2 Kings 14:1-22 - Everyone Answers for his own Sin

2 Kings 14:1-22

Amaziah Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 25:1—26:2)

1 In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done. 4 However the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

5 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. 6 But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the LORD commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

7 He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel to this day.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle.” 9 And Jehoash 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 your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did—his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 And they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.

When Amaziah ascended to the throne of Judah, he himself did what was right in God’s eyes but did not stop others from worshiping dead nonexistent gods on the high places.  He then held the murderers of his father to account by putting them to death, yet he did not do so to their children because they did not have guilt in the matter and were not held accountable for their parents sins.  Everyone answers for his or her own sin and not for another’s as it is written in Deuteronomy 24:16, except in the larger picture of all humanity as guilt bearers of Adam’s original sin nature passed to us all (Romans 3:23, 5:12, 14, 18) in our corrupted spiritual DNA as it were.  We all will face the judgment seat (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Acts 17:31, Revelation 20:12, 15) of Christ and only those who are found not accountable by reason of grace in the atoning death and life of Jesus will be spared eternal judgment (1 John 4:18) as the accountability through the first Adam is negated (Romans 5:15, 17) in the second.  As to our accountability for our earthly ancestors apart from Adam, we are not held to account for their sins, just our own, and in Christ they can be forgiven forever through repentance and faith to be reconciled to God our Father forever through His Son in the reassuring power of the Spirit who makes us holy as He is.  Earthly kings may be killed for their sins as Amaziah was, but our eternal King of all kings lives and reigns forever with we who are in Christ and His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) in the kingdom extending beyond this world into the next.  We have each therefore answered for our own sin in personal faith in Christ who takes away the sin of this world (John 1:29, 1 John 2:2) and not collectively or by physical inheritance.  This is our certain hope of life in Christ.