| II Kings 14:11 “But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.” Recently, someone on the Ranch tried to teach my boys the art of trash-talking. I guess he thought they needed help in this area! It was humorous near the end of the week when the teacher became the focus of the good-natured jesting. Professional sports are full of trash-talking players, and we find a sort of “trash-talker” in II Kings 14.
Amaziah was feeling good about himself and the strength of his army, so he challenged Jehoash to a fight. Jehoash used an analogy to cut Amaziah down to size, calling him “the thistle that was in Lebanon” while calling himself “the cedar that was in Lebanon.” This little thistle thought he was big and tough like the cedar tree until a passing animal accidentally squashed the lowly thistle. Jehoash said in verse 10, “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up . . . why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee.” And that is exactly what happened! Amaziah got his face-to-face battle, but he and his country were “put to the worse before Israel.”
This story illustrates an important lesson for us today: don’t wait for someone else to cut you down to size! Do it yourself before you get in trouble. The truth is, you are due for defeat when you cannot see yourself honestly and will not hear reproof. Amaziah couldn’t see who he truly was, and he would not listen. He thought he was a cedar tree when he was only a thistle! He was “a big fish in a small pond.”
The standard by which you judge yourself is important. If you judge yourself by other people, your estimation will always be misguided. It sounds simple, but there are more people in the world than your little circle of friends and peers. A wrong view of self and a failure to listen will always lead you astray!
The best way to guard against the folly of Amaziah is to see yourself as you are and to listen. Don’t judge yourself by another person-you can always make yourself seem good if you narrow the field enough! A humble spirit, a correct view of self, and being willing to hear will keep you from needing to be cut down to size!
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Camp Quotes… “Presumption is thinking I can enjoy the protection of God while violating the principles of God.” -Pastor Jeff Redlin Prayer Requests: 1. Safety for staff and campers 2. Families to be helped this week |