We have an illustration of this doubleness in the incident recorded here.  He was preparing to go to war against the neighbouring nation of the Edomites, or probably he had learned that they were about to make war on him.  For these neighbours, like some others you know, were always ready to pick a quarrel.  Edomite and Jew were never long without a scrimmage or a battle.  Amaziah, with this business on hand, took count of his forces, found that he had three hundred thousand soldiers; big enough battalions if they had only had a leader with a big heart.  David had scattered those Edomites with an army not one-twentieth part the size of that.  But Amaziah was not a David.  He must needs have more men.  He sent, therefore, to the king of Israel to hire another hundred thousand, and paid him down an enormous sum of money for the loan.  Now these men of Israel and their king had fallen away from God, and become heathen people, worshippers of Baal, foul and immoral as the Edomites themselves.  But Amaziah thought that was of no consequence so long as he could increase his fighting force.  The money was paid, and the hundred thousand hirelings came.

And then suddenly appeared another man whom he had not sent for, one of those prophets or preachers whom kings and other people find very troublesome at times, who upset all the nice arrangements, and stop the business which promises so well, with an unwelcome “Thus saith the Lord”; prophets who do not know how to flatter, who cannot be bought for a hundred talents, or for any price, and who say what God has given them to say whether the great folk like it or not.  This man came uninvited, and told the king that he must pack off these mercenaries to their own country again, for God was not with them, and God would not be with him if he joined hands with idolaters and paid them to fight his battles.

It was an awkward position.  Amaziah knew that what the prophet said was true, and he believed, moreover, that if God should turn against him, that business with the Edomites was likely to end badly for him.  But, on the other hand, to send that goodly array of fighting men away and lose all that gold into the bargain, was both galling to his pride and a ridiculous waste of treasure.  He knew well what was the right thing to do, but to do it at such a sacrifice, that was the difficulty.  He was in a strait betwixt two, wriggling and hesitating, and at last he cries in his bewilderment, “What shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?” And the man of God answers, “Never mind the money, let that go; far better forfeit that than lose God’s help.  The Lord is able to do for thee much more than the hundred talents are worth.”

And now, out of this old story, we learn some lessons for this and every day.

I.

Our difficulties in the way of serving and obeying God are often self-made.