Will You March Headlong Into Ruin?

Amaziah, king of Judah, is an interesting and telling case, (see II Chron. 25). There are early signs that he appears to be a person who fears the Lord and does what is right (v3-4, 7-10). Yet, as soon as he gets a taste of victory, his heart turns from the Lord to idols (v14), and he begins to operate in great pride (v16). Because of this, he comes under the righteous judgment of God (v15-16). But here is the main lesson; notice precisely 'how' the judgment of God came upon Amaziah.

When God judged Amaziah he did so by simply letting Amaziah have what he wanted. He did so by no longer restraining Judah's king from willingly marching himself (and the nation he represented) into devastation and ruin (v20). No foreign invasion was necessary, no plague or natural calamity was required. When God judged Amaziah, all he had to do was remove his restraint and let Amaziah follow his own heart, pursue his own desires, trust in his own counsel, and indulge his own ambitions. When God allowed Amaziah to do this, devastation and death followed.

There is a lesson for us here. Stop and ask yourself: What would happen to our nation today if God simply let us have what we have collectively shown that we want? Where do the policies, plans, practices, and prized pleasures of our nation ultimately lead us? Do they chart the course to freedom, blessing, and life?

Let me simply point to three hot-button issues to clearly prove the case. Ask yourself: Does abortion, (which is the murder of our nation's youth), really lead to human flourishing? Does homosexuality, (which is strongly associated with depression, and suicide, and is totally unable to produce new life), really lead to human flourishing? Does transgenderism, (which is rooted in confusion, self-hatred, and self-mutilation), really lead to human flourishing?

Even if you hate Christianity, the only logical and reasonable answer to the questions I have just posed is this: No. None of these prized vices leads us to flourishing. None of these pleasure-at-all-costs policies lead us to blessing or life. We are not a healthier, freer, happier, or more prosperous society for our indulgence in these things. The plain fact is, we are the opposite of all those things. The question then for us is this: Will we be like Amaziah who "would not listen" (v20) and therefore marched himself and his nation onward into ruin despite being told that it would lead to his death? Or will we humble ourselves before God, hear the wise counsel of his Word, and repent of these evils we have long-indulged in? The first answer leads to death. The second leads to life.

Which will you have America?