He did right -- but not with a whole heart.

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Scripture

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
(2 Chronicles 25:1 NASB)
He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.
(2 Chronicles 25:2 NASB)
Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them.
(2 Chronicles 25:14 NASB)
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?”
(2 Chronicles 25:15 NASB)
Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits.
(2 Chronicles 25:23 NASB)
He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
(2 Chronicles 25:24 NASB)

 

Observation


Amaziah was the King of Judah and we are told that he did right, and "yet not with a whole heart." The Lord had told him to trust in him for the battle against the Edomites, and Amaziah and the warriors of Judah came out victorious. Originally Amaziah had purchased the assistance of troops from Israel, but God had told him to simply trust in him and not in the additional troops. Amaziah listened and he sent the troops back and fought the battle with the Lord on his side. That's why his response seems so incredibly odd. Included in the spoils are the gods of the Edomites. Amaziah brings them home with him and sets them up and burns incense to them. Why in the world would he do this? One of the foundational teachings of the children of God was the Shema, "Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one!" This is what they were to have known from the early years of their lives -- God was constantly trying to help them understand that he was the only God! They were to worship no others. This was to be as sacred as a marriage relationship -- the children of Israel were in a marriage relationship with God and him alone. Yet, they were constantly committing adultery with the gods of other nations. Amaziah was in love with God -- and yet not with his whole heart. He was willing to have an "affair" with the gods of the Edomites. Was it worth it? God allowed the warriors of Israel to come back and to attack Amaziah and tear down Jerusalem as well. The destruction was devastating. Half-hearted devotion to God is no devotion to God.

 

Application


How often is this true. We find that we want to serve the Lord, and we want to do the right things, but sadly, that only takes us so far. We are not willing to serve him with a whole heart. Instead, we want to serve him when it is comfortable for us. The reality is that it is either all or nothing. Just as in a marriage relationship you can't be "sort-of" married, or married part of the time. You must either be whole-heartedly committed, or the marriage won't work. You must also be completely and whole-heartedly committed to God, or the relationship won't work. That's why we can't choose to do a few things right, and yet do what we want during other periods of time. It's not about picking and choosing to do right "things" and that's where Amaziah got it wrong. Walking with God is about a relationship with God and such intimacy that we simply do the things that we do out of the depth of that relationship. We don't do "right" things because we are ordered to, but because we so love him that his nature becomes our very nature and the desire to do right is who we are.

If we try to live in a world where we pick and choose when we do the right thing, we will be like Amaziah and we will get it wrong because it will not come out of a personal relationship with God. We must take the time to walk in the depths of a relationship with God who will transform us as we love him with our whole heart!

 

Prayer


Lord, please draw me into deeper intimacy with you today and each and every day! Amen.

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