II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XXVII.
Here is a very
short account of the reign of Jotham, a pious prosperous prince, of whom one
would wish to have known more: but we may better dispense with the brevity of
his story because that which lengthened the history of the last three kings
was their degeneracy in their latter end, of which we have had a faithful
account; but there was no occasion for such a melancholy conclusion of the
history of this reign, which is only an account, I. Of the date and
continuance of this reign, ver. 1, 8. II. The general good character of it,
ver. 2, 6. III. The prosperity of it, ver. 3-5. IV. The period of it, ver. 7,
9.
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The
Reign of Jotham.
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B. C.
758.
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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. 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. 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. 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.
There is not much
more related here concerning Jotham than we had before, 2 Kings xv. 32,
&c.
I. He reigned
well. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; the course
of his reign was good, and pleasing to God, whose favour he made his end, and
his word his rule, and (which shows that he acted from a good principle) he prepared
his ways before the Lord his God (v. 6), that is, he walked
circumspectly and with much caution, contrived how to shun that which was evil
and compass that which was good. He looked before him, and cast his affairs
into such a posture and method as made the regular management of them the more
easy. Or he established or fixed his ways before the Lord, that is, he walked
steadily and constantly in the way of his duty, was uniform and resolute in
it: not like some of those that went before him, who, though they had some
good in them, lost their credit by their inconstancy and inconsistency with
themselves. They had run well, but something hindered them. It was not so with
Jotham. Two things are observed here in his character:-- 1. What was amiss in
his father he amended in himself (v. 2): He did according to all
that his father did well and wisely; howbeit he would not imitate him in
which he did amiss; for he entered not into the temple of the Lord to
burn incense as his father did, but took warning by his fate not to dare so
presumptuous a thing. Note, We must not imitate the best men, and those we
have the greatest veneration for, any further than they did well; but, on the
contrary, their falls, and the injurious consequences of them, must be
warnings to us to walk the more circumspectly, that we stumble not at the same
stone that they stumbled at. 2. What was amiss in his people he could not
prevail to amend: The people did yet corruptly. Perhaps it reflects
some blame upon him, that he was wanting in his part towards the reformation
of the land. Men may be very good themselves, and yet not have courage and
zeal to do what they might do towards the reforming of others. However it
certainly reflects a great deal of blame upon the people, that they did not do
what they might have done to improve the advantages of so good a reign: they
had good instructions given them and a good example set before them, but they
would not be reformed; so that even in the reign of their good kings, as well
as in that of the bad ones, they were treasuring up wrath against the day
of wrath; for they still did corruptly, and the founder melted in vain.
II. He prospered,
and became truly reputable. 1. He built. He began with the gate of the
house of the Lord, which he repaired, beautified, and raised. He then fortified
the wall of Ophel, and built cities in the mountains of Judah (v.
3, 4), took all possible care for the fortifying of his country and the
replenishing of it. 2. He conquered. He prevailed against the Ammonites, who
had invaded Judah in Jehoshaphat's time, ch. xx. 1. He triumphed over
them, and exacted great contributions from them, v. 5. He became
mighty (v. 6) in wealth and power, and influence upon the
neighbouring nations, who courted his friendship and feared his displeasure;
and this he got by preparing his ways before the Lord his God. The more
stedfast we are in religion the more mighty we are both for the resistance of
that which is evil and for the performance of that which is good.
III. He finished
his course too soon, but finished it with honour. He had the unhappiness to
die in the midst of his days; but, to balance that, the happiness not to
out-live his reputation, as the last three of his predecessors did. He died
when he was but forty-one years of age (v. 8); but his wars and his
ways, his wars abroad and his ways at home, were so glorious that they
were recorded in the book of the kings of Israel, as well as of the kings of
Judah, v. 7. The last words of the chapter are the most melancholy, as
they inform us that Ahaz his son, whose character, in all respects, was
the reverse of his, reigned in his stead. When the wealth and power
with which wise men have done good devolve upon fools, that will do hurt with
them, it is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
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