2 Chronicles 27-29: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah

Thoughts

Chronicles 27

Jotham was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerushah, daughter of Zadok.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, except he did not enter the temple of the Lord. However, the people continued in corrupt practices.

He did the following:

• built the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.
• Worked on the wall of Ophel.
• Built cities in the hill country of Judah and forts and towers in the wooded areas.
• Fought against the Ammonites and prevailed. They paid him tribute (100 talents of silver, 10,000 cors of wheat, and 10,000 of barley) for three years.

Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.

He died and his son Ahaz succeeded him.

Chronicles 28

Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king and reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He made idols for Baal, burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and even sacrificed his own children in fire.

The Lord handed him over to the king of Aram (Syria) and many people were taken captive to Damascus.

• Then the king of Israel (Pekah son of Remaliah) killed many:
  • 120,000 men of Judah killed in one day.
  • Zikri, a warrior from Ephraim, killed the king’s son Maaseiah, the palace official, and the next in command.
  • 200,000 women and children were taken captive to Samaria along with plunder.

The prophet Oded confronted the army of Israel:

• Warned them that their rage had gone too far and they too were guilty before the Lord.
• Commanded them to release their captives and not make them slaves.
• Some leaders of Ephraim supported Oded and insisted on releasing the captives. The captives were clothed, fed, anointed, and returned to Jericho.

Ahaz sought help from the king of Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser) instead of God. Assyria came but did not help him.

Edomites invaded and carried off captives. Philistines raided towns in the foothills of Judah.

The Lord humbled Judah because Ahaz had led them into unfaithfulness. Though Ahaz gave gifts from the temple and palace to Assyria, it did not bring him help.

Ahaz continued to sacrifice to the gods of Damascus, thinking they had helped his enemies.He shut the doors of the temple, made altars in every corner of Jerusalem, and high places in every city of Judah to burn sacrifices to other gods.

He died and was not buried in the tombs of the kings. His son Hezekiah succeeded him.

Chronicles 29

Hezekiah became king at age 25 and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah. Unlike his father Ahaz, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

In the first month of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the temple doors and repaired them. He gathered the priests and Levites in the east square. Hezekiah urged them to renew the covenant with the Lord so His wrath might turn away.

Levites responded eagerly and began purification work:

• From the first day of the first month they began consecration.
• They cleansed the temple, inner courts, and altars, carrying defiled things out to the Kidron Valley.
• In 16 days, the cleansing was completed.
• They reported to Hezekiah: “We have cleansed the whole temple of the Lord.”

Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the temple early the next morning.

He brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom and the sanctuary. 

Hezekiah stationed the Levites with cymbals, harps, and lyres, as commanded by David, Gad the seer, and Nathan the prophet.When the burnt offering began, songs of praise to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and instruments.

Hezekiah said: “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings.”

• The people responded generously:
  • 70 bulls, 100 rams, 200 lambs as burnt offerings.
  • 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep as consecrated offerings.
• The priests were too few to handle all the sacrifices, so the Levites helped them.

Questions

Didn’t kings have extensive records? Wouldn’t they know what happens when you listen vs abandon God?

Why did Jotham remain faithful when others before did not?

Then what made Ahaz turn his faith in the opposite direction? And then again Hezekiah turning away from Ahaz’s rule?

Application

It seems like most of these chunks of chapters I do show someone faithful, someone who rebels, and then someone who restores. We see this with Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We don’t automatically inherit godliness, even if the one before us has led a good example. Despite knowing the history, Ahaz abandoned God and closed the temple. Thankfully, the next king Hezekiah was able to restore what his father tried to destroy. One person’s sin can destroy a nation, but so can one person’s faithfulness.