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Bible reading: 2
Chronicles 25:17-28
17 Then
Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of
Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us
see one another in the face. 18 And Joash king of Israel
sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in
Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy
daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast
that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 19 Thou
sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart
lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou
meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and
Judah with thee? 20 But Amaziah would not hear; for it
came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their
enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. 21 So
Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in
the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh,
which belongeth to Judah. 22 And Judah was put to the
worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. 23 And
Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of
Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to
Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of
Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 24 And
he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that
were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures
of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to
Samaria. 25 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah
lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel
fifteen years. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah,
first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the
kings of Judah and Israel? 27 Now after the time that
Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a
conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but
they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. 28 And
they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in
the city of Judah.
Never was a proud
prince more thoroughly mortified than Amaziah by Joash king of
Israel.
A man's pride will bring him low (Prov.29:23);
it goes before his destruction, and deservedly brings it on.
He that exalteth himself shall be abased. He that goes forth
hastily to strive, will not know what he shall do in the end
thereof, when his neighbor has put him to shame, (Prov.25:8).
What are we when we offer to establish our own righteousness, or
presume to justify ourselves before the Most High God, but
despicable thistles, that fancy themselves stately cedars?
Are not various temptations, is not every corruption, a wild beast
of the desert, which will trample on the wretched boaster, and
tread his haughty pretensions to the dust? A man's pride shall
bring him low; his ruin may be dated from his turning from the
Lord.
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