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2CHRONICLES
CHAPTER 27

27:1 Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.

Even as a young king, Jotham tried to do what was "right" in the eyes of God. He followed in Uzziah's footsteps in obedience to God. And the Scriptures record that he did NOT enter into the house of the Lord. He had learned THAT lesson from his father's actions.
Even though he tried, the people did not follow him in piety and obedience to God (verse 3).
Sometimes, leaders try hard, but people refuse to follow their leadership. That happens especially when the nation is prosperous and things are going well.

3 He built the high gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. 4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.

Jotham was a "builder." He built up the gate of the temple courtyard and he built upon the wall which surrounded the temple area.
Actually, the hill on the Eastern ridge of Jerusalem was known as Ophel. This was called the "City of David." It was this AREA that Jotham built up for defense.
Jotham also built cities in the forests of the nation of Judah. He built fortresses ("castles and towers") in the surrounding countryside.
Jotham's reign was not a time of "peace," but a time of "rest." As the next verse tells us there was indeed war in his years, but God gave him victory and thus it was a prosperous time in which he could BUILD.

5 He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

Jotham engaged the Ammonites in war and won. He extracted yearly payments from them.
The key, I believe to Jotham's success is stated quite clearly in verse 6: "..he prepared his ways before the LORD his God."
((Keep in mind that the word LORD when capitalized is a scribal substitution for JEHOVAH. This shows clearly that Jotham believed only in JEHOVAH.))

7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, 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.

Jotham died, at what we consider today, a young age -- he was only 41. But we must remember that 75.4% of all the people of the world have a life-expectancy of only 40 years today!
Jotham had reigned as co-regent with his father (Uzziah) after his father was stricken with leprosy. So his actual reign was more than 16 years.
In that short time, he had accomplished much. And again, I point out that his success was due to the fact that he followed God, and tried to do right according to God's Word.

2Chronicles 28

1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father: 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. 3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Ahaz, Jotham's son, was also a young king; and he also reigned 16 years. But the similarities end there.
Ahaz, it seems, was bent on going AGAINST God! As stated before, sometimes good men raise children who do not follow in their footsteps.
Ahaz took after the kings of Israel and worshipped false gods - idols.
He even went so far as to sacrifice his sons to the god of Molech in the valley of "Hinnom." This valley was used as a garbage dump by the people of Jerusalem. Garbage and animal bodies were burned there and the stench was awful.
The Valley of Hinnom when translated into Greek becomes the word gehenna which is translated in the New Testament as "hell." Jesus spoke of this ELEVEN times!
For instance, in Matthew 5:22, Jesus used this reference and meant it to be a reference to the constantly burning stench.

5 Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. 6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king. 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

The Bible is plain to point out that God caused Ahaz to suffer for his idolatry. God brought the Syrians AND the Israelites against him.
God, Who is in control of ALL nations, does not let those bent on idolatry go long without suffering.
Pekah is known for being one of the smallest and most inept kings of Israel; yet he defeated Ahaz. What a SHAME and DISGRACE that brought to Judah!
Ahaz lost a son, a governor, and his second-in-command. Then, the Northern Kingdom took over 200,000 captives.
You'd think that he would turn to God and repent.

9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven. 10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God? 11 Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you. 12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, 13 And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. 15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

God had promised that He would leave a "seed" of Judah from which would come the Messiah. He was FAITHFUL.
God is ALWAYS faithful!
He sent a prophet named Oded to tell the men of Israel that they shouldn't take the captives. These were their blood-kin.
Some of the men of Israel listened to the prophet and opposed the officers of the army when they came in with the captives. And the officers listened. They turned the captives over to the men who opposed them.
Now, in a nation that was bent on Idolatry, there were still SOME men who would LISTEN to God. God is working EVERYWHERE!
These men, when they received the captives and the "booty," used the money to clothe and feed the captives and return them to Judah.
God is not only faithful, He is also gracious!

16 At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. 17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. 18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. 19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.

Trouble upon trouble! Ahaz was really being chastened by the Lord. But he paid no attention. He tried to HIRE Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria to help him. But that king REFUSED to help him.
The Edomites defeated the army of Judah; the Philistines took over some of their country, and STILL Ahaz would not repent!
Verse 19 says that because of Ahaz's idolatry, God had made the whole nation "naked," or unprotected!

20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. 21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. 22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

The king of Assyria came in reply to Ahaz's call, but he wouldn't help. Probably, he figured Judah was too beaten to help!
But Ahaz didn't repent. In fact, verse 22 tells us that he even did WORSE!
Once I heard Bro. Johnny Miller (a fellow-pastor) preach a sermon called: "SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T GET IT!" Ahaz didn't GET IT!
Some people have trouble all their lives, and never realize that God is calling them to repentance.

23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

Like a child who is obsessed with disobedience and rebellion, Ahaz REFUSED to repent. He nailed up the temple doors and built more idol-worshipping centers.

Once, when I was the manager of a large supermarket, I was helping a lady with her groceries. As we were going toward her car, her 3-year-old son broke loose from her and began to run across the parking lot. She called to him, yelled at him, and yelled at him some more. But he kept running. By this time, I was running along side him because I was aware that this was one BUSY parking lot. Sure enough a car was backing out of a parking space, headed right for the little boy. He was looking back at his mother with a great big grin on his face. He was really PROUD of the fact that he had broken away from her and was doing "his own thing." Just in time, I snatched him up by his shirt before the car ran over him. A screech of brakes, and an angry man got out of the car. He walked slowly toward the woman. Red in the face with anger, he spoke quietly but very strongly to the lady. He said, "Ma'am, if you don't get that child under control, you're gonna see him DEAD!"

That man spoke a TRUTH! But sometimes all the discipline in the world won't deter a child from a rebellious attitude.
Ahaz was one of those kind. God tried and tried to get him to repent, but he never did.

26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

When Ahaz died, the people wouldn't bury him with the kings. He had so dishonored his leadership position, that they didn't even want him remembered!

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