2 Chronicles 25:16
“As he talked with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel.””
What does 2 Chronicles 25:16 mean?
King Amaziah had just won a military victory and was riding high on confidence, so when a prophet warned him against worshiping the gods of a defeated enemy, the king basically told him to mind his own business. What strikes us here is how quickly power can make someone dismissive of truth. The prophet's response is sobering: he stops speaking and simply states that God has already made up his mind about the king's fate, precisely because Amaziah refused to listen when he had the chance. It's a quiet but devastating moment, showing that ignoring wise counsel from those who speak for God isn't just bad advice to ignore, it's a refusal of God himself. For anyone wrestling with hard feedback or correction, this passage reminds us that pride closes our ears at exactly the moment we most need to hear.