Simple Mercies

Sometimes it is through the small things that we can demonstrate God's love and mercy to others, maybe it's by bringing someone food when they're struggling with cancer treatments or maybe, in the case of 2 Kings 14, it's by choosing not to kill their entire family.

In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5 After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 6 Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the LORD commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.” (2 Kings 14:1-6 NIV)
Amaziah is one of those rare kings who is described as doing what was right (verse 3) but it comes with a disclaimer, but not like David. Sure Amaziah was a good king, but he wasn't a great king. So what did he do that was so good? Well after making sure his government was stable, he executed those who had murdered his father the last king. Big deal, you say, the death penalty isn't something to praise Amaziah for. And indeed you're right, that's not the good part. We read on that he didn't kill their sons. Again you wonder, how is that the good part? After all as we keep reading we learn that all Amaziah does is keep the law. But that's the point, Amaziah keeps the law, he doesn't do what we'd probably do and use our position of power to abuse the law and kill all his enemies. It is adherence to the Kingly law that judges a king's performance in 1 & 2 Kings. In addition, Amaziah stands as an example to the countries around him, where they would just murder anyone who got in the way, he says, we have the one true God here and we do things according to his will and they are better.

Amaziah is an example to us, every day we faces choices where we can choose to either go for our own selfish ambition or choose to be an example of Christ to others. That choice should be easy for us, but I know that for me that choice isn't always such an easy one.