Jeroboam’s Evil Reign in Israel

II Kings 14:15–29
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While Amaziah was being held prisoner in Israel, Jehoash, king of Israel, died. When this happened, Amaziah was released and returned to Judah. Azariah (referred to as Uzziah later), his son, had been acting as king while he was in prison. Now Amaziah resumes his reign over Judah and makes his son vice-regent.Soon Amaziah discovered a conspiracy against him and fled to Lachish, thirty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem, on the southern border of Judah. This conspiracy may have been the result of growing dissatisfaction with his leadership because of the senseless war with Jehoash. He could have fled the country but his enemies caught up with him and he was killed. Amaziah was returned to Jerusalem where he was evidently given a king’s funeral.

Azariah had begun to reign at the age of 16 when his father Amaziah was taken prisoner. Now when his father was killed he began his sole reign. His most significant accomplishment was the rebuilding of Solomon’s important Red Sea naval base (v. 22) (l Kings 9:22-48). Meanwhile, after the death of Jehoash, king of Israel, his son Jeroboam II (who had been co-regent with his father) began to reign for 41 years. Spiritually he followed in the footsteps of his predecessors but politically he was Israel’s strongest king. He restored Israel’s boundaries to approximately the same way in Solomon’s time. This territorial expansion had been prophesied by Jonah, the man who traveled to Nineveh with God’s message of repentance.

Application

Material property is not always an indication of God’s blessing. It can also be a result of self-centeredness as in the case of Jeroboam. I must never forget that God holds me accountable for how I obtain success and how I use my finances.