2 Chronicles 25:14

Now it came to passe, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that hee brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them vp to be his gods, and bowed down himselfe before them, and burned incense vnto them. 2 Chronicles 25:14 (KJV)

2 Chronicles 25:14 provides an account of the actions of Amaziah, the king of Judah. To better understand this verse, let’s delve into the context of the passage. Amaziah was the son of Joash and became king of Judah at the age of 25. He followed the ways of the Lord initially and enjoyed success in his military endeavors. In 2 Chronicles 25:11-12, we learn that Amaziah raised an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah and hired one hundred thousand mighty men from Israel to assist him in a campaign against the Edomites. After his victorious return from defeating the Edomites, Amaziah made a grave mistake. Instead of remaining faithful to the Lord, he turned to the gods of the children of Seir, who were likely the gods worshiped by the Edomites. He brought these idols back with him and set them up as his own gods. He not only bowed down to them but also burned incense, which was a common act of worship in pagan rituals. Amaziah’s actions in bringing back these foreign gods and worshiping them were in direct violation of the commandments given by God to the people of Israel. In Exodus 20:3-6, the first two commandments state: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God.” Amaziah’s act of idolatry demonstrated a departure from his earlier commitment to follow the Lord. Sadly, this decision would have consequences for him and his kingdom. In the subsequent verses, a prophet confronts Amaziah and warns him of God’s disapproval, predicting the downfall of his reign and the eventual destruction of Judah.