GRUDGING COMPLIANCE. 2nd Chronicles 25 Amaziah started his reign as king of Judah fairly well. He chose not to kill the children of those who had murdered his father because the word of the Lord forbade punishing children for their parents' sins. He carried out justice legally according to the law, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. However, he was not truly loyal to the Lord. He was a weak, insignificant man whose vanity was oversized.
I wonder how people who know me would assess my life and work. Would they see me as someone who understands and does what is right, but lacks passion? Would they think I do and say things to please others, whether saved or unsaved? I hope that my actions, words, and commitments align clearly with the word and will of God. If my heart isn’t genuinely in the work of the Lord to which I am called, and I only comply grudgingly, it won't be long before I start to be drawn to those who act independently rather than being accountable to those the Lord has appointed to oversee and guide His work.
Half-hearted obedience is not faithful obedience. Doing what is right, "but not with a perfect heart," is not a good reflection of a person's efforts. Nothing is hidden from God, including our attitude toward Him and His work. Even if people think we are doing good, that does not make up for the grudging compliance in a person's life and efforts. We would generally not accept that attitude even in our children, so how much less in ourselves, as children of God.
Things seemed to change in Amaziah. He acted on his own choice by hiring professional soldiers from Israel. A prophet came with a warning about those soldiers who had come to mix with his troops. He hired men who "the Lord was not with." They were probably hoping to get rich from the spoils of war in addition to their salaries, but these men were not worshippers of the Lord God of Israel. They had become idolaters, and God did not want them among His people.
When the prophet told Amaziah about his mistake, he acted wisely, realizing that losing money wasn't worth the damage it would cause. With reluctant compliance, Amaziah sent them home after losing a substantial amount of money because he had acted independently without God's guidance. However, he later had to face the consequences of his actions. God would not allow an alliance with Israel as long as they were in rebellion against Him. It was arrogant for Amaziah to believe he could defeat Joash. Amaziah thought he had everything he needed within himself to defeat Joash, king of Israel, and his idolatrous people.
Then he took action on his own by going to battle against the Edomites. The prophet of God came to him with God's counsel, and Amaziah followed his advice outwardly, which allowed him to defeat the Edomites and those in the Valley of Salt. However, that wasn't the end of the story. The large-scale killing of captured enemies may seem excessive to us. Still, for those living a day or two's walk from each other's countries in the Middle East, such action was seen as necessary to protect a nation from revenge and retaliation for at least a generation.
The most tragic result of the war with the Edomites was that Amaziah returned with idols representing the Edomites’ false gods. Worse yet, he "bowed down himself before them" and offered incense. It was so foolish to worship the false gods of a defeated nation. No wonder the Lord was angry with him. Amaziah went even further by rejecting the Lord God and ignoring the warnings of God's prophet.
Rejecting the counsel of God and His revealed word because it isn’t what we want to hear and believe is to reject God Himself, and such plans will ultimately fail. Accepting the advice of others when it contradicts God’s counsel is the height of self-delusion, arrogance, and sin. When someone rejects God, they imply they understand a matter better than He does. Partial obedience may bring some victory, but severe failure lies ahead.
Although we may wonder about the poor decisions and practices of people from the past, we still face similar situations today. The emptiness and sinful pleasures of the world still attract people, including even God's people. The way worldly attractions are presented and advertised makes even those committed to following the Lord wonder if they are missing out on something good, despite knowing better in their hearts. Convictions become our own when we realize God is in control and His word is "The man of our counsel and our guide." We can learn through faith, painful experiences, and poor decisions. Grudging obedience does not prevent us from succumbing to the desire to do wrong.
The power of God is a comfort to those who are believers in Christ and love the Lord. It is a reason for concern and fear in those who only give lip service to the Lord. A person can do what is right and still be wrong in their own eyes. Blessings and victory because of obedience in some areas do not mean we are free from the consequences of self-will and disobedience in other areas. If we are not careful and committed to our walk with God, arrogance and pride can cause our ambition to become our downfall.
Ability isn't mine just because I think I have it. Without God with us, we are powerless, even if we trust in all kinds of assets. "Meddling" happens when someone deceives themselves into thinking, "I can do anything if I just put my mind to it." Ignoring the counsel of those who speak for God leads to predictable results and consequences beyond our control. God will not step back from righteous retribution when it is deserved.
The writer of the chronicles for the remnant that returned from Babylonian captivity wanted to emphasize the importance of taking action against danger when they are guided by God. Defeat occurs when God’s people act with arrogant self-confidence, led by spiritually weak men. They needed to be reminded that idolatry is always sinful and will be judged by a just and holy God, regardless of who is involved in it.
It is possible for us to do what is right while still feeling resentful about doing it. That is half-hearted obedience at best, which soon leads to valuing success more than obeying God’s will. Complying with what God wants with a grudging attitude is not true obedience. Before long, a person with that attitude will face all sorts of temptations, pressures to sin, and attractive opportunities for evil that can be acted upon. Money, power, and recognition will ultimately lead to spiritual failure.
After Judah's defeat under Amaziah's leadership, he was neither well-liked nor accepted as a leader among his people. It appears that he likely shared leadership with his son, Uzziah, for several years. Even then, the people of Jerusalem resented him so much that they plotted against him, forcing him to flee to Lachish. The people of Jerusalem had grown tired of Amaziah, so they pursued him to Lachish, where they killed him. They then brought his body back to Jerusalem for burial. What an ignominious end for someone who started off well.
Many people's outcomes fall far short of their potential and the beginning. It is not over until it is truly over. It highlights the importance of adopting our Lord's attitude toward His Father and His people. "I have finished the work which thou gavest Me to do." "Having loved His own, He loved them unto the end."
Would not hear. Ambition can be problematic when it takes control of the mind. It tends to believe it can conquer anything, and that every mountain is climbable. Once it starts on the wrong path, it becomes tough to stop, because ambition is confident in every battle, that it will come out on top. Confidence, too, can lead someone astray, especially when it's in one's own belief that our plans are correct, and we often forget to seek God’s help. There is a plan laid out, and out of pride in ourselves, we intend to get our way, forgetting that without faith, it is impossible to please God, and there is a price to pay.
When someone has money, it can make us somewhat deaf to warnings from other voices. Money influences us to trust in riches and base our decisions on that trust. It is true that money has a way of influencing others so they’ll do what we say. But those who listen to money’s siren call live only for today. It’s a sad commentary on every Tom, Dick, and Harry who turns a deaf ear to God—that they have ignored the voice of the Lord by not listening when they should. There is no way to win when we let sin turn us away from what is right. Continuing down that path will bring God’s wrath, and we will lose every battle we fight.
Being impressed by what you see in the religious activities of the world can prevent you from listening to God’s still, small voice when popularity swirls around you. Loud music in the guise of praise to God and attractive programs that impress can make one deaf to salvation by grace alone and lead them to think that its great numbers are what God can bless. Even when an enemy gives warnings that you are about to step way out of line, the one who refuses to hear and seems not to fear will soon find that we should not ignore signs of coming disaster that will fall on us. This happens when we only listen to the sounds in our head and do not listen to others. God is speaking on every page of the Bible. We can make decisions based on God’s Word when we need to. I praise Thee for giving me ears to hear. We need to pray for the will and understanding to act in accordance with God’s will, keeping us in tune with the voice and knowledge of God’s wisdom.