2 Chronicles 27:1-9

LESSON TWENTY-TWO 27-29

THE REIGN OF JOTHAM. AHAZ AND HIS ALLIES.
HEZEKIAH, RELIGIOUS REFORMER.

12. THE REIGN OF JOTHAM. (Chapter 27)

INTRODUCTION

Jotham avoided God's house and failed as king in Judah. The door was opened for Ahaz-' wicked reign and terrible idolatry. The Damascus altar had no place in Jerusalem. Times were ripe for Hezekiah, one of Judah's most respected kings.

TEXT

2 Chronicles 27:1. Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his father Uzziah had done: howbeit he entered not into the temple of Jehovah. And the people did yet corruptly. 3. He built the upper gate of the house of Jehovah, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. 4. Moreover he built cities in the hill-country of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers. 5. He fought also with the king of the children of Ammon, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year a hundred talents of silver and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon render unto him, in the second year also, and in the third. 6. So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his Ways before Jehovah his God. 7. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8. He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9. And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

PARAPHRASE

2 Chronicles 27:1. Jotham was twenty-five years old at the time he became king, and he reigned sixteen years, in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerushah, daughter of Zadok. 2. He followed the generally good example of his father Uzziahwho had, however, sinned by invading the Templebut even so his people became very corrupt. 3. He built the Upper Gate of the Temple, and also did extensive rebuilding of the walls on the hill where the Temple was situated. 4. And he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and erected fortresses and towers on the wooded hills. 5. His war against the Ammonites was successful, so that for the next three years he received from them an annual tribute of $200,000 in silver, 10,000 sacks of wheat, and 10,000 sacks of barley. 6. King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to follow the path of the Lord his God. 7. The remainder of his history, including his wars and other activities, is written in The Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. 8. In summary, then, he was twenty-five years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years, in Jerusalem. 9. When he died, he was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Ahaz became the new king.

COMMENTARY

Because of Uzziah's leprosy, Jothan had considerable experience in government before he was installed as king of Judah. At age twenty-five he became king in his own right and he held this high office for sixteen years. Nothing more is known about his mother, Jerushah, or her family. In the latter years of Uzziah's reign the people of Judah forsook Jehovah. Jotham came to the throne at a time of spiritual crisis. He was able to provide responsible leadership within certain limits. Whereas Uzziah had entered the Temple to burn incense like a priest, Jotham did not enter the temple of Jehovah. Even though he led his people back toward God, there was an alienation in that he did not frequent Jehovah's Temple. This should be contrasted with Solomon's early love for God's House. Generally, the people of Judah were in desperate need of a great spiritual revival.
Jotham concerned himself with certain building improvements in Jerusalem such as the upper gate. This has been described as a gate leading from the king's palace to the court of priests at the Temple. Ophel means hill or mound and was located in the southeast sector of Jerusalem below the Temple mount. In the regions of Judah he built other fortifications. The ancient rivalry between Judah and the Ammonites continued. Jotham was able to force the Ammonites to pay considerable tribute in the form of wheat and barley. The measure used here was the cor which amounted to about three and one-half quarts. Judah was able to collect ten thousand measures each of wheat and barley through each of three succeeding years. In addition, Judah collected one hundred talents of silver each year. The silver talent may be valued at about two thousand dollars. Having considered Jotham's achievements, the historian attributed his success to the fact that the king ordered his ways before Jehovah. This brief account is a summary of Jotham's life and times. There were other failures, successes, wars. His biography became a part of the significant history of his people. He was accorded a burial with full honors and was succeeded on the throne by Ahaz, his son.