God Uses Evil Men to Correct Bad Behavior - 2 Chronicles 25-28

 2 Chronicles 25:20 (ESV)

But Amaziah 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.

In the above verse we enter a section about the King of Judah, Amaziah.  At the beginning of Amaziah’s reign, here is what the composer of this book wrote about him:

2 Chronicles 25:2 (ESV)

And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.

The problem with Amaziah is that he had one foot in God’s kingdom and one foot in man’s kingdom.   Because of his duplicity, God sent an enemy into his world to humble him and defeat him.    This is the most amazing thought process.  Amaziah was sent into a bad situation by the sovereignty of God.   God used the wickedness of the King of Israel (Joash) to defeat Amaziah.  So, God used on evil king (King Joash of Israel) to defeat other evil king (King Amaziah of Judah).   This might be one of the best examples of what we read from the prophet Isaiah, who was prophesying at this time to both kings:

Isaiah 45:5-7 (ESV)

I am the LORD, and there is no other,

besides me there is no God;

I equip you, though you do not know me,

that people may know, from the rising of the sun

and from the west, that there is none besides me;

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness;

I make well-being and create calamity;

I am the LORD, who does all these things.

To correct His leaders, God sends calamity.  We don’t think about that and often simply believe that calamity or something catastrophic simple comes from the evil of this world.  That would actually be true.  But God, in His sovereignty, uses that evil for His divine purpose, as above.   We read in the above passage that King Joash said to Amaziah, don’t come up against me.  But, he did not listen.  Why?  The writer of this chronicle states, “... for it was of God ...”.    So, we see that when someone does not listen to sound council, that might be from a sovereign God.   We must just sit and marvel at how God uses His sovereignty to accomplish His divine will, even incorporating man’s stubborn and evil heart in the process.