A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

with great anger directed toward Judah. As they returned, they plundered the cities of Judah in
their path.
Amaziah took his troops and marched against Edom to capture the city of Seir. In the
battle and subsequent events surrounding the conquest of Seir, 20,000 Edomites were killed. But
in returning to Judah, the king brought back the gods of the Edomites. He was again confronted
by a prophet. This time it was not a message of encouragement but one of rebuke. When the king
refused to accept the prophet’s advice, the prophet responded, “I know that God has determined
to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my counsel” (v. 16).
On his return to Jerusalem, Amaziah learned of the activities of the Israelite mercenaries
and declared war against Israel. The two armies met to fight at Beth Shemesh in Judah. Though
the Lord was not with Israel, neither was He with Judah, as they had abandoned Him for the gods
of the Edomites. As a result, Israel prevailed in the battle and destroyed part of the wall of
Jerusalem. As the army of Israel returned north, they did so bearing the vast wealth of the temple
and royal palace, along with the hostages that had been captured in the battle against Edom.
On the death of Amaziah, his sixteen-year-old son Uzziah became king of Judah. “And
he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done.
He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as
long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper” (26:4-5).
The era of Uzziah (792-740 B. C.) was one of great prosperity for Judah. The king earned
a reputation as a great builder and warrior. Isaiah witnessed the rapid growth of his nation. Judah
built the city of Elath and erected defensive towers at the gate of Jerusalem. Uzziah had
inventors develop new weapons capable of firing large stones and arrows at invading armies and
had them installed in the towers. Because of Uzziah’s personal interest in husbandry, he had
vineyards planted throughout the nation. His large herds were scattered throughout the land and
defensive towers similar to those in Jerusalem were erected for their protection. He gained military
victories over the Philistines, Arabians, and Meunites. Also, he began receiving tribute from
the Ammonites. He opened a port on the Red Sea. “His fame spread as far as the entrance of
Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly” (v. 8). Under Uzziah the nation had a degree of
prosperity that it had not enjoyed since King Solomon.
Uzziah’s great success must have gotten to him. He began to think more highly of
himself than was proper and took on responsibilities that were not his. He intruded into the
priesthood. When confronted by priests in the temple for burning incense, a ministry reserved for
the priests, Uzziah got angry that anyone should challenge his authority. Even as he stood in his
rage with the incense in his hand, “the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day
of his death” (2 Kings 15:5). Uzziah lived another ten years, dwelling in a “separated” house for
lepers. He could not sit on the throne as a leper. His son Jotham began reigning as king at that
time (750-732 B. C.).
Jotham “prepared his ways before the Lord his God” (2 Chron. 27:6). He built parts of
the temple, cities in the Judean countryside, and castles and towers in the forest. He also defeated
the Ammonites and began exacting tribute from them. But even as Israel fell to the Assyrians,
Jotham found himself engaged in battle with both Israel and Syria.
As the Southern Kingdom prospered, the Northern Kingdom was eroding. On the death
of Menahem in Israel, his son Pekahiah assumed the throne. His brief two-year reign came to a
violent end when his captain, Pekah ben Remaliah, killed him in the castle and took the throne
for himself. Pekah reigned twenty years in the final days of Israel (752-732 B. C. ), but his
lifestyle was as evil as the kings who had sat on that throne before him. It was during his reign