Lessons on Amaziah (4)—The Only King Who “Turned Away” From the Lord - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. Now the rest of the deeds of Amaziah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? From the time when he turned away from the Lord they made a conspiracy against him.
2 Chronicles 25:25-27

Lessons on Amaziah (4)—The Only King Who "Turned Away" From the Lord
Interestingly, we read that Amaziah "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart" (2 Chr. 25:2). At the beginning of his reign he did that which was according to Scripture. During all that time God helped him. But after his victory against Edom, and bringing back their idols, things changed. We read that he turned away from the Lord. He is the only king of Judah of whom we read that he turned away. There are many mentions of abandoning, but not turning away.

Turning away means changing course or direction. Amaziah was eight years old when his father Joash insisted that the temple be repaired. Jehoiada the priest probably died a few years after that, and this is when Joash abandoned the Lord. By that time Amaziah was old enough to understand what was going on around him. What he saw from his father was not the best influence in the world! But the Lord graciously taught him basic lessons to prosper: do according to Scripture, separate from all evil associations, and trust in God for help and blessings. But Amaziah turned away from what he had been taught by the Lord and never came back to it afterward; and he did not prosper; in fact, his people conspired against him!

In 2 Timothy 4:4, we read that there will be a time when people "will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." Let us not be of those who turn away from the truth, from what the Lord has entrusted us. There is no spiritual prosperity on such a path. But even today, let us be found among those who persevere until the coming of our Lord Jesus; for He is coming soon!

Alexandre Leclerc