3 Lessons From King Jotham

Studying 2 Chronicles 27.

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Although 2 Chronicles 27 is only nine verses long, the lessons we can learn from King Jotham are not nearly as brief as you might think.

After considering some background information on Jotham, we will briefly overview his reign and then consider three lessons we can learn from Jotham today.

Background Information on Jotham.

Family.

Jotham’s grandfather – Amaziah – reigned for 29 years. He did what was right in God’s sight, “but not with a loyal heart” (2 Chronicles 25:2).

Jotham’s father – Uzziah – reigned 52 years. He also did what was right in God’s sight, but his heart was lifted up with pride when he became strong, and he tried to enter the temple to burn incense, something only the priests could do. As a result, God struck him with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16-23).

Political Situation.

Jotham’s father fought and won many wars against surrounding nations, and word of his father’s strength traveled all the way to Egypt (2 Chronicles 26:8). God made him prosper as long as he sought the Lord.

Jotham’s father also built up the fortifications and economy of the land (2 Chronicles 26:10). He also equipped his army with the “latest and greatest” weapons (2 Chronicles 26:14-15).

Jotham walked into about as good of a political and economic situation as any ruler could hope for. But all was not well in the southern kingdom of Judah.

Religious Situation.

Jotham was very familiar with how his father’s reign ended because of his pride in his own strength.

In the days of Jotham’s great-grandfather – Joash – the people had returned to serving idols (2 Chronicles 24:18). The influence of idolatry was beginning to lay hold on the nation when Jotham came to the throne.

While the nation appeared strong by this world’s standards, we are meant to see the cracks forming in the foundation because of idolatry’s influence over the people.

The Overview of Jotham’s Reign.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly.

He built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel. Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also. So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place. (2 Chronicles 27)

Jotham began reigning at 25 years old, and he reigned for 16 years. He did what was right in God’s sight and did not repeat the sin of his father. However, the people still acted corruptly, and the high places were not removed (2 Kings 15:35).

Jotham built the Upper Gate of the Lord’s house – this gate provided an obvious separation between the palace and the temple. He also strengthened the fortifications around the nation.

Jotham fought against the Ammonites and defeated them – receiving tribute from them in the first three years of his reign.

The analysis of Jotham’s reign is found in 2 Chronicles 27:6, “Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.”

3 Lessons from Jotham’s Reign.

Good leadership doesn’t always mean people will follow.

While Jotham did what was right, the people still acted “corruptly.” It doesn’t appear anywhere in our text that God assigned the blame for the unfaithfulness and corruption of the nation to Jotham. In fact, God continued to bless them during Jotham’s reign, and he became mighty because of his preparation to seek God.

Jotham is an example of how people will not always follow good leaders.

Many of Jesus’ followers quit following Him because they didn’t like the things He taught (John 6:60-66). Jesus mourned over Jerusalem because He had tried to gather them to Himself time and time again – and they refused.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37)

When the gospel was proclaimed among the Jews and Gentiles, some of the Jews refused to submit to and follow Christ (Acts 13:44-51). Just because God’s word is proclaimed doesn’t mean people will always listen to it (2 Timothy 4:2-4).

He learned from his father’s sin.

Jotham also became mighty like his father – but we don’t see Jotham exalting himself with pride the way his father did. In fact, what we see is Jotham putting safeguards in place to help prevent himself – or anyone else – from committing the sin of his father.

The Upper Gate was a means of dividing the palace from the temple grounds – and would have also provided additional security. Jotham personally saw to it that his father’s sin wouldn’t be repeated by himself or the following generations.

Jotham had first-hand experience with what sin does to a person. Watching his father die from leprosy brought upon himself because of his own pride - Jotham knew firsthand that sin brings death (James 1:13-16).

Jesus and Stephen rebuked the religious leaders because they did not learn from the sins of their forefathers (Matthew 23:29-36; Acts 7:51-53). They stubbornly refused to believe they were guilty of the same sins as their ancestors.

He did what was right.

Jotham preparing (“ordered” – ESV; “determined” – NET) his ways before God implies giving it serious thought, putting great effort into it, and sticking with it.

Jotham did not allow his father’s pride or his grandfather’s disloyalty to God to become an excuse as to why he could not serve God. He made up his mind and stuck with his commitment to God – even when many people in the nation around him rejected God and refused to live as they should.

Joshua challenged the nation of Israel to choose for themselves who they would serve - even though their ancestors had served idols and they lived in the midst of pagan nations (Joshua 24:15). Jesus reminded Peter that what happened to others had no bearing on his choice to follow the Lord.

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” (John 21:20-22)

Today – we all have the choice – what will we do with the gospel of Christ? (Romans 1:16-17).

What our ancestors have done in the past doesn’t matter in the eternal destiny of our souls. What path our culture and society takes does not limit you in the choice you can make.

Regardless of who your family is, where you’re from, or what the world around you does – YOU must decide what you will do with the Son of God who died on the cross for YOUR sins.

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Jotham is an Old Testament example of someone who did what was right – even though many around him did not serve God. He did not allow the success he had in this life to distract him from determining to follow God throughout his life on this earth.

He allowed nothing to stand between Himself and serving God.

What about us?

Are you allowing someone – or something – to stand between you and doing what’s right? Jesus allowed nothing to stand between Him and doing God’s will – even though that meant He would suffer and die on the cross.

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)