PRIDE CAN LEAD TO TROUBLE

PROCLAMATION

“Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up; glory of this, and tarry at home; for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?”  2 Kings 14:10

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The human author is unknown although some Bible scholars attribute this book to the prophet Jeremiah.  Amaziah the son of Joash was twenty-five years old when he began to reign as king of Judah.  He did that which was right in the sight of The Lord but he did as his father Joash did and not as David.  He left standing the high places for sacrifices and idol worship. (2 Kings 14:1-4)  As soon as he was confirmed as king, he put to death the servants who had killed his father but he spared their children.  After that he went to war with Edom and took the city of Selah and renamed it Joktheel. (2 Kings 14:5-7)  Then Amaziah king of Judah sent messengers to Jehoahaz king of Israel requesting that they meet face to face.  Jehoahaz replied telling Amaziah to give his daughter to his son to be his wife.  He told him just because you defeated Edom does not mean that you should meddle with me.  He said, if you come up against me you will lose.  But Amaziah would not listen and he went up against Israel, and Judah was defeated.  Israel took Amaziah captive and then tore down the gates and wall of Jerusalem, and took all of the gold and silver from the house of The Lord and the king’s house. (2 Kings 14:8-14)  The people led a conspiracy against Amaziah in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they caught him there and slew him.  Then the people took his sixteen year old son Azariah and made him king of Judah. (2 Kings 14:19-21)  While Amaziah was king in Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash began to reign as king of Israel in Samaria.  He did that which was evil in the sight of The Lord and led Israel to sin.  He expanded Israel and restored the coast and the cities of Damascus and Hamath to Israel which had belonged to Judah.  He reigned for forty-one years and when he died, his son Zachariah reigned in his stead. (2 Kings 14:22-29)

APPLICATION

We should not let our accomplishments cause us to “get a big head” and to think more of ourselves that we ought to think. (Romans 12:3)  Our pride and our over-inflated image of ourselves can get us into trouble, as it did here with King Amaziah.  We ought to pray and humble ourselves as we work for the glory of God. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  If we do not humble ourselves, The Lord God can allow things to happen in our lives so that we will be humbled. (Isaiah 2:11, Isaiah 2:17, Isaiah 5:15, Isaiah 10:33, Matthew 23:12, and Luke 14:11)