2 Chronicles 25:17-24 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

The battle of Beth-shemesh; or, the downfall of a boaster.

I. THE OBJECT OF THE BATTLE .

1 . The object of its promoter, Amaziah.

2 . The object of its Director, God. If Amaziah had an aim in seeking a pitched battle with Joash King of Israel, so had Jehovah an aim in allowing him and Joash to try conclusions on the field of war. If Amaziah meant to punish Joash, Jehovah meant to punish Amaziah: which of the two, the King of Judah or the King of kings, was the more likely to succeed in accomplishing his object, it required no prophet to foretell. So in mundane affairs, generally, "man proposes," but "God disposes." Men, as free agents, are allowed to scheme and plan as they please, while God worketh all things according to the counsel of his will Man often fails in his purposes, Jehovah never ( Job 23:13 ; Psalms 115:3 ; Isaiah 46:10 , Isaiah 46:11 ; Daniel 4:35 ; Ephesians 1:11 ).

II. THE PRELIMINARIES TO THE BATTLE .

1 . Amaziah ' s challenge to Joash.

2 . Joash ' s response to Amaziah. This, which Josephus says was delivered in writing, contained two things.

(a) A contemptuous rebuke. Amaziah, lifted up with pride and ambition, was stepping beyond his natural and legitimate sphere. He had conquered the Edomites, and now aspired to measure swords with the Israelites. It was pure self-conceit that lay at the bottom of his arrogance—a home-truth Amaziah might have digested with profit.

(b) A condescending admonition. Amaziah had better stay at home. To be addressed by Joash as a wilful child might be by a wise and prudent father, must have been galling to the untamed spirit of Amaziah.

(c) A comminatory prediction. Amaziah was meddling to his hurt, "provoking calamity" that he should fall, even he and Judah with him. Joash probably knew that Amaziah had rashly entered upon a campaign he had neither resources nor courage to sustain. Fas est ab hoste doceri; but Amaziah would not hear.

III. THE SCENE OF THE BATTLE . Beth-shemesh ( Joshua 15:10 ).

1 . The meaning of the term. "The house of the sun." Probably the site of an ancient temple to the sun-god. The Egyptian On, or Heliopolis, i.e. "the city of the sun," is probably for the same reason styled Beth-shemesh ( Jeremiah 43:13 ).

2 . The situation of the place. On the southern border of Dan, and within the territory of Judah, about three miles west of Jerusalem, represented by the modern Arabian village ' Ain Seines , or "sun-well," near the Wady-es-Surar, north of which stretches a level plain suitable for a battle. Many fragments of old wall-foundations still are visible about the locality, and the modern village appears to have been built out of old materials.

3 . The historical associations of the spot. It was one of the cities given to the Levites by the tribe of Judah ( Joshua 21:16 ). The ark of the covenant long stood there ( 1 Samuel 6:12 ). One of the officers who purveyed for Solomon's court resided there ( 1 Kings 4:9 ). It afterwards was taken by the Philistines ( 2 Chronicles 28:18 ).

IV. THE RESULTS OF THE BATTLE .

1 . The defeat of Judah. Joash and Amaziah "looked each other in the face." Their armies collided at the spot above described. The issue was a total rout for Judah (verse 22).

2 . The capture of Amaziah. Joash took him prisoner of war at Beth-shemesh. Amaziah's thoughts at this moment would be pleasant company for him! Whether Joash exulted over him, taunting him with his bravery, and reminding him of the fate of the poor briar who aspired to mate with the cedar, is not recorded; to Joash's credit it should be stated that Amaziah was not put to death, or even consigned to a prison, as he deserved and might have expected, but was allowed to live and even continue on his throne (verse 25).

3 . The destruction of a part of the wall of Jerusalem. Approaching the metropolis of Judah with its prisoner-king, Joash, not so much perhaps with a view to obtain a triumphal gateway (Thenius), or restrain its inhabitants from reprisals in the shape of warlike operations (Bertheau), as simply to mark the capital as a conquered city (Bahr), caused about four hundred cubits of the wall to be broken down, from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, i.e. about half of the north wall. The gate of Ephraim, called also the gate of Benjamin ( Jeremiah 37:13 ; Jeremiah 38:7 ; Zechariah 14:10 ), because the way to Ephraim lay through Benjamin, was most likely situated at or near the present-day gate of Damascus, the modern Bab-el-Amud, or, Gate of the Column, m the second wall, while the corner gate, called also the first gate ( Zechariah 14:10 ), was apparently at the other end of the wall from that at which the tower of Hananeel stood ( Jeremiah 31:38 ), i.e. at the north-west angle where the wall turned southwards.

4 . The despoliation of the temple and the palace. The pillaging of the former was not complete, but extended solely to the carrying off of the gold, silver, and vessels found in that part of the sacred building which was under the care of Obed-Edom and his sons ( 1 Chronicles 26:15 ), viz. in the house of Asuppim, or, "house of collections or provisions" ( Nehemiah 12:25 )—"a building used for the storing of the temple goods, situated in the neighbourhood of the southern door of the temple in the external court" (Keil). The plundering of the latter does not appear to have been restrained. All the treasures of the king's house fell a prey to the royal spoliator.

5 . The taking of hostages. These were required in consequence of Amaziah's liberation, as a security for his good behaviour, and were most likely drawn from the principal families.

6 . The return to Samaria. Joash acted with becoming moderation. Though he might have killed, he spared Amaziah, and even restored him to his throne. Whereas he might have broken down the entire city wall, he overthrew only a part of it. Instead of plundering the whole temple, he ravaged merely one of its external buildings. Judah and Jerusalem he might have annexed to his empire, but he forbore. Having properly chastised his royal brother, he returned to Samaria.

LESSONS .

1 . A man may wear a crown and yet be a fool—witness Amaziah.

2 . "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

3 . "He that girdeth on his armour should not boast as he that putteth it off."

4 . The hand that lets slip the clogs of war deserves to be devoured by them.

5 . Clemency becomes a conqueror, and is an ornament of kings.—W.