2 Chronicles 25:5-9 The Limits of Common Sense

2 Chronicles 25:5-9 describes a common, tricky, sticky situation that Christians often get into. 

Amaziah was king over Judah.  As king, of course, it was his responsibility to protect his nation from foreign enemies.

So he hired mercenary soldiers from Israel to provide support for his army.

A prophet came to the king and told him not to let the Israelite army go with his army, because God was not with Israel at that time.  Israel wasn’t with God, so God wasn’t with them. 

If Judah were to use these soldiers, they would lose.  God would make sure of that.

But then Amaziah told the prophet, But I spent so much money on them.  And the prophet told him: “The Lord has much more to give you than this.”

Many times in Israel’s and Judah’s history, they made alliances with foreign powers to help them against their enemies.  Common sense often tells us that we need to spend a lot of money or do things for our security that show we are relying more on help that we can see rather on the help which is from God, that we cannot see.

Psalm 127:1: Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;

         Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman wakes but in in vain.