This morning I was meditating on 2 Chronicles 27. Jotham
was king of Judah during the time of the divided kingdom. Judah’s brother
nation and enemy (2 Kings 15:37), Israel, was in its death throes as a nation.
Jotham became king at the age of 25. He was already married and had a son, Ahaz,
who would succeed him (2 Chron 28:1). Jotham’s father Uzziah (a.k.a. Ahaziah)
had been a good king but had let his success go to his head and entered the
temple to offer incense as if he were a priest as well as a king, for which he
had been struck with leprosy (2 Chron 26). (Interestingly his body was buried ‘near’
his ancestors, rather than ‘with’ them, which suggests that the Israelites
considered him polluting even after death.)
The story as it is given to us in 2 Chronicles 27 focuses on
Jotham’s personal piety and achievements: “He did what was right in the eyes of
the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter
the temple of the Lord” (v. 2). “Jotham grew powerful because he walked
steadfastly before the Lord his God” (v. 6). Apart from his successful war
against the Ammonites (v. 5) we are not told anymore about his life and reign.
He died at the disappointing age of 41, however, having reigned for only 16
years. On the face of it, Jotham seems to have lived an exemplary life but not
been rewarded with longevity for it, as it would seem he should have been (cf. e.g.,
Deut 17:20; 30:18).
But there is more to Jotham’s life than his personal
godliness. Jotham was also anointed king over the Lord’s people. He had a
responsibility to lead his people to obey God’s law. At the time of the Judges
the big problem was that, as “Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit”
(Judges 21:25). But here Israel has a
king, and still they do as they see
fit, “continuing their corrupt practices” (2 Chron 27:2b; 2 Ki 15:35; cf. Deut
12). Jotham’s failure was not one of personal piety but of leadership. He failed
to act when he should have acted. And his failure to build on his personal piety
cost him his life.
We often hear people say things like “God wants us, not
our actions” or “God wants us to be
not to do; he is more interested in
our character than our work”. The Bible does not drive such a wedge between our
lives and our actions. Part of being is doing. “By their fruit you will know
them,” said our Lord (Matt 7:20). We know God by his actions, in creation and
providence, and supremely in his mighty acts of salvation. I think it was A. W.
Tozer, who said “We have a tendency to think and not to act.” Jotham may have
thought much about his people’s corrupt practices and regretted it deeply. But
that was not enough. He was called upon to exercise leadership in this situation
but he didn’t act. And the Lord removed him.
Jotham’s reign was short lived. That of his grandson,
Hezekiah, was not (2 Chron 31:1; 2 Ki 18:4). Whatever responsibility the Lord
has given us may we not shrink back like Jotham but step out in faith and act.
