ziah 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.

They are always more or less self-made. This man pleads his own wrong
act as a reason why he should not do right now. He himself has raised
the obstacle which now stands in the way of obedience. He ought not to
have sought the help of an idolatrous king. He ought not to have
bargained for these hirelings, he ought not to have paid the money.
God had not put the difficulty in his way; his own foolish and wicked
action had created it. And people are constantly talking as this man
talked, declaring that there are hindrances and immense difficulties