2 CHRONICLES LESSON 27


     We will begin this lesson in II Chronicles 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."

     In the last lesson, we learned that Jotham began to reign, when
his father became leprous. He was not actually crowned king, until
many years later. Jotham did that which was right in the sight of the
LORD.  It appears, he followed in the steps of his father in following
God, and took a warning from the leprosy that God caused his father to
have for his disobedience.  There is very little known of his mother,
Jerushah.  There are several people named Zadok in the Bible, but very
little else is known of this particular one. Jotham began to reign
when he was 25, and reigned for 16 years.  "Jotham" means Jehovah is
upright.

     II Chronicles 27:2 "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."

      It appears, that Jotham greatly feared the LORD, and did not go
into the temple as his father did. The people remained corrupt in
their worship in the high places and burned incense to false gods.
This was a time when the nation was away from God, even though they
still clung to a form of worshipping God. That is very similar to our
society today. We have a form of religion, but we are out of
relationship with God.

     II Chronicles 27:3 "He built the high gate of the house of the
LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much."

     This is the northern gate of the inner court, that was rebuilt by
Jotham.  He tried to repair the wall and the gate, that had been torn
down.

     II Chronicles 27:4 "Moreover he built cities in the mountains of
Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers."

     These were actually fortifications to be used against any
oncoming army they might face. These were not castles, in the sense of
the king's palace, but a high building as a fortification.

     II Chronicles 27:5  "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."

     It appears, he defeated the Ammonites, but instead of killing
them, he made them pay tribute to Judah. The 100 talents of silver
would weigh 150,000 ounces. This, along with the wheat and barley, was
paid for three consecutive years. The large amounts of wheat and
barley that were paid each year for three years give us some idea of
just how fertile the land of the Ammonites was.

     II Chronicles 27:6 "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared
his ways before the LORD his God."

     Now, we see the reason for the blessings God bestowed on Jotham.
His first thought was loyalty to his God. He stayed faithful to the
LORD his God. He walked in the belief in his God daily.

     II Chronicles 27:7  "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."

     Jotham lived and reigned pleasing unto the LORD. The book of the
kings of Israel and Judah could be a historical book, but he is, also,
spoken of in the book of Kings in the Bible. The one really
outstanding thing he was remembered for, was the re-building of the
temple gates.

     II Chronicles 27:8 "He was five and twenty years old when he
began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem."

     This is, probably, speaking of his formal reign as king. He
actually reigned as a subordinate to his father, before he died of
leprosy. He was, probably, just a lad, when he filled in for his dad
in his illness. He was 25, when he was crowned king.

     II Chronicles 27:9 "And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they
buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his
stead."

     When Jotham died, he was buried with honor in Jerusalem. This
son, Ahaz, was a very evil king.  He did not follow in his father's
steps. Ahaz followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel.

















                      2 Chronicles 27 Questions


1.  How old was Jotham, when he began to reign?
2.  How many years did he reign?
3.  What was his mother's name?
4.  When did he begin to reign for his father?
5.  What kind of a king was he?
6.  What was the one thing his father did, that he did not do?
7.  The people remained __________.
8.  How was Judah, then, similar to our land today?
9.  What great thing is mentioned, that he did in verse 3?
10. Which gate is this?
11. He built _________ in the mountains of Judah.
12. What were these really?
13. Who did he fight against and prevail?
14. What did he do, instead of killing the Ammonites?
15. How many ounces of silver did they give in one year?
16. What food products did they give Judah, in way of tribute?
17. How many years did they have to pay tribute?
18. Why did Jotham become mighty?
19. What was the one really outstanding thing Jotham is remembered
    for?
20. Where was Jotham buried?