that by their dismissal the opportunity of making a rich booty in war was taken away. BE SO , "2 Chronicles 25:9. And Amaziah said, But what shall we do for the hundred talents The money remitted for the hire of the one hundred thousand Israelitish soldiers. He considered, if he sent the men back he should lose that. Such is the objection which men often make against complying with their duty: they are afraid of losing by it. And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more He hath many ways to make up that loss to thee, and certainly will not suffer thee to be a loser by obeying his command. Observe, reader, a firm belief of Gods all-sufficiency to bear us out in our duty, and to make up abundantly all the loss and damage we sustain in his service, will render his yoke very easy, and his burden very light. What is it to trust in God, but to be willing to venture the loss of any thing for him, in confidence that it shall be amply made up to us in the way that he sees will be best for us. This king lost one hundred talents of silver by his obedience; and we find just that sum given to his grandson Jotham, as a present, 2 Chronicles 27:5. Then the principal was repaid, and for interest, ten thousand measures of wheat, and as many of barley, were given him. GUZIK, "4. (2 Chronicles 25:9) Amaziahs question and the answer from the prophet. Then Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give you much more than this. a. But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel? Amaziah heard and understood the word of God from His messenger. Yet his question was familiar: How much will it cost me to be obedient? This is not necessarily a bad question to ask, if we are willing to be persuaded by the LORDs answer. b. The LORD is able to give you much more than this: The prophet wisely answered Amaziah. Whatever obedience costs, it is always ultimately cheaper than disobedience. i. But you say that you have already entered into so close an alliance that you cannot draw back. You have invested your capital, you have gone to great expenditure. Yet it will be better to forfeit these than Him. (Meyer)
25. 25. ISBET, "COU TI G THE COST And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? etc. 2 Chronicles 25:9 The subject brought before us in the text is the weighing of consequences. I. The great principle which should guide all wise Christian people with regard to the consideration of consequences is this: Wherever we are sure that duty leads, wherever we are sure that God bids us go, then that way we should go, whatever and however painful the consequences may be. The rule is that we are to do right, and as for the consequences, leave them with God. II. We are to do this humbly; we are not to do it in any strength of our own, but in simple reliance on the promised grace of God.The grand thing is, not that a man should say that he will go on in the path of duty, whatever loss that may bring him, but that those around him should see that he is going on in the path of duty, though that should not be the path of worldly gain. III. This subject is a most practical one.The time will often come in which we see plainly enough what is the path of duty, but are tempted to ask, What shall we do for the hundred talents? There can be no doubt that in this world honesty is often the very worst policy. But in the long run no man will ever lose by obeying Gods bidding; and, just as assuredly, no man will ever gain by disobeying it. Illustration God cannot be in fellowship with us if we can tolerate fellowship with the ungodly. We must choose between the two. If we can renounce all creature aid, and trust simply in the eternal God, there is no limit to the victories He will achieve; but if, turning from Him, we hold out our hand toward the world, we forfeit His aid. Oh, child of God! let not the army of Israel go with thee. Do not adopt worldly policy, methods, or partners. However strong you make yourself for the battle, in alliance with these, you will fail. Indeed, God Himself will make you fall before the enemy, that you may be driven back to Himself. But you say that you have already entered into so close an alliance that you cannot draw back. You have invested your capital, you have gone to great expenditure. But it will be better to forfeit these than Him. Without these and with God beside you, you will be able to rout Edom, and smite ten thousand men. Would that men knew the absolute deliverance which God will effect for those whose hearts are perfect towards Him! SIMEO , "AMAZIAHS CO FLICT BETWEE DUTY A D I TEREST 2 Chronicles 25:9. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God
26. 26. answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. IT is humiliating to reflect, that move attention was often paid to the messengers of the Most High by ungodly men under the Jewish dispensation, than is generally paid to them even by the godly in the present day. At one time we read of a whole army stopped and disbanded by one single declaration of a prophet [ ote: 1 Kings 12:21-24.]. At another time, a great national reformation was effected by the very same means [ ote: 2 Chronicles 15:8-15.]. In like manner, when Amaziah king of Judah was going with an army of four hundred thousand men against the Edomites, one word from a man of God prevailed on him to dismiss one fourth of their number, because, as being idolaters, they were under the displeasure of the Most High. He was indeed concerned about the subsidy which he had paid them for their assistance: but that only serves to shew more strongly what implicit obedience he was disposed to pay to the commands of God, when he could so easily be induced to sacrifice his temporal interests, and to release from their obligations so large a portion of his army. The difficulty however which he started, and the solution of that difficulty by the prophet, deserve particular attention. Let us consider, I. The difficulty started Amaziah had hired one hundred thousand Israelites as auxiliaries in this war, and had paid the money for their equipment; and, when he was required to discharge them, he naturally concluded that he should lose all that he had advanced. Hence he expressed to the prophet the difficulty that was in his mind. ow, This is a common difficulty in the minds of men [Circumstances of necessity will sometimes arise, where duty and interest appear to clash with each other. Sometimes they actually exist, as in the instance before us; and sometimes they are only apprehended as likely to exist. It sometimes happens that a person has been placed by his parents in a line of business where he cannot get a livelihood without continually violating the laws of the land and the dictates of his conscience. What is to be done in such a case? His property is embarked; and cannot be disposed of without a considerable loss. And shall that be done? Shall such a sacrifice be made to God? It is desirable indeed to maintain a conscience void of offence; but is it to be done at such an expense? It sometimes happens also that a person is educated for the ministry, with certain expectation of preferment: but when the time for his ordination arrives, he finds no disposition for the holy employment, no real determination to give himself wholly to the service of the sanctuary. What then shall he do? To go to God with a lie in his right hand, and profess that he is moved by the Holy Ghost to take on himself that sacred function, when he is moved only by the temporal advantages annexed to it, is very painful: and to contract a responsibility for the souls of hundreds and of thousands, when he has scarcely any concern about his own, appears to him a very dangerous step. But what must be done? He has been educated for it: he finds it difficult to turn to any other line: and, above all, the provision designed for him will
27. 27. be lost: and how can these difficulties be surmounted? When the evils are in prospect only, their operation is exactly the same. One man feels that it is his duty to become a faithful follower of Christ. But his parents will be offended; his friends will be alienated: his prospects in life will be destroyed: and how can he endure to make such sacrifices as these? A few pence he would readily lose; but the loss of so many talents would be ruinous; and he knows not how to combat evils of such magnitude as this.] But the difficulty referred to would be no difficulty, if only we viewed things in their true light [If we should suppose an angel sent down to sojourn for a time on earth, would he find any hesitation whether to prefer his interest or his duty? or did the Apostle Paul hesitate even when life itself was at stake: I am ready, says he, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Lords sake. or should we find any difficulty if we formed a proper estimate of things around us. Should we regard our temporal interests, if we reflected on the extreme emptiness and vanity of every thing here below? Should we hesitate in our choice of evils, if we considered the impossibility of ever being acknowledged by Christ, without forsaking all, even life itself, for him? Above all, would we suffer the whole world to stand in competition with Christ, if we considered what wonderful things he has done and suffered for us? Verily, the loss of all things compared with the loss of his favour, would be only as a feather in a scale against a talent of lead; and, like Paul, we should count all things but loss, that we might win Christ; and instead of repining at the injuries sustained, should regard them rather as grounds of mutual congratulation; saying with St. Paul, If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all: for the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me [ ote: Philippians 2:17-18.].] But we cannot suggest a better view of this matter than that which is contained in our text; in which we have, II. The difficulty solved We are contented that men should lean to the side of interest, if only they will consider wherein their true interest consists. If God cannot do more for them than the world can, let them seek the world; or, if he cannot compensate all that they can lose or suffer for him, let them seek the world. But we fear not to say, whatever be the sacrifice which they make for him, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this; 1. In this world [It is a certain truth, that God does often recompense the services or sufferings of his people even with worldly prosperity: Godliness hath in this respect the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come [ ote: 1 Timothy 4:8.]. This
28. 28. very consideration is urged by God himself as a motive to charity [ ote: Proverbs 3:9-10.]: and our text suggests it as an argument for submitting cheerfully to losses in the path of duty. And it is curious to observe, that the loss sustained by Amaziah in obedience to Gods command, was not only recompensed by present victory, but was restored in a three-fold proportion to his grandson Jotham; the same sum being paid to him for three successive years by the Ammonites, which Amaziah his grandfather sacrificed to the Lord on this occasion [ ote: ver. 11. with 2 Chronicles 27:5.]. But it is not three, or thirty-fold that we are to expect, but an hundred-fold of whatever we sacrifice for the Lord [ ote: Mark 10:29-30.]: and is not this an ample compensation? It is true, the Israelites whom he dismissed on this occasion did him great injury in their return home [ ote: ver. 13.]: and this might almost seem to contradict the promise in our text: but we apprehend that this very circumstance was permitted by God, on purpose to shew Amaziah how great a ruin he had been delivered from; since these Israelites were not hearty in his cause, and would have turned against him when once they saw the Edomites prevail, and would thus have utterly completed his destruction. Other reasons might be assigned for this dispensation: it might be supposed to be a punishment on Amaziah for hesitating to obey the divine mandate, and for placing his interest in competition with his duty: or it might be intended to guard him against the idolatry into which he was about to fall, by suffering the most idolatrous part of his own dominions to participate in the judgments inflicted on the Edomites. But we apprehend, that the reason first assigned, is that which was more immediately in the mind of God, when he permitted to dark and mysterious a judgment to fall on one who was obedient to his command, yea to arise, as it were, out of that very obedience. But, waving all consideration of temporal recompence, God can infinitely more than counterbalance all temporal losses by the richer effusion of his Spirit on the soul. If he suffer us to be deprived of earthly wealth, are we any losers, if he communicate to us a proportionable increase of spiritual riches? Cannot he, by the consolations of his Spirit, raise us far above all temporal distresses, and, by opening a prospect beyond the grave, make us to rejoice and glory in all the sufferings that can be inflicted on us here? Behold the Apostle Paul, how he took pleasure in infirmities, and reproaches, and necessities, and persecutions, and distresses, for Christs sake, because they tended to his spiritual welfare [ ote: 2 Corinthians 12:10.]: and others, his companions, took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance [ ote: Hebrews 10:34.]. Thus may we expect it to be with us in this world: if our afflictions abound, so shall also our consolation abound by Christ; and the very sense of having sought the glory of God will make every pain a pleasure, and every loss a gain.] 2. In the world to come [If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him: and who can declare the full import of that promise? Truly, the reward that awaits the faithful followers of Christ hereafter, no words can express, no imagination can conceive. It will be in
29. 29. vain to attempt any description of the glory and felicity of heaven: but I will ask, Whether one single plaudit from our Judge will not overbalance all that we can either do or suffer in a hundred years? How indignant shall we be in that day, to think that we permitted the things of time and sense to warp our judgment, or embarrass our practice! One glimpse of the Saviours glory will repay whole years of trouble: and no sooner shall we be received into his bosom, than we shall adore him for every trial that weaned us from the world, and for every loss that facilitated our progress towards the heavenly kingdom. Let us only take eternity into our estimate, and we shall instantly say with the Apostle, I reckon (I compute) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us [ ote: Romans 8:18.].] Address, 1. Those who are yet undecided in the course they shall take [Strongly as we have condemned the conduct of Amaziah for hesitating between the calls of interest and of duty, we yet will venture to propose him as an example, changing only the object of your concern. Are you tempted to violate a duty, or to draw back from suffering, ask yourselves immediately, But what shall I do for the favour of my God? what shall I do for the peace of my conscience? what shall I do for the salvation of my soul? How can I bear the loss of all these? Let, I say, your hesitation be on this side: let the consideration of your eternal interests rise in your mind as instinctively and forcibly, as that of temporal interests does in the mind of a worldling: and then we shall have no fear but that your obedience to Gods word will be prompt, uniform, and unreserved. You will buy the truth at any price, and never sell it for a thousand worlds.] 2. Those who have been enabled to give up all for Christ [Whatever you may have lost or suffered, have you ever for a moment repented of the sacrifices you have made? o: if your hearts are right with God, you will feel yourselves indebted to God in proportion to the losses you have sustained for him; seeing that the privilege of suffering for him is an inestimable gift [ ote: Philippians 1:29.], and the highest honour that can be conferred upon a child of man [ ote: Acts 5:41. 1 Peter 4:12-14.]. Go on then, Beloved, strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: and let it be seen in you, that a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things that he possesseth, but that in Gods favour is life; and that, with his love shed abroad in your heart, though you have nothing, you are yet possessing all things [ ote: 2 Corinthians 6:10.].] MACLARE , "PRUDENCE AND FAITH The character of this Amaziah, one of the Kings of Judah, is summed up by the chronicler in a damning epigram: He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. He was one of your half-and-half people, or, as Hosea says,
30. 30. a cake not turned, burnt black on one side, and raw dough on the other. So when he came to the throne, in the buoyancy and insolence of youth, he immediately began to aim at conquests in the neighbouring little states; and in order to strengthen himself he hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver. To seek help from Israel was, in a prophets eyes, equivalent to flinging off help from God. So a man of God comes to him, and warns him that the Lord is not with Israel, and that the alliance is not permissible for him. But, instead of yielding to the prophets advice, he parries it with this misplaced question, But what shall we do for the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel? He does not care to ask whether the counsel that he is receiving is right or wrong, or whether what he is intending to do is in conformity with, or in opposition to, the will of God, but, passing by all such questions, at once he fastens on the lower consideration of expediency-What is to become of me if I do as this prophet would have me do? What a heavy loss one hundred talents will be! It is too much to sacrifice to a scruple of that sort. It cannot be done. A great many of us may take a lesson from this man. There are two things in my text-a misplaced question and a triumphant answer: What shall we do for the hundred talents? The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. Now, remarkably enough, both question and answer may be either very right or very wrong, according as they are taken, and I purpose to look at those two aspects of each. I. A misplaced question. I call it misplaced because Amaziahs fault, and the fault of a great many of us, was, not that he took consequences into account, but that he took them into account at the wrong time. The question should have come second, not first. Amaziahs first business should have been to see clearly what was duty; and then, and not till then, the next business should have been to consider consequences. Consider the right place and way of putting this question. Many of us make shipwreck of our lives because, with our eyes shut, we determine upon some grand design, and fall under the condemnation of the man that began to build, and was not able to finish. He drew a great plan of a stately mansion; and then found that he had neither money in the bank, nor stones in his quarry, to finish it, and so it stood-a ruin. All through our Lords life He was engaged rather in repressing volunteers than in soliciting recruits, and He from time to time poured a douche of cold water upon swiftly effervescing desires to go after Him. When the multitudes followed Him, He turned and said to them, If you are counting on being My disciples, understand what it means: take up the cross and follow Me. When an enthusiastic man, who had not looked consequences in the face, came rushing to Him and said: Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest, His answer to him was another pull at the string of the shower bath: The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head. When the two disciples came to him and said: Grant that we may sit, the one on Thy right hand and the other on Thy left, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom, He said: Are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized withal? Look the facts in the face before you make your election. Jesus Christ will enlist no man under false pretences. Recruiting-sergeants tell country bumpkins or city louts wonderful stories of what they will get if they take the shilling and put on the kings uniform; but Jesus Christ does not recruit His soldiers in that fashion. If a man does not open his eyes to a clear vision of the consequences of his actions, his life will go to water in all directions. And there is no region in which such clear insight into what is going to follow upon my determinations and the part that I take is more necessary than in the Christian life. It is just because in certain types of character, the word is received with joy, and springs up immediately, that when the sun
31. 31. is risen with a burning heat-that is, as Christ explains, when the pinch of difficulty comes-immediately they fall away, and all their grand resolutions go to nothing. Lightly come, lightly go. Let us face the facts of what is involved, in the way of sacrifice, surrender, loss, if we determine to be on Christs side; and then, when the anticipated difficulties come, we shall neither be perplexed nor swept away, but be able quietly to say, I discounted it all beforehand; I knew it was coming. The storm catches the ship that is carrying full sail and expecting nothing but light and favourable breezes; while the captain that looked into the weather quarter and saw the black cloud beginning to rise above the horizon, and took in his sails and made his vessel snug and tight, rides out the gale. It is wisdom that becomes a man, to ask this question, if first of all he has asked, What ought I to do? But we have here an instance of a right thing in a wrong place. It was right to ask the question, but wrong to ask it at that point. Amaziah thought nothing about duty. There sprang up in his mind at once the cowardly and ignoble thought: I cannot afford to do what is right, because it will cost me a hundred talents, and that was his sin. Consequences may be, must be, faced in anticipation, or a man is a fool. He that allows the clearest perception of disagreeable consequences, such as pain, loss of ease, loss of reputation, loss of money, or any other harmful results that may follow, to frighten him out of the road that he knows he ought to take, is a worse fool still, for he is a coward and recreant to his own conscience. We have to look into our own hearts for the most solemn and pressing illustrations of this sin, and I daresay we all of us can remember clear duties that we have neglected, because we did not like to face what would come from them. A man in business will say, I cannot afford to have such a high standard of morality; I shall be hopelessly run over in the race with my competitors if I do not do as they do, or he will say, I durst not take a stand as an out-and-out Christian; I shall lose connections, I shall lose position. People will laugh at me. What am I to do for the hundred talents? But we can find the same thing in Churches. I do not mean to enter upon controversial questions, but as an instance, I may remind you that one great argument that our friends who believe in an Established Church are always bringing forward, is just a modern form of Amaziahs question, What shall we do for the hundred talents? How could the Church be maintained, how could its ministrations be continued, if its State-provided revenues were withdrawn or given up? But it is not only Anglicans who put the consideration of the consequences of obedience in the wrong place. All the Churches are but too apt to let their eyes wander from reading the plain precepts of the New Testament to looking for the damaging results to be expected from keeping them. Do we not sometimes hear, as answer to would-be reformers, We cannot afford to give up this, that, or the other practice? We should not be able to hold our ground, unless we did so-and-so and so- and-so. But not only individuals or Churches are guilty in this matter. The nation takes a leaf out of Amaziahs book, and puts aside many plain duties, for no better reason than that it would cost too much to do them. What is the use of talking about suppressing the liquor traffic or housing the poor? Think of the cost. The hundred talents block the way and bribe the national conscience. For instance, the opium traffic; how is it defended? Some attempt is made to prove either that we did not force it upon China, or that the talk about the evils of opium is missionary fanaticism, but the sheet-anchor is: How are we ever to raise the Indian revenue if we give up the traffic? That is exactly Amaziah over again, come from the dead, and resurrected in a very ugly shape. So national policy and Church action, and-what is of far more importance to you and me than either the one or the other,-our own personal relation to Jesus Christ and discipleship to Him, have been hampered, and are being hampered, just by that
32. 32. persistent and unworthy attitude of looking at the consequences of doing plain duties, and permitting ourselves to be frightened from the duties because the consequences are unwelcome to us. Prudence is all right, but when prudence takes command and presumes to guide conscience, then it is all wrong. In some courts of law and in certain cases, the judge has an assessor sitting beside him, an expert about some of the questions that are involved. Conscience is the judge, prudence the assessor. But if the assessor ventures up on the judgment-seat, and begins to give the decisions which it is not his business to give-for his only business is to give advice-then the only thing to do with the assessor is to tell him to hold his tongue and let the judge speak. It is no answer to the prophets prohibition to say, But what shall I do for the hundred talents? A yet better answer than the prophet gave Amaziah would have been, Never mind about the hundred talents; do what is right, and leave the rest to God. However, that was not the answer. II. The triumphant answer. The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. Now, this answer, like the question, may be right or wrong, according as it is taken. In what aspect is it wrong? In what sense is it not true? I suppose this prophet did not mean more than the undeniable truth that God was able to give Amaziah more than a hundred talents. He was not thinking of the loftier meanings which we necessarily,