2 Chronicles 25:7

_BUT THERE CAME A MAN OF GOD TO HIM, SAYING, O KING, LET NOT THE ARMY OF ISRAEL GO WITH THEE; FOR THE LORD IS NOT WITH ISRAEL, TO WIT, WITH ALL THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM._ There came a man of God - sent to dissuade Amaziah from the course he was following, on the ground that "the Lord was not with Israel." This statement was perfectly intelligible to the king. But the historian, writing long after, thought it might require explanation, and therefore added, the comment, "with all the children of Ephraim." Idolatry had long been the prevailing religion in that kingdom, and Ephraim its headquarters. As to the other part of the prophet's advice (2 Chronicles 25:8), considerable obscurity hangs over it, as the text stands; and hence, some able critics have suggested the insertion of 'not' in the middle clause, so that the verse will be thus-`But if thou wilt go (alone),

1-13 Amaziah was no enemy to religion, but cool and indifferent friend. Many do what is good, but not with a perfect heart. Rashness makes work for repentance. But Amaziah's obedience to the command of God was to his honour. A firm belief of God's all-sufficiency to bear us out in our duty, and to make up all the loss and damage was sustain in his service, will make his yoke very easy, and his burden very light. When we are called to part with any thing for God and our religion, it should satisfy us, that God is able to give us much more than this. Convinced sinners, who have not true faith, always object to self-denying obedience. They are like Amaziah; they say, But what shall we do for the hundred talents? What shall we do if by keeping the sabbath holy we lose so many good customers? What shall we do without this gain? What shall we do if we lose the friendship of the world? Many en...

Verse 2 Chronicles 25:7. _THE LORD_ IS _NOT WITH ISRAEL_] "The WORD of the Lord is not the helper of the Israelites, nor of the kingdom of the tribe of Ephraim." - _Targum_....

EXPOSITION This chapter is filled up with a very graphic account of the entire career of Amaziah, and its twenty-eight verses are paralleled by the twenty verses of 2 Kings 14:1, where the narrative reads in several places much more curtly. Our chapter opens with the familiar anticipatory summary of the man, his age, pedigree, and character, whose course is to be detailed more precisely in following verses, again and yet again sounding the clear key-note of an unclean character and reign (2 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 25:2); it proceeds to record the king's avenging of his father's murder (2 Chro

BUT THERE CAME A MAN OF GOD TO HIM,.... Who the Jews say f was the brother of the king, Amos, the father of Isaiah, but without foundation: SAYING, O KING, LET NOT THE ARMY OF ISRAEL GO WITH THEE; to war against Edom; meaning the 100,000 men he had hired, and suggesting that to have them with him would not be to his advantage, but his detriment, for the following reason: FOR THE LORD IS NOT WITH ISRAEL, to wit, WITH ALL THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM; they being idolaters, worshippers of the calves; and as they had forsaken the Lord, he had forsaken them; therefore no help could be expected from them; the Targum is, "the Word of the Lord is not their help.'' f Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 2....

EPHRAIM Used in a collective sense for the northern ten-tribe kingdom, called also "Israel....

5. DECLINE AND APOSTASY UNDER AMAZIAH, UZZIAH, JOTHAM AND AHAZ CHAPTER 25 The Reign of Amaziah _ 1. The record of Amaziah's reign (2 Chronicles 25:1)_ 2. The war against Edom (2 Chronicles 25:5) 3. His idolatry and the divine rebuke (2 Chronicles 25:14) 4. The war between Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles 25:17) 5. The death of Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:26) Joash's son Amaziah (strength of the Lord) took up the government in Judah when he wa

THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH. This section is taken from 2 Kings 14:1 with some considerable additions and modifications characteristic of the Chronicler. 2 Chronicles 25:1. See notes on 2 Kings 14:1; the Chronicler omits all reference to worship on the high places. 2 Chronicles 25:5. A midrashic expansion of 2 Kings 14:7, forming a background to the verses which follow. 2 Chronicles 25:7. a man of God:...

A MAN OF GOD. See App-49. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. LET NOT. For similar protests Compare 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 20:37. ARMY. host. ISRAEL. These were mercenaries gathered out of the ten tribes, to be used against Edom (2 Chronicles 25:6). NOT WITH. This is the measure by which our alliances of all kinds should be tried. ALL THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM. any of the sons of Ephraim. Of these were the kings of Israel. EPHRAIM. Put here for the whole northern kingdom....

_the Lord_is _not with Israel_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 13:8-12....