2 Chronicles 25

After the murder of Joash, the king's son Amaziah reigned in his place. He punished the servants of his father who had murdered Joash and he sought to execute justice in accord with the Word of God.

Yet he too did not follow the Lord with a whole heart. When the Lord corrected him through a prophet, he only reluctantly listened. Then after the Lord gave him victory over the Edomites, Amaziah brought the gods of Edom backed to Jerusalem and began to worship and serve these idols! When the Lord sent a prophet to confront the king, he threatened to kill him.

The Lord sent him trouble from Israel to the north. Amaziah had provoked the king of Israel in pride. The northern king sent a word of warning back to Amaziah, but he would not listen. The Chronicler tells us why these events took place: “Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom.”

Judah and the city of Jerusalem suffered great loss as a result of Amaziah's disobedience and idolatry. When he turned away from the Lord a conspiracy began against him that eventually led to his death several years later.

When the true Messiah King in the line of David appeared on the scene to accomplish His holy mission, He needed to listen to the instruction of God from beginning to end. He never could have saved us if He had rejected the Lord's Word. Amaziah was more dedicated to the idols of Edom than to following the voice of the God of Judah. Jesus was faithful to His Father from beginning to end, even when the fulfillment of His ministry required the obedience of His death on the cross.