Before the victory, he listened
Amaziah became king of Judah and did what was right, though not with a loyal heart. When he prepared for war against Edom, a man of God warned him not to depend on the hired army from Israel. Amaziah listened, dismissed the troops, and went to battle.
Read the records together
SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 25 should be read together. Chronicles supplies the prophetic encounters surrounding the victory and its aftermath.
After the victory, he refused
After defeating Edom, Amaziah brought back the gods of Seir and bowed before them. When a prophet confronted him, the king threatened the messenger. The contrast in the research is deliberate: before victory he listened to a man of God; after victory he threatened one.
HE LISTENED → HE WON → HIS HEART WAS LIFTED UP → HE REFUSED COUNSEL → JUDAH WAS DEFEATED
The thistle and the cedar
Amaziah challenged Joash king of Israel. Joash answered with the parable of the thistle and the cedar and warned him not to turn his glory into ruin. Amaziah would not hear. Judah was defeated at Beth Shemesh, Jerusalem's wall was broken, and treasures and hostages were taken.
Follow the connection
The research does not stop at the victory. It follows what happened to the king after he became strong enough to trust his own glory.