提要
約阿斯的兒子亞瑪謝，願意聽一位不知名的上帝使者之忠告，這是好的。這人前來鼓勵並警告他。他告訴亞瑪謝，如果他和來自北王國以色列的以法蓮傭兵一同上陣對抗以東，就一定大吃敗仗，「因為主不與以色列同在」，以色列已背棄了上帝（25：7）。但是，亞瑪謝一開始會要求與他們聯盟，主要是由於對上帝小信。猶大國的軍隊積弱不振，（可能是約阿施王被敘利亞打敗所造成，24：24）；但是，正如主在這場對抗以東，和從前多次戰爭中所證明的，祂能行神蹟，並賜下勝利，只要祂的子民信靠祂。
亞瑪謝缺乏信心，且僱用外籍軍隊，帶來了災害。雖然他已經付款給他們，但並不太多；因為他們可以藉著戰後分取擄物而得到另一筆酬勞。由於遭到解散，他們生氣地回到自己家中。在路上，他們搶劫了猶大國的好幾個城，殺了三千民眾，又擄走了大量物品（25：13）。他們決心討回亞瑪謝禁止他們上戰場因而蒙受的財物損失。
亞瑪謝所做的，是多麼愚蠢的事！他居然去跪拜以東人已在戰場上證明無用的偶像。主是嫉邪的上帝，決不和其他偶像分享自己的榮耀（申6：14~15；賽42：8）。亞瑪謝這麼做，可能是由於，他相信這偶像仍然有能力（雖然不如祂自己的上帝那麼強大）。藉著敬拜它們，他希望平息偶像對他的不滿和憤怒，特別是他對以東施行殘酷之後。由於這錯誤的信仰，亞瑪謝對上帝沒有顆「忠貞的心」（25：2）。
似乎就是同一個不知名的先知，再度勇敢地去找亞瑪謝，這次先知責備了他，並預言他的結局（25：15~16）。亞瑪謝犯的罪，此刻已使他變得硬心，致使他根本不留意先知的話語。假如一個人對上帝忠貞，他就會相信上帝是唯一的真神，並且只敬拜祂，也尊敬上帝的代言人。
亞瑪謝的驕傲促成他的墮落。他可能早已搬回以東人的偶像，作為得勝的戰利品；但這些東西竟成了他的陷阱。戰勝以東的驕傲顯然使他有過度的信心，居然向以色列國挑鬩。可是現在上帝的震怒臨到他身，他遭到慘敗。很可能這就是臣下對他謀叛致他於死的原因。
亞瑪謝十六歲的兒子烏西雅（另外一種拼法，叫亞撒利雅，王下14：21），繼他之後為王。烏西雅像他的父親和祖父，開始時成功地治理，並有上帝的祝福在他身上，因為「他尋求上帝，上帝就使他亨通」（26：5，鑰節），並且因他的信心而賞賜他。烏西雅留心聽了先知撒迦利亞的勸告，贏得許多次軍事上的勝利。非利士人和阿拉伯人（猶大國東南方的遊牧者）曾臣服於約沙法王（17：11），卻背叛了他的兒子約蘭王（21：6）。這回，終於再度降服，並在壓力之下向猶大國獻上貢品（26：7）。這些勝利的發生，是因烏西雅「（被主）奇妙的幫助，甚是強盛」（26：15）。他的軍隊組織嚴密、配備精良、戰鬥力極為可觀（26：14~15）。
烏西雅所做的每一件事都甚興隆，最後他自我膨脹，變得很驕傲；這一點導致他向上帝犯罪。他已忘記，那是上帝、唯獨上帝使他強盛。更且，他不為自己的繁昌向上帝獻上榮耀，反而「心高氣傲，行事邪僻」（26：16）。當他放肆地自命為祭司兼君王（如一般外邦君主常做的），主就使他長了痲瘋，直到死為止（參民12：10，王下5：22）。他破壞了摩西和上帝的律法，擅自進入聖殿的聖所燒香；那是唯獨亞倫後裔的祭司才可進入供職的地方（出30：7~8；民3：10；16：40）。長了痲瘋後之後，他再也不能進入聖殿的外院，也不能執行君王的職權（利13：45，46；民5：1~4）。祭司兼君王的位置，上帝唯獨保留給彌賽亞主耶穌。
|
Overview
Amaziah, the son of Joash, did well in heeding the words of the unnamed man of God who came courageously to warn him. The man told him that if he went into the battle against Edom with the hired Ephraimite soldiers from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, he would surely lose, 'for the Lord was not with Israel' since they had forsaken Him (25:7). However, Amaziah's asking them to join him in the first place showed the weakness of his faith in God. Judah's army had been depleted, (probably due to their defeat by the Syrians when his father Joash was king, 24:24), but, as the Lord had proved in this battle against Edom and many times before, He can work miracles and give the victory when His people trust in Him.
Amaziah's lack of faith in hiring the mercenaries brought disaster. Although he had paid them already, it was not really very much, since they were also to have received payment after the battle by sharing in the spoils of war. Upon being dismissed, they angrily returned to their homes. On their way, they pillaged several towns of Judah, killing 3,000 people and taking much spoil (25:13). They were determined to make up for the spoil which Amaziah had excluded them from receiving by not going into the battle.
What a grave and foolish mistake Amaziah made by worshipping the very idols of the Edomites which had proven to be powerless before the Lord God who went into the battle with Judah (25:14-15). The Lord is a jealous God who will not share His glory with others (Deuteronomy 6:14-15; Isaiah 42:8). Amaziah probably did this because he believed that the idols still had some power (although not as much as his God). By worshipping them, he hoped to appease their anger against Him, especially after the cruelty he had shown the Edomites (25:12). Amaziah did not have a "loyal heart" to God (25:2) because of these very beliefs.
It was likely the same unnamed prophet who again came boldly to Amaziah. This time the prophet rebuked him and prophesied his doom (25:15-16). Amaziah's sin, however, had now hardened his heart, and he did not heed the prophet's words. If people are loyal to God, they believe in Him as the only God and worship Him alone, and they also show respect to the spokesman of God.
The pride of Amaziah contributed to his downfall. He may well have taken the Edomite idols as trophies of his victory, but they became a snare to him. It is clear that his pride in the victory over Edom gave him the over-confidence to challenge Israel in battle, but now the wrath of God was upon him, and he was defeated. This was likely the reason for the conspiracy against him and his eventual death.
Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah (variant spelling, "Azariah", 2 Kings 14:21) was made king after him. Uzziah, like his father and grandfather, began his reign successfully and with the blessings of God upon him. Since "he sought the Lord, God made him prosper" (26:5, key verse) and rewarded him for his faithfulness. Uzziah heeded the admonitions of the prophet Zechariah and won many military victories. The Philistines and Arabians (nomads in the area southeast of Judah), whom Jehoshaphat had subjugated (17:11) but who had rebelled against his son Jehoram (21:16), were finally brought back into subjection and forced to pay tribute to Judah (26:8). These victories took place because Uzziah "was marvelously helped [by the Lord] till he became strong" (26:15). His army was extremely well organized and had the most innovative equipment, which brought destruction on a larger scale (26:14-15).
Everything Uzziah did prospered, until he became puffed up with pride; this led him to sin against God. Had he forgotten that it was God and God alone who had made him strong? Yet, rather than giving God all the glory for his prosperity, "his heart was lifted up, to his destruction" (26:16). When he presumed the position of priest-king (a usual practice for the heathen monarchs), the Lord made him leprous for the rest of his life (cf. Numbers 12:10; 2 Kings 5:27). He had broken the Law of Moses and of God by entering the Holy Place of the Temple and burning incense, a place and a duty exclusively reserved for priests from the line of Aaron (Exodus 30:7-8; Numbers 3:10; 16:40). As a leper, Uzziah was excluded from even entering the outer courts of the Temple and could no longer carry on as acting king (Leviticus 13:45-46; Numbers 5:1-4). The office of priest-king was reserved by God for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus alone.
|
