The Thorn Bush and the Cedar: A Study in Pride and Providence
Introduction: The Intoxication of a Little Victory
There is a particular kind of spiritual danger that follows on the heels of a victory. When God grants a measure of success, whether on the battlefield or in some personal endeavor, the human heart is immediately tempted to take the credit. Pride is a subtle poison, and it often tastes sweetest when mixed with the wine of recent success. A man can handle defeat, sometimes with a measure of grace, but it is a rare man who can handle victory without his heart swelling up within him.
This is the story of Amaziah, king of Judah. He is a man who experiences a significant military victory, a victory granted to him by the providence of God. But instead of returning with a humble and grateful heart, he comes back puffed up. His victory over Edom has intoxicated him, and in his pride, he decides to pick a fight with a bigger dog. He challenges the king of Israel, not because of any injustice, not for any strategic necessity, but simply because his heart has been lifted up. He has started to believe his own press clippings.
What follows is a master class in the biblical doctrine of pride and humiliation. It is a stark reminder that God is the one who lifts up and the one who casts down. He gives victory to whom He will, and He will not suffer a man to take that glory for himself. The story of Amaziah and Jehoash is a living parable, illustrating the proverb that "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). We are about to see a man who confuses a gift of grace with a testimony to his own greatness, and the results are swift, predictable, and utterly devastating, not just for him, but for his entire kingdom.
This is not just an ancient history lesson. The same spiritual dynamics are at work today. When God blesses our church, our family, or our business, the temptation is always to think that we are something special. But the moment we do, we are standing on the same precipice as Amaziah. We are the thorn bush pretending to be a cedar, and the beasts of the field, ordained by God's providence, are never far away.
The Text
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.” And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But a beast of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for why should you provoke calamity so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?” But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent. Then Jehoash king of Israel seized Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. And he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
(2 Kings 14:8-14 LSB)
The Arrogant Challenge (v. 8)
We begin with the challenge, born of a heart swollen with pride.
"Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.”" (2 Kings 14:8 LSB)
Amaziah has just returned from a decisive victory over Edom. God had granted him this victory, even after he had foolishly hired mercenaries from Israel and then, on the advice of a prophet, sent them home. But the success has gone straight to his head. The text says his heart "lifted him up" after striking down Edom. So what does he do? He immediately picks a fight. The phrase "let us face each other" is a direct challenge to battle. It is a euphemism for "let's meet on the field and see who is tougher."
There is no casus belli, no just cause for war. Israel had not attacked Judah. This is not a defensive war. This is pure, unadulterated hubris. Amaziah is feeling his oats. He has one victory under his belt, and he thinks he is now the heavyweight champion of the region. This is what pride does. It distorts reality. It makes a man think he is ten feet tall and bulletproof. He mistakes a single victory for a permanent state of affairs. He forgets that God gave him the victory over Edom and begins to think that his own right arm has accomplished it. This is the first step toward every great fall. A man begins to believe his own hype.
The Parable of Rebuke (v. 9-10)
Jehoash, the king of Israel, responds not with a counter-challenge, but with a stinging parable, a piece of political trash-talk that is as wise as it is insulting.
"And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ But a beast of the field that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for why should you provoke calamity so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?”" (2 Kings 14:9-10 LSB)
This is a brilliant piece of rhetoric. Jehoash doesn't just say "no." He paints a picture. "You, Amaziah, are a thorn bush. A prickly, insignificant little weed. I, Jehoash, am a mighty cedar of Lebanon, a symbol of strength and majesty. And you, the thorn bush, have the audacity to propose a marriage alliance with my daughter, as though we were equals." The arrogance of the request in the parable mirrors the arrogance of Amaziah's challenge.
Then comes the punchline. A wild beast, not even the cedar itself, just happens to be passing by and crushes the thorn bush without even noticing. The point is clear: "You are so far beneath me that I don't even need to fight you myself. The ordinary course of events, the 'beasts of the field,' will take care of you. You are not a worthy opponent; you are a nuisance."
Jehoash then interprets the parable for him, just in case Amaziah is as thick as he is proud. "You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up." He diagnoses the disease perfectly: pride. Then he gives him some sound, practical advice: "Enjoy your glory and stay at home." In other words, "Be content with the little victory God gave you. Don't press your luck. Frame the newspaper clipping and hang it on your wall, but don't think it makes you a cedar."
And he finishes with a sober warning: "why should you provoke calamity so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?" Notice the corporate consequence. A king's pride doesn't just endanger himself. It endangers his entire nation. This is a central biblical principle. The sin of a leader brings judgment upon the people. Adam's sin plunged us all into ruin. Achan's sin brought defeat upon Israel. And Amaziah's pride is about to bring disaster upon Judah.
The Deafness of Pride (v. 11-12)
Wise counsel, even when delivered with a taunt, is still wise counsel. But pride makes a man deaf. It plugs his ears with the wax of self-importance.
"But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent." (2 Kings 14:11-12 LSB)
"Amaziah would not listen." This is the epitaph of the fool. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Amaziah's way was right in his own eyes. He had already decided what he was going to do, and he wasn't looking for counsel; he was looking for a fight. He could not back down now without being shamed. His pride was on the line. And when a man's pride is on the line, he will often sacrifice his kingdom to save his face.
So the battle is joined. And the outcome is exactly as Jehoash predicted. It is not even a contest. Judah is routed. The soldiers of Judah "fled each to his tent." This is a total collapse, a humiliating defeat. The thorn bush has been trampled. The sovereignty of God in judgment is on full display. God gave Amaziah the victory over Edom to test him, and now God gives him the defeat by Israel to humble him. God is the one who determines the outcome of battles.
The Humiliation of a Kingdom (v. 13-14)
The consequences are not limited to the battlefield. The humiliation is total, reaching all the way to the capital city and the house of God.
"Then Jehoash king of Israel seized Amaziah king of Judah... at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. And he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria." (2 Kings 14:13-14 LSB)
First, the king himself is captured. This is the ultimate disgrace for a monarch. The proud challenger is now a prisoner of war. Second, Jehoash marches on Jerusalem and tears down a massive section of its defensive wall, about 600 feet of it. This is not just a military tactic; it is a profound act of humiliation. A city with a broken wall is a vulnerable city, a shamed city. It is a visible, architectural symbol of Judah's defeat.
Third, the victor plunders the city. He takes the treasures from the king's house, which is to be expected. But he also takes "all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of Yahweh." This is a judgment on the whole nation for their king's arrogance. The glory of the Temple is stripped and carried off to the idolatrous northern kingdom. When leaders sin, the consequences ripple outward and often land on the most sacred places.
Finally, he takes hostages. This ensures Judah's future compliance. The humiliation is complete. Amaziah's foolish pride has led to his own capture, the shaming of his capital, the plundering of God's house, and the enslavement of his people. All because he won a battle and couldn't handle the blessing. He provoked calamity, and it fell not only on him, but on all of Judah with him, just as Jehoash had warned.
Conclusion: Stay Home and Enjoy Your Glory
This story is a stark and necessary warning for all of us. God's blessings are tests. A victory, a promotion, a successful ministry, a growing church, these are all gifts from God. But they are also temptations to pride. The moment we begin to think that we are the cedar and not the thorn bush, we are in mortal danger.
The advice of Jehoash, though spoken by an ungodly king, was the wisdom of God for that moment: "Enjoy your glory and stay at home." This is a call to contentment. It is a call to humility. Be grateful for what God has given you. Acknowledge that it is from His hand. Do not let a small victory convince you to pick a fight with a bigger foe. Do not let your heart be lifted up. For the Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
When God blesses you, the proper response is not to send a challenge to your rivals. The proper response is to fall on your face and give thanks. The proper response is to remember that you are a thorn bush, and that any glory you have is a borrowed glory. It is the glory of the one who made you, the one who sustains you, and the one who, in His mercy, has not yet allowed the beasts of the field to pass by and trample you underfoot. Let us therefore receive our blessings with a humble heart, lest we, like Amaziah, provoke a calamity that brings ruin upon ourselves and all that we hold dear.