Question 1

Who was Amaziah and how did he follow God in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Amaziah was king of Judah. He became king at twenty-five and ruled in Jerusalem. The passage says he did what was right in God’s eyes, but not like David. He followed the pattern of his father Joash and did not remove the high places, where people still offered sacrifices in ways God had not commanded. One clear way he followed God’s law was when he punished the servants who killed his father, but did not kill their children, because God had said that each person should die for his own sin, not for a parent’s sin.

Question 2

Why did Amaziah spare the children of his father’s killers?

Accepted Answer

When Amaziah’s rule was secure, he put to death the servants who had murdered his father, the former king. However, he did not kill their children. He did this because God’s law said that fathers should not be put to death for their children, and children should not be put to death for their fathers. Each person is to die for his own sin. Amaziah’s choice shows that at this point he respected God’s command about justice, even though he had the power to take wider revenge if he had wanted to.

Question 3

What is the meaning of the thistle and cedar story King Jehoash told?

Accepted Answer

Jehoash, king of Israel, answered Amaziah’s challenge to battle with a short story. He spoke of a thistle in Lebanon that told a cedar in Lebanon to give its daughter in marriage to the thistle’s son, and then a wild animal passed by and trampled the thistle. The point is that the thistle is small and weak, and the cedar is tall and strong. Jehoash was warning Amaziah that, after beating Edom, he was acting proud and reaching far above his place. The story urged Amaziah to stay home and not start a fight that would only hurt him and Judah.

Question 4

Why did Amaziah lose the battle against Israel and what happened after?

Accepted Answer

Amaziah ignored the warning from Jehoash and went out to fight Israel at Beth-shemesh. The army of Judah was defeated, and the men ran back to their tents. Amaziah himself was captured. Jehoash then came to Jerusalem, broke down a long stretch of the city wall, took the gold, silver, and vessels from the temple and the king’s house, and took hostages back to Samaria. Later, people in Jerusalem plotted against Amaziah. He fled to Lachish, but they followed him there and killed him. His end shows how pride and stubbornness brought shame and loss to him and his people.

Question 5

Who was Jeroboam son of Joash, and how did God use him?

Accepted Answer

Jeroboam son of Joash was king of Israel and reigned forty-one years in Samaria. The passage says he did evil in God’s sight and continued in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into sin. Yet God still used him. Jeroboam restored Israel’s borders from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the plain, just as God had said through His servant Jonah. God saw that Israel’s suffering was very bitter and that they had no helper. So, even though the king and people were in sin, God chose to save Israel through Jeroboam and not wipe their name out.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God’s justice and mercy?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, God’s justice is seen in how Amaziah is held to account for his pride. He starts by respecting God’s law about individual guilt, but later, lifted up by victory over Edom, he seeks honor in a needless war and is brought low. Judah is defeated and humbled. At the same time, God’s mercy is clear with Israel. Even while Jeroboam continues in sinful ways, God sees how bitter the people’s affliction is. He chooses not to blot out Israel, but to save them and restore their borders, showing that His compassion can reach people even when they are not walking rightly.

Question 7

Why did God help Israel through a king who was doing evil?

Accepted Answer

The text explains that God saw Israel’s trouble. Their misery was very bitter, and there was no one to help them. God had not said He would erase Israel’s name from under heaven, so He chose to save them through Jeroboam, even though Jeroboam was doing evil and following earlier sins. This shows that God’s mercy does not depend on human goodness. He keeps His word and cares for His people, even when their leaders are disobedient. At the same time, it does not excuse the king’s sin, but it highlights that God can work through imperfect people to keep His promises.

Question 8

How can Amaziah’s pride and fall speak to people today?

Accepted Answer

Amaziah’s story shows how quickly a person can shift from obeying God’s commands to acting out of pride. After a clear win over Edom, his heart was lifted up, and he went looking for honor by challenging a stronger king. He refused wise warning and brought harm on himself and his people. For people today, this warns against letting success go to our heads. Respecting God’s ways in one area does not excuse proud choices in another. The passage gently reminds us to stay humble, listen to warning, and remember that any victory we have is from God, not from ourselves.

Question 9

What does this passage show about Israel and Judah’s spiritual condition?

Accepted Answer

Both kingdoms are shown as mixed. In Judah, Amaziah does some things right, like following God’s law on justice, but he does not remove the high places, and later his pride leads to defeat and conspiracy. In Israel, Jeroboam restores lost lands and strengthens the nation, yet he keeps walking in the old sins set up before him. The people suffer under these kinds of leaders, yet God still cares for them. The passage pictures nations that know about God but are not fully devoted to Him, and it shows how God both judges their pride and continues to show mercy.

2 Kings 14:1

In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

Jehoash Defeats Amaziah

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash in Israel

The Death of Amaziah

Azariah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

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2 Kings 14:1

In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

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Amaziah Reigns in Judah

Jehoash Defeats Amaziah

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash in Israel

The Death of Amaziah

Azariah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

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