Welcome to this daily PBJ devotional. Read 2 Kings 14 and Hosea 7 today. This devotional is about 2 Kings 14. In the second year of the reign of Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah, son of Joash, became king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Jehoadan. She was from Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. He did everything as his father Joash had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers. Each is to die for his own sin. Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Selah in battle and called it Jokthiel, which is its name to this very day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel, Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. Come, let us meet face to face, he said. But Jehoash, king of Israel, replied to Amaziah, king of Judah. A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, give your daughter to my son in marriage. Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle. You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Glory in that, and stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble, so that you fall, you and Judah with you?" But Amaziah would not listen, and Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and king Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemesh in Judah, and Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his home. There, at Beth Shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, from the Ephraim gate to the corner gate, a section of four hundred cubits. He took all the gold and silver, and all the articles found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria. As for the rest of the Acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? And Jehoash rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and his son Jeroboam reigned in his place. Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived for 15 years after the death of Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. As for the rest of the Acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. They carried him back on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers, in the city of David. Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. Azariah was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after king Amaziah rested with his fathers. In the fifteenth year of Amaziah king of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebohemeth to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through his servant Jonah, son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-Hephir. For the Lord saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, and since the Lord had said that he would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash. As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah reigned in his place. This is God's word. 2 Kings 13 focused on the kings of Israel, the northern kingdom. But here in chapter 14, our attention is directed back to Judah, the southern kingdom, again. In 2 Kings 12, we read about Joash, a seven-year-old kid king, that was 2 Kings 11, verse 21, who turned out to be one of Judah's best, at least as long as he followed the instructions of a Jehoiada, the priest. See 2 Kings 12 too for that. His life was cut short prematurely, however, when he was assassinated by some of the officials in his government. You can see 2 Kings 12 verses 17 through 21 for that. Here in 2 Kings 14, Joash's son Amaziah became king. Like his father, he was a king who ruled righteously, according to verse 3, but did not remove the idolatry from Judah, as we saw in verse 4. In addition to worshiping the Lord, Amaziah saw to it that the men who had conspired against his father received justice for their treason, as we saw in verse 6. But Amaziah's execution of that justice was in obedience to God's Word. Again, see verse 6. He also experienced some initial success with his military, defeating a large army of Edomites in verse 7. When he challenged the king of Israel to battle, however, he received a proverb and a rebuke, as we saw in verses 9 and 10. The king of Israel compared him to the nerdy little kid from high school who asks out the prom queen, as we saw in verse 9. Actually, the image is much stronger than that. A weed in the woods tried to marry the daughter of one of the grand, majestic cedars of Lebanon, but before he could be laughed out of the forest, an animal came along and trampled him. That was the proverb. The application to Amaziah and Judah came in verse 10, which says this from the NIV. You have indeed defeated Edom, and now you are arrogant. Glory in your victory, but stay at home. Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also? The king of Israel's reply was insulting, but it was also true. Judah had no business attacking Israel. and was miserably defeated when they tried, as we saw in verses 11 through 14. It was pure hubris, not the Lord's will or a desire to please God, that led Amaziah to attack. Although Jehoash, king of Israel, was an ungodly man, Amaziah would have been wise to take his advice. As Christians, we should not allow our thoughts to be conformed to the pattern of this world, as Romans 12 says, or let the morals of unbelievers influence our perception of what is right or our tolerance for what is wrong. But there are many areas of life where we would do well to listen to wise counsel, even if it comes from an unbeliever. An unbeliever might be the best person to trust your medical condition to, or to repair the foundation of your house, or to write a will, or create a financial plan, or give you legal advice, or manufacture your breakfast cereal. At times, the rebuke of an unbeliever for a sinful act or a sinful attitude in your life might be just what you need to keep you from pursuing a sinful or foolish action. Amazigh's defeat reminds us to watch our ego. Godly people can overreach. So consider yourself whenever anyone offers you rebuke or correction or instruction that is wise. And I hope you have a great day today. Keep following the Lord. May he bless you today. We'll see you next time.