The Amaziah Protocol

Second Chronicles 25, when you have that, please go ahead and stand beginning in verse five

Then Amaziah assembled the men of Judah and set them by father's houses Under commanders of thousands and under hundreds for all

Judah and Benjamin He mustered those 20 years old and upward and found that they were

Third three hundred thousand chosen choice men fit for war able to handle spirit and shield

He hired also one hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver

But a man of God came to him and said Oh King Do not let the army of Israel go with you for the

Lord is not with Israel With all these Ephraimites, but go act be strong for battle

Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy for God has power to help or to cast down?

Nehemiah said to the man of God But what shall we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?

The man of God answered the Lord is able to give you much more than this Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again

And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger But Amaziah took courage and led out his people and went to the

Valley of Salt and struck down 10 ,000 men of Seir the men of Judah captured another 10 ,000 alive and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the top of the rock and they were all dashed to pieces

But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back not letting them go with him to battle

Raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Bethlehem and struck down 3 ,000 people in all in them and took much spoil

After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites He brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshipped them making offerings to them

Then the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet who said to him

Why have you sought the gods of a people who did not deliver their own people from your hand?

But as he was speaking the king said to him have we made you a royal counselor stop

Why should you be struck down? So the Prophet stopped but said I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel

Amen You may be seated Dear Heavenly Father pray that you make us people able to receive counsel able to receive rebuke pray that we would learn from the example of Amaziah who sets before us a negative example of what not to do in Jesus name.

Amen It is of course important in the Christian life to receive counsel to receive counsel from the

Word of God But to receive it from brothers as well as they tell you the Word of God in this passage.

We see an example of someone who fails to receive counsel and It will be worthwhile to consider what it is that is going on in This that would cause him to do so so that we would not follow in the same footsteps 1st

Corinthians chapter 10 says of the Israelites as they were tempted into idolatry and sexual immorality

That many of them fell in the same day and that this was given for an example to us

That we would not sin as they did same thing is true here Amaziah is given as an example for us that we might not sin as he did

So, what should we learn from this passage it will be helpful just to recount this story in short detail first Amaziah goes about Conquering another nation specifically

Edom He takes with him 300 ,000 choice men, but he also hires a hundred thousand men from Ephraim I'd mentioned a moment ago that later

Ephraim will split from the nation and that as of course Happened at this point Ephraim is now a distinct nation it is the northern kingdom of Israel while Judah is the southern kingdom and the kings of Judah have at this point been repeatedly rebuked for their alliances with Ephraim with the northern kingdom of Israel But Amaziah wants victory so he hires these for a hundred talents of silver and A man of God that is a prophet comes to him and tells him that this is not wise that he needs to Leave these behind Amaziah says what he what is he supposed to do?

What is he supposed to do with all the talents that he spent? The answer he gets is cannot God give you much more than that in your victory

So he trusts the Lord he goes out and he is successful in defeating Edom So once he hears from a man of God and he receives the rebuke and it goes well for him

Then he goes and he sends again this time after having defeated Edom He takes their gods that is their idols and all the spoils they have all kinds of things

They've collected included idols. So he takes these idols and sets them up making a place of worship for himself and he

Worships these gods he serves them making offerings to them so the

Lord is angry at him again, and he sends him another prophet or perhaps it is even the same prophet and That prophet tells him he should not be doing these things.

Why would you serve the very gods that you've conquered if One nation goes in and defeats another nation that shows that one

God is stronger than another God So why would you serve defeated gods? But Amaziah Rejects this council and he says have we made you a royal counselor stop.

Why should you be struck down? in my studies in 2nd Chronicles as I saw this passage just stuck out to me as Very important incident as someone rejecting counsel because I have seen people reject counsel for very similar reasons

And I call this the Amaziah protocol that you have to be invited

To give counsel before any counsel will be received or you have to have some special status of authority

To give counsel before any counsel would be received we need reproof we need counsel frequently

Why we are foolish people Even the wisest among us is foolish when compared to God's Word and no one is

Wise in all senses more than the next man There are some senses where even the wisest might have an area of folly that someone much less wise has mastered better and so it is the case that God has given us brothers and sisters in order that we would be

Rebuked in order that we would be reproved in order that we'd be counseled toward wisdom And this is this is of course for our good and this is something that is needed

Because clarity is not there for everyone. It is not implicit a

Lot of people and their response to rebuke or the reason why they would reject reproof. I'm using those pretty interchangeably

I think they have different connotations, but just know I'm just referring to the same thing when I talk about rebuke reproof or counsel

Sometimes those words are used with greater kinds of sins and other things just lacking wisdom, etc

But really what I'm addressing is the whole gamut Doesn't matter if it's great sin doesn't matter if it's just lacking some basic wisdom about something

Counsel is frequently needed But people don't always have clarity a lot of times people will reject

Reproof because the matter is not clear to them in other words They believe that it is only

Receiving rebuke is necessary when I've done something wrong. It's not clear to me that I've done something wrong

So I won't even hear out the reproof Well, the whole point of the reproof is because it may not be clear to you and that is why you should hear it out but a lot of times

People will treat matters as having to be clear up front before the reproof would even be considered

Additionally is needed repeatedly Because we are people who are foolish repeatedly perhaps you've seen that video that floats around the internet of the sheep that Falls into a pit and then the farmer pulls it out and he jumps and he falls right back into another pit

That is very much what we are like. We are like the sheep that keeps falling into pits

We need repeated counsel notice that Amaziah received counsel before and is receiving counsel again

The fact that he listened to counsel once doesn't mean that he doesn't need to listen to it again. He needs it repeatedly

This is another reason that people often Reject reproof it's because they've already received it once they don't need to receive it again

They've done their job and listening. They don't need to hear it anymore But it may be the case that there are multiple things

Someone needs to be reproved over so counsel is needed because we are foolish is needed for clarity.

It's needed for It's needed repeatedly Counsel ultimately comes from the authority of God.

This is important to understand any good counsel Ultimately comes from the authority of God because truth is ultimately from God who is truth itself why is it that people reject counsel or Treat it treat counsel as though it is adversarial

If you think about it the whole point of counsel is to help someone but many people receive it adversarially

Why is that as though you're against them? Paul says in Galatians 4 16.

Am I your enemy because I tell you the truth, right? of course, no one's your enemy because you say the truth instead

Someone who tells the truth is a friend. I believe the answer is very simply because this is the exact same activity of the accuser

What power does the accuser have except to point out things that are true to point out sins?

The one who is not right before the Lord Even the believer who is in need of particular repentance in a certain area maybe

Maybe touched with guilt Because the enemy has gotten a foothold in his life so that he may speak with condemnation

If you understand the nature of the gospel if you understand forgiveness then counsel that's given rebuke

That's given is not out of condemnation God does not discipline his children in condemnation rather.

He disciplines them in love and counsel is given in love But the one who is not right with God as he ought to be the one who is in need of Reconciliation with God I use that word reconciliation particularly because that's the word that Paul uses with the

Corinthians That they even believers need to be reconciled with God in order to receive his counsel rightly the one who is not reconciled to God as he ought to be will hear counsel as Condemnation and this is ultimately what is happening

And note that this is evident also in the way that people Irrationally become emotional about counsel notice

Amaziah on the one hand when he is rebuked for a much a

Lesser matter in terms of sin, but a greater matter in terms of consequence for him

How does he respond? Well, he's got to lose a hundred talents of silver. He has to lose a hundred thousand men

Such that maybe he could be defeated in battle. Maybe his men could die Maybe he could all kinds of horrible things could happen and yet he chooses to obey in this circumstance yet in the other circumstance

Where he's serving the gods of Edom who he's defeated and has nothing to lose by getting rid of them even from a human perspective the the

Value proposition here is so distorted. It's surprising that this is what he throws a fit over It shows that something more is going on I believe that something more clearly if you take the passages of Scripture together, you take the whole context

Speaks to the nature of the soul the spiritual matter of guilt that would cause one to receive counsel adversarially rather than as a friend

Consider how Amaziah treats the Prophet in Order to hear his word.

He must have some status in the verse that is our particular Verse for this text for this up sermon verse 16

But as he was speaking the king said to him have we made you a royal counselor? Stop have we made you a royal counselor a couple of words that you should pick up on in there first of all royal

You would need to be a royal counselor in order to give the king counsel It's not enough for you to have some other status

You have to have royal status if the king is even going to hear the matter out secondly

You have to be made this you have to be invited into that status.

This is how people often think about Think about matters Especially when they are matters that might be closer to their own personal lives

I feel that these are things that are too private to be spoken to We're called to care for one another

Hebrews 12 talks about making sure that no one's Secretly That no root of bitterness secretly grows up in the camp root of bitterness and Deuteronomy is one who's secretly serving idols

How would you know this unless you're aware of private matters? Fact is that private matters are on the table when it comes to reproof

It's not something that needs an invitation if the matter does happen to be known and so This is how many people think about this that you need to be invited but ultimately

Authority comes from the Word of God itself So it doesn't matter if someone hasn't been invited if they are giving the true words of Scripture Then it has authority consider the people who would hear a street preacher

They might think well, I didn't invite you to tell me any of these things. Why are you? Why are you telling me that God will judge?

Why are you telling me about the gospel? It doesn't matter what you're saying because I did not invite you to say any of these things

Now we understand that he should listen not because this person has a particular

Right to an ear with them rather because it's the Word of God that's being given that he should listen

And so that's ultimately where authority comes from but then in addition There's the authority of a brother

That we are each other's keepers as Cain was told When he says am

I my brother's keeper the answer there? It's clearly yes. Yes He is supposed to be his brother's keeper.

But now this is happening in reverse. It's not am I my brother's keeper? Is my my is my brother my keeper?

Amaziah is asking this is my brother my keeper. Yes. Yes He is and so if someone who is a brother has a particular right to be heard

Likewise a prophet has a particular right to be heard Hebrews 13 17 says that Says that you should heed

It says in verse Yeah, 13 17 obey your leaders and submit to them for they are keeping watch over your souls as Those who will have to give an account let them do this with joy and Not with groaning for that will be of no advantage to you.

So the one who hears from The one who hears from a prophet the one who hears from one who is in a position that is designed to Give people the word is supposed to be especially heard when it uses the word obey here.

This is a Middle voice word, which is kind of like a passive word passive word for to heed in other words, he's saying

Be persuaded by be persuaded by your leaders. There's a particular

Call to heed your leaders So the authority that Amaziah is rejecting the

Prophet is having the Prophet actually does have now in addition to this many people will require some kind of relationship in order to hear out counsel

Maybe you've heard this before that rebuke requires relationship

You have to have a relationship with someone. Well For Amaziah you see that he says have we made you a royal counselor that presumes he does have counselors that he is

Listening to and so there are some that he has some kind of relationship with and he is willing to hear them out

But he's not willing to hear out this Prophet because he does not have the same relationship with them Once again, is this is this right?

Have I become your enemy if I tell you the truth? No the one who tells the truth

Is a friend And so he should be heard out even if he doesn't have the particular relationship that might make it easier

To hear him out. I know someone who wants Described a situation where he was dealing with a struggling organization and someone gave him a lot of advice

That was unsolicited and he said I didn't have a relationship with this person. So I wasn't gonna hear it

He just took the advice. It was it was written to him. He tossed it And this might sound very wise if the goal is some kind of psychological security

Right if you can be hurt by words if sticks and stones can break your bones But if the goal is actually to grow

Then you would want to hear wise things regardless of whether or not they come from someone with a relationship

What's happening here is important to understand in certain categories Why is it that there are some people that you would hear out more than you would hear out another because maybe as I'm talking

Maybe it's crossed your mind. Maybe it hasn't but there are some people that you wouldn't hear out like you would hear out others

Okay, you don't hear out every ad Advertisement that you come across right? You don't hear out every person who says anything

You don't have time for that You only have time for certain people and there's some people that you would listen to more than others

Why is it that you should listen to some people more than others? Well, the answer is not merely in or Necessarily even in good intention because that's what some people would make it about.

Oh, well this person has to have good intention They have to really care about me and I've demonstrated that they really care about me in order for me to hear

That is not what it is because even someone who Does not have your best interest in mind if he tells the truth you would want to know that Secondly it does not have to do with an executive kind of authority which is what am as I is talking about a royal counselor someone who has been given a

Status of real authority where they can command others underneath them Instead this is a matter of judicial authority.

There's a difference between those Sometimes they're called an authority of command versus an authority of persuasion All right

Some people have the authority to command like a police officer other people have the authority to persuade like a doctor okay, if a

Police officer says you have to get in the car. You have to get in the car If doctor says you have to get a surgery, you don't have to get the surgery

But you should really probably do it and you might be being very unwise to not Obey but you're certainly what unwise if you do not listen to him

So it's a matter of judicial authority Judicial authority can come on one hand from the role that someone has in your life

All right. So if this is someone who's been placed over you maybe as a father a husband or a pastor, etc

Then you have particular responsibilities just as we read in Hebrews 13 17 in order to heed that person

They might also And so this is the case even of someone who may not be especially wise you would still hear them out

Because God has placed them in a position of authority where you are responsible to hear them out regardless of how much wisdom they have

Secondly someone can have judicial authority by having demonstrated that they have much wisdom Even if they don't have that particular role and you would still want to hear them out

So this is what's going on is that some people have a greater judicial authority and therefore it should be heard.

It doesn't primarily have to do with having Demonstrated kind intentions.

It doesn't primarily have to do with having been invited or anything like that Instead it has to do with judicial authority some have more than others but even a child

Giving the right kind of rebuke ought to be heeded even a child out of the mouth of babes now beyond Authority coming from God is also important to understand that rejecting authority guarantees destruction

Notice what happens to Amaziah the Prophet says I Know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel

Then it goes on in the remainder of this passage to describe the destruction that he undergoes

He is taken captive. He is later killed his people, of course defeated in some measure

So God destroys him Now, you know that for the one who does not turn to Christ upon hearing the wisdom of God the one who hears the gospel

Proclaimed here's wisdom from God given rejects it. He likewise will face a great destruction.

He will face the eternal torments of hell There is no greater destruction that one will face But it is also the case for a believer who receives reproof who or excuse me who rejects

Good correction that's coming from the authority of the Word of God Will face

Consequences for that it might not be such ultimate destruction. It won't be such ultimate destruction There is no such condemnation in the

Lord yet at the same time. They're very well, maybe They're very well, maybe consequences

Consequences for such actions When you reject reproof from one who gives it in particular one that is certainly guaranteed at least in small measures if not greater measures for one who consistently rejects counsel is

Judicial hardening He says here I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel later on it says in verse 20

But aunt Messiah would not listen for it was of God in Order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies because they had sought the gods of Edom so amaziah hears from Joash The king of Israel A Very clear message that there's no way he can stand against him

But amaziah is so proud and he's been hardened by the Lord at this point that he would not receive

Counsel from even from his enemy. That's very clearly truth He doesn't receive that and so this judicial hardening happens where because he has not listened to the

Word of God once he cannot Listen to very simple truths So judicial hardening happens and this can happen in some measure for a believer, too

If you train yourself in lies, you will embrace lies. If you do not train yourself in truth, you will not receive truth but there is also a

Habitual teach ability that you can develop within yourself as you hear out good counsel as you hear out good counsel from others

God will make you capable of hearing more Kind of person who's not used to humbling themselves in the light of counsel once he practices once will find it easier the next time

They can do it more and more and more because God gives the strength in order to be able to do such things in Matthew Chapter 13 verse 12.

It says for the one who has more more will be given and he will have an abundance But from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away

This is what happens the one who doesn't use the opportunity that he has further opportunities are taken away the one who

Receives reproof and the opportunity he has to receive it Will continue to receive more and more and he will grow wiser and wiser because of these things

Proverbs Chapter 9 verse 9. It says give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser

Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning Give to a wise man and he will still be wiser

You might be inclined to think of wisdom like something that is Like a saturation level or something

I'm scrambling to think of Analogies, but if you imagine that there's you know, two kinds of water one is very saline, you know, it's very salty

There's another that's not or two substances like that. You expect that. Okay one that's already saturated

It can't take up much more salt, right maybe that's how wisdom works one who is very wise have kind of tapped out the meter

They can't really grow much more in wisdom but that's not how wisdom works wisdom is the other way around where the more you get the more you get and the more you get and it

Grows exponentially. This is the way a lot of things work as the Bible explains and is very clear in in Nature itself think about riches

People lament the disparity that exists in riches But this is the way riches naturally work once you get a little bit of wealth

You can invest that and make even more wealth which you can invest to make even more wealth. That's why

Disparity exists. That's very natural for the one who is very good with money to have a lot of money such that You would expect if you understand the way scripture talks about these things

Exactly what you see in nature, which is where okay? There are a lot of people that are very poor then the next set of people have grown in wealth

Incredibly and the next people grown wealth incredibly until you have that top little 1 % that has

Astronomical wealth now, I'm not going to deny that some of that might be insidious, but The fact that people have a lot of wealth is not the insidious thing that is a natural thing for Wealth to be something that you would have exponentially same is true with with other matters think about intelligence was closely related concept with wisdom

If you are able to understand things more that means you're able to get into a better school Which means you're able to understand things better, which means you're going to be able to go to the right resources

You need to understand things etc. And so that grows exponentially same is true in wisdom wisdom is a matter that grows exponentially and It grows so much that the one who has

The one who is just a percentile over Has an order of magnitude more wisdom than one in the other direction

This is illustrated in part in Proverbs 17 8 She's in Proverbs 17 10 a rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool

Why does it take more than a hundred blows to teach the fool something that a wise man gets in only a word

It is because of that disparity. It's because that exponential curve and so that the implication is that as you reject reproof you are making yourself like the fool that needs a

Hundred blows in order to learn what a wise man can get in just a word, but as you receive words when they are given rightly or When right words are even given wrongly as you receive those words you become more and more capable such that you are growing in wisdom

Exponentially don't miss out on that growth Especially if you are young especially you kids don't miss out because now is the time where as you heed the wisdom of your parents

It will grow Exponentially and it will pay dividends in the future.

You don't know what dividends are yet But just know that it pays off very well

Not just a little bit But very well to listen to your parents because that that wisdom will grow into more wisdom which grows into more wisdom so as you are considering the what this what this passage teaches us about receiving reproof

Must first grow in your understanding of your own weakness so that you would desire such things

The one who doesn't know he is hungry won't eat the one who doesn't understand his poverty won't seek riches and we are an impoverished

People when it comes to wisdom, we are people who needs more and more wisdom You should meditate on that to some degree in order that you would understand your need for such things and Then understand the kind of advantage that you can have

From having wisdom. A lot of people don't think about just how much Better their life would be just how much more glorifying it would be to God If they had more wisdom it is something that should be sought consider

Proverbs 8 11 Wisdom is better than jewels and all that you may desire cannot compare with her

Few people contemplate that to the point that it ought to be contemplated that wisdom really is something special that you should desire and the more that you ready yourself with a hunger for wisdom the more that you will be ready to receive it when it comes to you even in uncomfortable circumstances in Psalm 119

David says How I love your law it is my meditation all the day your commandments make me wiser than my enemies

For it is ever with me This is one of my favorite parts of Psalm 119 If you don't know Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the whole

Bible and it is all about the Word of God in fact As I've counted through and I don't take credit for this

Sarah Mentioned this to me first. She had looked through to find this first, but uh there were

Every every verse mentions the Word of God with some synonym for the Word of God except for two

I think it's just two that don't it is all about the the value of the

Word of God This is one of my favorite parts of it. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies for it as ever with me

Okay, this is one advantage. It makes you wiser than your enemies. I Have more understanding than all my teachers for your testimonies aren't my meditation.

Okay, it makes you more understanding than your teachers. I Understand more than the age for I have kept your precepts

You can be more understanding than even the those who are your elders those who should know more than you because they've lived a longer life

The Word of God has the capacity to give you much wisdom and it's something you should desire Greatly to have that kind of wisdom something else that you should be contemplating to To cultivate the kind of humility you need in order to receive reproof

It's the gospel if you understand that there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ that forgiveness has been the forgiveness has been given through the cross he bore the the

Burden for all your sin if you have trusted in him Then you can know that any kind of counsel you receive any kind of reproof you receive you don't have to worry about the

Sound of the enemy's voice Reverberating when someone speaks to you. I think that's what many people hear

Someone is speaking but they hear the snakes tongue in the background saying the exact same words of accusation

Accusation you are condemned before God because you have done this thing if you know that you are safe in Jesus Christ There's no voice of the enemy to condemn you and so you can receive these things as words of life

Not as words of condemnation But as words of life telling you the way of life the way that God is calling you to walk in and as you

And as you meditate on the gospel and you contemplate the forgiveness you have can also contemplate

The gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind to receive these things. You have a capacity for wisdom that the

That worldly ones do not have you have been given his spirit now as you receive reproof

Do so humbly Recognize the source of the authority if it is coming from someone that you don't particularly respect

Hear it out for the words themselves and know that if they're coming from God's Word Then you should hear it out.

Many people will reject even God's Word if it comes from someone they don't respect Be willing when the time is appropriate to hear out

God's Word Likewise distinguish the substance of the message from the delivery of the message if someone is communicating with you in a way where you don't

Sense that they have kind intentions. You don't sense that the whole point is to That it comes from a place of ten years of having demonstrated that That all this person cares about is only your good still be willing to hear it because you need to hear the message now it's good if that person does care for you, but That's not the basis on which you should be willing to hear it though it may add to that judicial authority that this is a person who cares for me and Receive it humbly

Now as you give reproof Give it confidently knowing that it doesn't come from your

Authority in other senses but from the authority of God's Word if it is truly coming from God's Word If it isn't coming from God's Word don't give it at all

But if it is coming from God's Word give it confidently now there may be matters that you haven't perfectly discerned that's okay to speak with some tentative hesitation, but When you have something that's clearly from God's Word give it confidently give it with a right attitude

We are told not to rebuke Older men as anything other than fathers.

We're supposed to gently rebuke older men as fathers so I'm not saying that give it with a a commanding or Condescending tone, but rather give it confidently as far as other matters

You can certainly Improve your ability to be heard with relationship with a demonstration of kind intention

But these things are not absolutely necessary in order for Giving reproof to be valid and sometimes there is not time to build up such things

The Proverbs say that a soft word turns away wrath many people take that as meaning that only soft words are good

It's just telling you that soft words take away turn away wrath sometimes It is a right to give hard words even though they will not turn away wrath

Turning away wrath isn't always the only goal so likewise you need to think about your speech in the different contexts where it's appropriate to speak different ways and even when you don't have time to Demonstrate something as fully as someone might like God has in his kindness to us

Given us his spirit and he has likewise given us brothers and sisters that we might receive counsel He has given us his word out of his love for us

It would be wrong to receive such things as being adversarial as being the words of the enemy

The enemy is capable of using the Word of God in condemnation He has done so many times But if you are in Christ Jesus, it does not need to be received that way and it can be received joyfully receptively with humility and you might grow in wisdom and orders of magnitude that will

Increase your blessedness before the Lord. Amen Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you once again for your word

We thank you for the wisdom that you give by your spirit We ask that we would grow in wisdom that we would have orders of magnitude more in Jesus name.