Study Desk

Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

The accounts of the sons of Joash, as well as the many oracles about him and about the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah became king in his place.

But a man of God came to him and said, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel-not with any of the Ephraimites.

Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will make you stumble before the enemy, for God has power to help and power to overthrow."

Amaziah asked the man of God, "What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the army of Israel?" And the man of God replied, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this."

While he was still speaking, the king asked, "Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but he said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice."

But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of God with Obed-edom and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabs living in Gur-baal, and against the Meunites.

But when Uzziah grew powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, "Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God."

So Jotham grew powerful because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.

So the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Aram, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.

For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers.

But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. "Look," he said to them, "because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hands. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.

And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?

Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.

In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers.

"Listen to me, O Levites," he said. "Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.