JOTHAM WALKED BEFORE THE LORD

Passage: 2 Chronicles 27:1-9

Key verse: 6

NIV

Jotham King of Judah(A)

27 Jotham(B) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the Lord. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. 3 Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel.(C) 4 He built towns in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

5 Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites(D) and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents[a] of silver, ten thousand cors[b] of wheat and ten thousand cors[c] of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

6 Jotham grew powerful(E) because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.

7 The other events in Jotham’s reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. 9 Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Chronicles 27:5 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  2. 2 Chronicles 27:5 That is, probably about 1,800 tons or about 1,600 metric tons of wheat
  3. 2 Chronicles 27:5 That is, probably about 1,500 tons or about 1,350 metric tons of barley
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Jotham Reigns in Judah

27 (A)Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done, (B)except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 3 He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord and did much building on the wall of (C)Ophel. 4 Moreover, he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and forts and towers on the wooded hills. 5 He fought with the king of the Ammonites and prevailed against them. And the Ammonites gave him that year 100 talents[a] of silver, and 10,000 cors[b] of wheat and 10,000 of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God. 7 (D)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 (E)twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he 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 place.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Chronicles 27:5 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 2 Chronicles 27:5 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Jotham succeeded Uzziah at age 25. He followed his father’s example to do right in the eyes of the LORD. He also learned a lesson from him and remained faithful, overcoming the temptation to become proud. He undertook extensive construction on the temple of the LORD, including the restoration of the gate. He continued to build towns, forts, and towers to enhance the security of his territory (4).

He also conquered surrounding nations and collected taxes from them. The LORD continued to help him to be powerful as he walked steadily before Him (6). Under Jotham’s leadership, the people of Israel enjoyed material prosperity and national security. However, his faithfulness did not prompt a spiritual revival among the people. They persisted in their corrupt practices and idol worship (2). While Jotham was a good king who honored God, the hearts of the people remained far from him. Spiritually, it was still a dark time. Yet, God faithfully kept his promise to bless the king who sought him and walked in his ways.

Would you pray this morning to see the way of the LORD and follow him, no matter what our times may look like?

Prayer: Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Please help me to remain faithful to you and walk with you daily.

One Word: The LORD continued to help him