The Misadventures of Amaziah (796-767BC)
Ref: 2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25, Jonah 1-4
The boy king Joash had re-established the Davidic dynasty on the throne of Judah and enjoyed a long rule of 40 years. He started well ending the worship of Baal and restoring the worship of YaHVeH. However he ended badly slipping into idolatry and tyranny. Judah was invaded by Syria and defeated in battle. To pay them off Joash resorted to taking gold from the temple. Such was the discontent with Joash that his servants conspired to kill him. Joash became the first king of Judah to die in a coup.
Amaziah and Jehoash Establishes their Rule
Following the death of Joash in 796BC, Amaziah the son of Joash became king of Judah at the age of 25. Now once Amaziah had established his rule he proceeded to have those who killed his father executed. Amaziah then began to strengthen the kingdom and reorganise the military. He conducted a census of Judah and Benjamin and found there were 300,000 men over the age of 20 that could be called upon to fight.
Meanwhile with a weakened Syria, Jehoash King of Israel made war with Ben-Haddad defeating him at Aphek. Jehoash would go on to attack Syria and defeat them twice more in fulfilment of the prophecy of Elisha. In the process he was able to recapture the cities of Israel that Hazael had taken, including all the territory east of the Jordan. In 793BC Jehoash King of Israel made his son Jeroboam co-regent, even as his father had made him co-regent. This was a tradition of the kings of Judah and other nations, but only the second time it had occurred in Israel.
Amaziah goes to war with Edom
In Judah Amaziah made plans for the invasion of Edom, in order to reassert Judah’s control. In addition to his own army, he hired a great number of Israelites to join the campaign, however he was confronted by a man of God saying: if he marched to war with the Israelites, he would fall in battle before the enemy, for the LORD is not with the Israelites. So Ahaziah dismissed the Israelites who returned to their homes with great anger and resentment.
Ahaziah proceeded to march with his army into Edom where he was met in battle in the Valley of Salt. Judah achieved a decisive victory with 10,000 Edomite troops captured and subsequently executed, by being thrown off the top of the cliff. Ahaziah also captured the gods of Seir and took the fortress of Sela. Having defeated Edom he returned to Jerusalem following his great victory. Unbeknown to him the dismissed Israelite troops had raided the cities of Judah from Beth Horon northwards until they returned to Samaria. In the process they killed 3,000 men and took a great amount of spoil.
Now Amaziah proceeded to worship the gods of Edom and was confronted by a prophet. The prophet highlighted the absurdity of worshipping the very gods that were unable to deliver their nation. Amaziah in his pride rejected the word of the LORD and threatened the prophet with death.
Unnecessary War between Israel and Judah
Around this time it appears that Amaziah had sought a marriage alliance with Israel. He sought the daughter of Jehoash as a wife for his son and heir Uzziah. This proposal was rejected by Jehoash King of Israel. In response to this snub, coupled with anger at the Israelite troops, who had killed men of Judah and plundered their cities, Amaziah sought to make war with Israel. Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash saying: “come let us face one another”. To this Jehoash mocked Amaziah and warned him not to be over confident; he had defeated Edom in battle and should be content, lest he stir up trouble and he and Judah fall with it. Nevertheless Amaziah persisted and Jehoash went out against Judah. Jehoash King of Israel met Amaziah King of Judah in battle at Beth Shemesh in Judah. Israel were victorious with Amaziah captured and the men of Judah fleeing. Jehoash then took Amaziah captive back to Jerusalem, where a large section of the wall of Jerusalem was broken down. Jehoash proceeded to plunder the temple, the palace and to take captives before returning to Samaria.
In 790 following this defeat Ahaziah’s 16 year old son Amaziah (also known as Uzziah) was placed on the throne by the people in the place of his father. Though Amaziah was still king he had effectively been deposed in favour of his son.
Israel restored to its greatest extent
Jehoash king of Israel died somewhere between Tishri 782BC and Nissan 781BC. Jehoash was succeeded by his son Jeroboam II. Jeroboam would go on to have a long reign and under his rule Israel was once again in the ascendancy. The LORD spoke through the prophet Jonah declaring that he would restore the territory of Israel. Jeroboam would make war to the north restoring Gilead to Israelite rule. He went on to conquer Damascus making Syria a vassal. He then extended his territory all the way to Hamath which had once belonged to the kingdom of Solomon. Jeroboam was able to take advantage of Assyrian weakness at the time. Under his rule Israel prospered and reached its greatest extent since the division of the kingdom after Solomon. Down in Judah Jotham son of King Uzziah was born in 775BC.
The Ministry of Jonah
Further to the north Assyria had been on the decline following the death of Adad Nirari III in 783BC. It was around 769BC in the fourth year of Ashur Dan III that the prophet Jonah was sent by YaHVeH to pronounce judgement on Nineveh. After originally running in the opposite direction, Jonah came to the city of Nineveh proclaiming that the LORD would destroy the city in 40 days. Both the people and the king responded by fasting and covering themselves in sackcloth. As a result of their repentance the LORD relented of his judgement. (It is interesting to note is that in the fourth year of Ashur Dan III the king remained in the land, whereas in the previous 4 decades the king of Assyria had campaigned each and every year.)
The Death of Amaziah
Now there had been a conspiracy formed against Amaziah (the deposed king) and fearing for his life he fled to Lachish. However he was later pursued and killed. His body was then brough back to Jerusalem. Amaziah died sometime between Tishri 768BC and Tishri 767BC. At this point Uzziah became the sole rule of Judah, although he had in effect been reigning for 24 years since his father was deposed.
Amaziah ended up walking in the same footsteps as his Father. He began well but later became arrogant picking an unwarranted fight with Israel. Having been soundly defeated he was deposed as king. He had only ruled 5 years when he was deposed in favour of his son. He lived a further 24 years still holding the title of king though holding no real power. Such was his level of unpopularity that he was killed by his own people.
