Idolatry is not only sinful, it is stupid. When we hear the word idolatry, we tend to think of an uncivilized pagan bowing down to an image. That may be one form of idolatry, but it's not the only form. According to the New Testament, believers can be guilty of idolatry. Even when believers do it, it is not only sinful, it is stupid. The message that idolatry is stupid comes from the Lord himself. You might ask, where did he say that? Well, it's a message that he delivered to a king in ancient Israel. It's recorded in 2 Chronicles 25. Turn with me to that passage and let's see what the Lord had to say. I'm going to begin with verse one. Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. Joash, which we saw in the last chapter, was succeeded by his son Amaziah, who was 25 years old when he became king in the southern kingdom. We know that he enjoyed a reign of 29 years. Verse 2 says, he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart. The Hebrew word translated loyal means complete, full, whole. One author says the Chronicle summarizes his character in that he pleased the Lord, but not wholeheartedly. Verse three goes on to say, now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father's king. One of his first official acts was avenging his father's murder. Verse four says, however, he did not execute his children, but did, as it is written in the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers, but a person shall die for his own sins." Amaziah dealt with his father's murderer according to the law. His heart for God is seen in his sparing the assassin's son in accordance with Moses' principles that children must not be punished for the sins of their fathers. That's in Deuteronomy chapter 24. So these opening verses simply tell us that Amaziah came to reign and he avenged his father's murderer. Beginning at verse five, it tells us about some of his victories. It says, moreover, Amaziah gathered Judah together and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds according to their father's houses throughout all Judea and Benjamin. And he numbered them from 20 years old and above and found them to be 300,000 choice men able to go to war who could handle spear and shield. Amaziah's interest in military affairs was manifest in him conscripting an army of 300,000 men. He also hired, according to verse six, 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver. For 100 talents of silver, he hired another 100,000 mighty men of valor from the northern kingdom. One talon of silver was 120,000 ounces or 3.75 tons. But a man of God came to him saying, O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you for the Lord is not with Israel nor with any of the children of Ephraim. A man of God warned Amaziah to send home the mercenaries that he had hired out of the northern tribes for 100 talents of silver, lest he lose God's help and blessing. Verse 8 says, but if you go, be gone, be strong in battle. Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy, for God has power to help and to overthrow. The man of God went on to say that if Amaziah went into battle with the mercenaries, he would fall because God is in control. So he would be strong in battle in the Lord. Then Amaziah said to the man of God, but what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel? And the man of God answered, the Lord is able to give you much more than this. Interesting. Amaziah was concerned about the money. So he asked the man of God about the hundred talents of silver he paid the mercenaries and was told that the Lord was able to give him that amount of money and more besides. So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim to go back home. Therefore, their anger was greatly aroused against Judah, and they returned home in great anger. Amaziah accepted the prophet's assurance that the Lord was able to give him more and make up for his, shall we say, foolish investment. But the mercenaries were furious because they felt they'd been gypped out of the plunder they would make if they had gone into battle. When Amaziah strengthened himself and leading his people, he went into the Valley of Salt and killed 10,000 of the people of Seir. The Valley of Salt is at the southern end of the Dead Sea. And this is going into Edom. He also captured the capital of Edom, which is Petra. We know that from second Kings chapter 14. The Edomites had rebelled against Judah during the reign of Jehoram. And now Amaziah went to bring them back under his rule. Also the children of Judah took captive 10,000 alive, brought them to the top of the rock and cast them down from the top of the rock so that they were dashed in pieces with unusual brutality. They took an additional 10,000 men as prisoners and threw them over the cliffs to their deaths. These victims may have been guilty of unusual cruelty, or Amaziah may have been following an acceptable wartime policy of that day. But verse 13 says, but as for the soldiers of the army which Amaziah had discharged so that they would not go with him to battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, killed 3,000 of them and took much spoils. In other words, the frustrated Israelites raided some southern kingdom cities and took, killed 3,000 people and took great amount of their possessions. Now what we've seen so far in this passage is Amaziah's reign coming to power and we've just reviewed His victory. What happens next in this passage is his idolatry. Let's pick it up at verse 14. Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Sarah, set them up to be gods, and bowed down before them, and burned incense to them. The practice of carrying off images of the gods from conquered countries as trophies of victory was common among the nations of the East, but Amaziah bowed down to them and burned incense to them. Verse 15 says, therefore the anger of the Lord was aroused against Amaziah. And he sent a prophet who said to him, why have you sought the gods of the people which could not rescue your own people from your hand? Idolatry was always highly displeasing to the Lord. And this was more provoking when the Lord had given him victory over his enemies, and he turns around and worships their gods. So the Lord sent a prophet to tell him it was stupid to worship a God that wasn't able to deliver his people. This is the central thought of this passage. I began by saying idolatry is sinful, we all know that, but it's also stupid. And this is the point that God makes concerning idolatry in this passage. He's saying, look, you are bow-dowing to gods that can help you. Verse 16 says, so it was so as he talked with the prophet that the king said to him, have we made you the king's counselor? Cease. Why should you be killed? Then the prophet ceased and said, I know that God has determined to destroy you because you've done this and have not heeded my advice. threatened to kill the man of God on the spot if he would not desist, Amaziah interrupted the prophet with a threat, perhaps a veil allusion to Zechariah who had lost his life by prophesying against Amaziah's father. The prophet responded to the king's warning by saying, in effect, I'm not going to be struck down Since you have refused my advice, you are the one that is going to be destroyed. So we see in verses 14 to 16, Amaziah's idolatry, his pride, his stubbornness, his stupidity. What happens next in this passage is his defeat. Verse 17 says, now Amaziah king of Judah asked for advice and sent to Joash saying, come, let us face one another in battle. Amaziah did not listen to the prophet God had sent him, but instead asking his advice of his own staff. Foolishly, he made war with Joash of Israel, refusing to heed Joash's warning. And Joash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, the thistle that is in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, give your daughter to my son as wife. And the wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. Joash's reply to Amaziah's challenge is a parable. The parable concerns a thistle, meaning Amaziah, who demanded a cedar. And that cedar would give his daughter as a wife to the thistle's son. The thistle was rewarded by being overrun by a wild beast, which means an army. So Joas interpreted his own story by comparing Amazion to a mere bush, who because he defeated the minor power of Edom thought he was equal to a mighty tree, but he would know better, should know better, and ought to refrain from that conflict. Indeed, you say that you have defeated the Edomites and your heart is lifted up to boast. Stay at home now. Why should you meddle with trouble that you should fail you and Judah with you? Joash went on to say that Amaziah had defeated the Emmanites and now was filled with pride he was boasting. Joash told him to stay at home, adding that if he meddled with the trouble, he would fall and all the southern kingdom with him. But Amaziah would not heed, verse 20. For it came from God that he might give him the hand of their enemy because he sought the gods of Edom. Amaziah paid no heed to the Lord's warning. God determined to punish him because of his idolatry. So Joash king of Israel went out. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another. And they decided to go to battle. And Judah was defeated by Israel. In other words, the southern kingdom was defeated by the northern kingdom. And every man fled to his tent. Then Joash, the king of Israel, captured Amaziah, king of Judah, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate. 400 cubits. Joash, the king of the northern kingdom, captured Amaziah, the king of the southern kingdom, brought him to Jerusalem, broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, which was a distance of about 600 feet. And he took all the gold and silver and the articles which were found in the house of God, with Odeb Edom, the treasurer of the king's house and the hostages, and returned to Samaria. Joash took all the gold, silver, and the articles of the temple under the care of the family, Obed Edom, who served as doorkeeper, the treasurers of the palace. Verse 24 is the only instance in the Bible in which taking hostages is mentioned specifically. One author said, building program, the walls of Jerusalem are destroyed. Instead of wealth from the people and surrounding nations, the king is plundered. Instead of a large family, there are hostages. Instead of peace, war. Instead of victory, defeat. Instead of loyalty from the populace, a long and long life, there is conspiracy and death. Verse 25 says, Amaziah, lived 15 years after the death of Joash. The king of the south lived 15 years after the death of the king of the north. Verse 26 says, now the rest of the acts of Amaziah from first to last, indeed, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. The first, that is when he walked in the fear of the Lord, the last, when he departed from the right way before the Lord, were not written in the book. Then verse 29, I'm sorry, verse 27 says, after that time, Amaziah turned away from following the Lord. They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish. but was sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. Lachish is 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. From the time Amaziah turned from the Lord, the Lord began to turn against him by using the faithful in the southern kingdom as his instruments of judgment. The last verse in this chapter says, then they brought him on horses and buried him with his father in the city of Judah. The city of Judah, by the way, is another name for Jerusalem. Judea was defeated and Amaziah was humiliated and impoverished. Jerusalem was invaded and the temple was plundered. Amaziah's subjects conspired against him and eventually he fled from Jerusalem but he was murdered in Lakish, brought back to Jerusalem and buried. What a sad story. Amazon began his reign by doing what was right, but not wholeheartedly. Remember verse two? He experienced military victory, but he became an idolater, and as a result, was defeated. Amaziah is an illustration of what it means to be stupid when you're not wholeheartedly following the Lord. The Chronicle selected three events from his reign to teach important spiritual truths. So let's review them. First, he followed the Mosaic law faithfully in dealing with the people who had killed his father. These actions transpired at the beginning of his reign. Second, the king obeyed the Lord partially in his war with the Edomites. He unwisely hired mercenary soldiers to help him rather than seeking the Lord's help. However, when the prophet rebuked him, he obediently dismissed them, even though it cost him 7,500 pounds of silver. Nevertheless, because he had hired them, he not only lost his money, but he lost the lives of some of his soldiers when the Israelites retaliated from having been dismissed. Furthermore, he disobeyed the Lord by importing the gods of Edom. And finally, he refused to repent. Third, Amaziah disobeyed the Lord by attacking Israel late in his reign. This was due from the divine perspective to the king's idolatry and from the human perspective to his pride. The consequences were that Judah's enemies destroyed a portion of the wall around Jerusalem and stripped the temple. Joash's parable of the arrogant thistle recalls the pride of the ignominious bumble in Judges chapter 9. So what is the takeaway from this passage for us? I think we need to go back to the beginning of the passage, and the point is very simple. He was not wholeheartedly serving the Lord. So the bottom line is real simple, don't be half-hearted, be whole hearted. Father, we thank you for this example and what it means even to us today that we're to wholeheartedly serve you and not be double-minded. Thank you for the warning, in Jesus' name, amen.