How to be the Best Version of You. (2 Kings 14: 1-29)

The Bible Project Daily Podcast is an in-depth, daily study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 

Episode Notes:  How to be the Best Version of You. (2 Kings 14: 1-29)

If you have a job, any job, you have an enormous spiritual opportunity.

 I’m not talking about making more money.

I’m not talking about climbing the ladder or getting a promotion.

I’m talking about something far bigger.

 I’m talking about the possibility that your job is one of the greatest spiritual platforms God has given you.

 What if your home, or your ministry, or your daily responsibilities, is the arena where God is shaping you into the best version of you?

Because the principle we’re going to explore today applies to every believer, in every season, in every responsibility.

It applies to your job, yes — but also to your relationships, your Christian ministry, your decisions, your calling, and your character.

 To see it clearly, we’re going to look at three kings in 2 Kings 14, and how God evaluated their “performance.”

Transcript

How to be the Best Version of You. (2 Kings 14: 1-29)

If you have a job, any job, you have an enormous spiritual opportunity.

I’m not talking about making more money.

I’m not talking about climbing the ladder or getting a promotion.

I’m talking about something far bigger.

I’m talking about the possibility that your job is one of the greatest spiritual platforms God has given you.

Think of it this way.

Every year, companies hand out awards like “Employee of the Year.”

One company I worked so describes it’s annual award like this:

“An employee who demonstrates exceptional performance, commitment, and contribution throughout the year.”

Well, what if God has His own version of that?

What if your home, or your ministry, or your daily responsibilities — is the arena where God is shaping you into the best version of you?

Some of you may be thinking,

“Well, that doesn’t apply to me. My employer doesn’t give awards.”

Or, maybe you don’t even have that type of a job right now.”

But stay with me.

Because the principle we’re going to explore today applies to every believer, in every season, in every responsibility.

It applies to your job, yes — but also to your relationships, your Christian ministry, your decisions, your calling, and your character.

To see it clearly, we’re going to look at three kings in 2 Kings 14, and how God evaluated their “job performance.”

And the first king is Amaziah….

Ou first king today is King Amaziah: A King With a Job to Do

1 In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done.  However, the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

(2 Kings 14: 1-4)

2 Kings 14 opens by introducing Amaziah, king of Judah.

He’s 25 years old when he becomes king and he reigns for 29 years.

This is happening around 796 BC, so, roughly 800 years before Christ.

And historically, this is around the time the prophet Joel was ministering.

But the most important detail is in verse 3 where it says:

“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like  his father David had done.”

That’s the evaluation.

That’s the performance review.

That’s God’s assessment of Amaziah’s job.

He did what was right — but not up to the standard as David.

Now, David wasn’t his biological father. His biological father was Joash,  and Amaziah repeated some of Joash’s mistakes.

But God doesn’t measure Amaziah by Joash, God measures him by David.

Why?

Because David is the gold standard of what it means to do your job, fulfil your calling with a heart fully devoted to God.

This raises a question: What exactly made David the standard?

We often say David was “a man after God’s own heart.” But what does that mean?

So, I went back and looked at every place in Kings where another king is measured against David. And that happens nine times — nine — the text uses David as the benchmark.

Furthermore listen to the good things scripture says about David.

·         “David walked in the integrity of his heart.”

·         “His heart was loyal to the Lord.”

·         “He fully followed the Lord.”

·         “He followed the Lord with all his heart.”

·         “He did not turn aside from anything God commanded him.”

And then there’s this fascinating line: “Except for the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”

Not Bathsheba — Uriah.

Why?

Bible commentators say because Bathsheba was a personal sin. But Uriah was a kingly sin — David used his office to have a man killed.

And in 2 Kings, God is evaluating kings, their public role, their leadership, their job performance.

And in that realm, David is the model, the standard.

One commentator puts it this way:

“In all his public, official conduct, David acted according to the divine mind. Thus he was a man after God’s own heart.”

In other words:

David wasn’t perfect, but he was wholehearted.

He wasn’t flawless, but he was faithful.

He wasn’t sinless, but he did surrender his heart to the Lord.

And that’s why he becomes the standard.

So how does Amaziah compare?

Verse 4 tells us:

“The high places, however, were not removed…”

He did what was right, but he didn’t do everything God wanted.

He obeyed, but not fully.

He followed, but like other kings before him not wholeheartedly.

He left the high places standing, those unauthorized worship sites where the people sacrificed instead of going to Jerusalem.

And that’s the point:

Amaziah was OK, but he wasn’t the best version of himself.

He did some things right. He did some things well, but he didn’t do everything God asked.

And that’s where this episode begins:

God is not asking you to be perfect He is just asking you to be wholehearted.

He’s asking you to bring your whole heart into your calling, whether that be your job, your relationships, your ministry, and your responsibilities.

Because that’s how you become the best version of you.

Before we move on in the passage, it’s worth pausing to notice a few life lessons already emerging from Amaziah’s story because Amaziah’s story raises some important questions for us.

There is a lesson here about the relationship between parents and their children, particularly a lesson for Fathers and Sons

Amaziah followed the example of his biological father, Joash, more than the example of his spiritual ancestor, David.

Joash left the high places standing.

Amaziah left the high places standing.

Joash obeyed selectively.

Amaziah obeyed selectively.

And that should make every father listening sit up a little straighter.

Because your children will imitate you.

Not just your strengths, but your weaknesses as well.

Not just your victories, but your blind spots.

If you’re a father, the question is: Are you giving your children a David to follow… or a Joash?

And if you’re a son or daughter, the question is just as important:

What do you do when your earthly father isn’t following the Lord wholeheartedly? Do you imitate his faith, or his flaws?

Amaziah imitated the wrong part of his father’s life and God held him accountable for it.

There’s a lesson here for all of us:

You are responsible for the example you set… and the example you follow.

Back to the passage.

5 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. 6 But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

7 He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel to this day.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle.” 9 And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that, and stay at home; for why should you meddle with trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore, Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did—his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash rested with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.

17 Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19 And they formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20 Then they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

(2 Kings 14:5–20)

This next section tells us that once Amaziah’s kingdom was secure, he executed the servants who had murdered his father.

That was justice.

But verse 6 says he did not execute their children, because the Law of Moses forbade it.

Deuteronomy 24 tells us that:

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for their own sin.”

In the ancient Near East, kings routinely wiped-out entire families.

Amaziah didn’t, in that, he obeyed the law.

This is one of the bright spots in his reign. He applied God’s Word fairly, even when it went against cultural norms.

So, Amaziah starts well and he does what is right and he applies the law correctly. But then… things begin to unravel.

Verse 7 tells us he defeated 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. A great military victory. But 2 Chronicles adds a detail that 2 Kings leaves out:

Amaziah brought home the idols of Edom. 

He conquered the people and then adopted their gods.

Many interpret this as success going to his head.

Victory inflated his pride and pride always leads to foolish decisions.

So, Amaziah sends a message to the king of Israel: “Come, let us face one another in battle.” In other words: “I beat Edom. I can beat you too.” 

This is not strategy.

This is not obedience.

This is ego.

And the king of Israel responds with a parable.

The Parable of the Thistle and the Cedar

A thistle in Lebanon sends a message to a mighty cedar tree.

A wild beast walks by and crushes the thistle.

Translation:

“Amaziah, you’re the thistle. I’m the cedar. Stay home.”

The king of Israel even says:

“You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that — but stay at home.” (v.10)

In other words:

“Celebrate your victory… but don’t let it go to your head.”

But Amaziah won’t listen.

And that one decision, that refusal to listen sets off a chain reaction of disaster.

The armies meet in battle and Judah is defeated. Amaziah is captured and Jerusalem’s wall is torn down, all 600 feet of it.

The temple treasures are stolen and hostages are taken.

This is catastrophic.

And it all began with one small seed of pride.

One victory.

One moment of success.

One inflated heart.

Amaziah started well, but he clearly didn’t finish well.

And in the end, verse 19 tells us: “They conspired against him… and killed him.”

A tragic ending to a promising beginning.

Amaziah teaches us something essential about becoming the best version of ourselves:

You can start well and still finish poorly if you don’t stay humble, obedient, and wholehearted.

David wasn’t perfect, but he was wholehearted.

Amaziah wasn’t completely wicked all the time but he wasn’t wholehearted…. And that’s the difference.

David will becomes the standard.

Amaziah becomes the warning.

Because remember God isn’t looking for perfection, He’s looking for devotion.

He’s looking for people who will fulfil their calling, their responsibilities

with a heart fully committed to Him.

Amaziah did some things right, but he didn’t do everything God asked and that kept him from becoming the best version of himself.

Three Kings, Three Jobs, One Standard

21 Then and all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers.

(2 Kings 14:21–22)

We’ve looked at Amaziah — a king who started well, obeyed partially, grew proud, and finished poorly.

Now the passage introduces us to two more kings, and together they reinforce the same theme: How God evaluates your job, your calling, by wholeheartedness, not by talent, success, or results.

Let’s walk through them.

Verse 21 tells us that Azariah (also called Uzziah) becomes king at just 16 years old.

So now a teenager running a nation.

And verse 22 tells us he did some genuinely good things.

He rebuilt and restored parts of Judah, he strengthened the kingdom and he made progress where his father had failed.

And during his reign, God will raised up prophets like Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea — men who spoke truth into a spiritually drifting nation.

So Azariah did some good things.

But and this is the pattern again…. He did not wholeheartedly follow the Lord.

The next chapter will make that even clearer.

So here we have another father‑son combination: 

The father was not always a good example and the son followed the bad example of his father.

And once again, the text quietly tells us:

Fathers, take note.

Sons, take note.

Employees, take note.

You are responsible for the example you set, and the example you follow.

And if you want to be the best version of you,

you must follow David’s example, not Joash’s, not Amaziah’s,

not Azariah’s, but David’s because david followed the Lord with all his heart.

These kings followed the Lord with half their heart and that makes all the difference.

Now we come to the third king in this chapter — Jeroboam II.

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. 25 He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter; and whether bond or free, there was no helper for Israel. 27 And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did—his might, how he made war, and how he recaptured for Israel, from Damascus and Hamath, what had belonged to Judah—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29 So Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel. Then Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

(2 Kings 14:23–29)

Verse 23 tells us he reigned for 41 years — a long, stable reign in the northern kingdom.

But verse 24 gives us God’s evaluation: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

He followed the sins of the first Jeroboam, the man who introduced idolatry into the northern kingdom. So spiritually, Jeroboam II was a disaster.

But here’s the twist: Verse 25 says, he restored Israel’s territory —

just as the Lord had spoken through the prophet Jonah. Yes — that Jonah. This is the only reference to him outside the book that bears his name.

So, Jeroboam II expanded Israel’s borders and he strengthened the nation. Some scholars say he restored Israel’s territory almost back to the size it was under Solomon.

So, he was militarily successful.

Politically successful.

Economically successful.

But spiritually?

Still a failure.

But the passage also tells us why God allowed his success, because, “The Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter…”

Because the people were suffering. Syria had invaded and the nation was oppressed. From the highest to the lowest, no one escaped hardship.

And even though the people were unfaithful, even though the king was idolatrous, even though the nation was spiritually cold… God was faithful.

So, “The Lord did not blot out the name of Israel… He saved them, even by the hand of Jeroboam.” 

Not because Jeroboam deserved it and not because the people repented. Not because the nation was righteous but because God keeps His promises.

Jeroboam II dies in verse 29 and his son Zechariah takes the throne.

And from that point on, the northern kingdom spirals downward into disaster until it is conquered in 722 BC.

Jeroboam II had success.

He had some victories.

He had accomplishments.

But he did not have wholehearted devotion.

And again, that is the point.

Three kings.

Three job evaluations.

Three spiritual report cards.

·         Amaziah — did what was right, but not like David.

·         Azariah — did some good things, but not wholeheartedly.

·         Jeroboam II — had success, but not righteousness.

And over all three, one truth stands tall:

David is the measure.

David is the standard.

David is “employee of the year.”

Not because he was perfect.

Not because he never sinned.

Not because he never stumbled.

But because he followed the Lord with all his heart.

And that’s what God is looking for in you.

Not perfection.

Not brilliance.

Not talent.

Not results.

But devotion.

Because that is how you become the best version of you.

The version God intended,

The version God empowers,

And the version God rewards.

Think for a moment about how much time you spend each week at your job.

Eight hours a day.

Five days a week.

Travel time.

Preparation time.

Mental time.

It all adds up.

Now imagine if every one of those hours, every task, every responsibility, every conversation — became an act of worship.

Imagine saying:

“Lord, I’m doing this for You. I’m going to do this with You in mind. I’m going to do this to please You.”

If you did that, you wouldn’t just be “Employee of the Year” at your company you’d be “servant of the moment” in God’s sight.

And that is exactly the point of this passage.

You have an enormous spiritual opportunity.

You can be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ simply by doing your everyday job, but doing it as unto the Lord.

Now, some of you may say, “But I don’t have a job.”

Don’t worry — Scripture covers that too.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says:

“Whatever you do — whether you eat or drink — do it all to the glory of God.”

Whatever you do.

If you live your life as unto the Lord, you can be rewarded for that.

Jesus even said:

“If you give a cup of cold water in the name of a prophet, you will receive a prophet’s reward.”

A cup of water.

A small act.

A simple gesture.

An ordinary moment.

And God says,

“I’ll reward that.”

So yes there is an enormous opportunity to grasp everyday revealed in today’s passage. Being you can earn eternal reward simply by the way you do your job… and the way you live your life.

Starting tomorrow morning you can begin earning eternal rewards

just by the way you do what you do.

By thinking, “Lord, I’m going to do this unto You. I’m going to do this as if You were evaluating my work.”

What an opportunity.

Mark Twain once lost most of his savings investing in strange schemes and dubious ventures.

He became cautious — even cynical — about new ideas.

One afternoon, a tall stranger came to demonstrate a new invention.

“This will benefit society and change the world,” the man said.

Twain listened politely and replied,

“Sir, I cannot afford to be interested. I’ve been burned too many times.”

The man gathered his equipment and turned to leave.

“What did you say your name was?” Twain asked.

“My name is Bell,” the man replied.

“Alexander… Graham Bell.”

Twain later realized he had missed an enormous opportunity.

Don’t miss yours.

Tomorrow morning when you walk into your workplace, or begin your daily tasks, or step into whatever God has given you to do, you have the opportunity to gain eternal reward, simply by doing it as unto the Lord.

Don’t let that opportunity slip away.

Outro:

In our next episode, we’re stepping into 2 Kings 15, there’s a slight change of direction and we’ll explore “The Pros and Cons of Tradition.”

It’s a chapter filled with kings who inherited traditions, some good, some bad. And it raises a vital question for every believer:

What traditions should we keep…

and which ones should we let go?

It’s a rich, intensely practical, and surprisingly relevant passage.

I hope you’ll join me for that.

Until then.

Serve the Lord wholeheartedly, work as unto Christ,

and remember:

Every ordinary moment can become an eternal opportunity.