2 Kings 14:8

 2 Kings 14:8 says, Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.  After his victory over the Edomites, Amaziah sent word to Jehu, king of Israel, and challenged him to fight against him.  These were still all a part of God's people and now they were being asked to openly fight against one another.  We may often disagree with other Christians about certain things, but hopefully we will never be physically at war with each other.  Verse nine adds, And Jehoash the 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.  Jehoash sent a reply to Amaziah in which he compared himself to a cedar and Amaziah to a thistle, or just an annoying thorn.  Matthew Henry says that Amaziah was acting out of self-pride, but he was involving all of Judah in his actions instead of just challenging Jehoash to a fight between the two of them.  As followers of Christ, we should never allow self-pride to rule us, and we certainly should not involve others if we do.  Verse ten continues, Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?  Jehoash told Amaziah to not let his pride cause him to fall by fighting against Israel, but to go home and celebrate his victory over Edom.  When we are successful over a particular sin in our life by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, we should not become full of self-pride and pick a fight with others, but we should simply celebrate the victory by giving God the glory.  Verse eleven states, But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.  Amaziah would not listen to Jehoash, so their people and they went to war with each other.  When we refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit today, we may find ourselves in needless wars with other Christians or even with people of the world.  If we are fighting out of self-pride, it is never really going to be right.  Verse twelve adds, And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.  Amaziah may have challenged Jehoash and refused to listen to his advice, but he should have.  The people of Judah were routed and returned to their tents.  When we refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit and let self-pride rule us, we may find ourselves routed by the world.  Verse thirteen continues, And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.  Jehoash took Amaziah and went to Jerusalem and broke down a large portion of the wall.  We may likewise find ourselves losing some of the things God has blessed us with if we refuse to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, but it should never be other Cristians that we are at war with.  Verse fourteen says, And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.  Jehoash took the silver and the gold from the temple and the kings house as well as hostages and returned to Samaria.  Of course, he should never have taken anything out of the temple, God's house, because he should have been obedient to God as a part of His people.  We as Christians should never take the things of God for our own purpose, but we should dedicate all that we have for His use by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse fifteen continues, Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and 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?  We are told that the rest of the acts of Jehoash are recorded in the chronicles of the kings.  Verse sixteen concludes, And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.  Jehoash died, and his son Jeroboam took his place as king.  We can be certain that we will on day physically die and someone else will take our place in the church, and all that is important is that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  What the people of the world remember about us is of little importance spiritually.