Jotham’s Clean Record
21 June 2020 PM – 2Chronicles 27:1-9 – Kings20 – Scott Childs
Introduction: Jotham, the son of King Uzziah began to reign when he was 25 years old and reigned for 16 years. He is one of the few kings of Judah who had a clean record in the Bible. Though he was a sinner like all men, the Bible records no sin laid against him.
God does not tell us how he died at age 41. Being a good king, why did he not live for a long time as did his father Uzziah who reigned 52 years? Perhaps Isaiah’s words give us the answer. (Isaiah 55:8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.“
Prophets during Jotham’s reign included Hosea in Israel and Isaiah and Micah in Judah. They describe the deep-seated corruption that was in the land, yet Jotham did that which was right in the sight of the Lord (2Ch 27:2).
Transition: Jotham became mighty (2Ch 27:6). This evening I want us to focus our attention on three things that contributed to Jotham becoming mighty.
The first thing that contributed to Jotham becoming mighty was …
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He had godly parents and chose to obey them
a. His parents (v.1)
1) His father Uzziah had been a godly king for most of his 52-year reign. It was only near the end of his reign that he became proud and rebellious against God.
2) His mother’s name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. Zadok was probably the high priest. Thus, his mother was likely a godly woman.
b. Their contribution
1) In a king’s home tutors sometimes reared the children, but usually parents have a great daily influence on their children.
2) If you are a parent, your first and most important service in life is to rear your children so that they will choose to fear God. That is no small task.
a) I heard a preacher recently say that, “children are God’s little spies”. That is so true. They know how you live when no one else is around. Your actions speak louder to them than your words.
b) The book of Proverbs ought to be one of your main parenting manuals. Study it carefully. Every command or law given to a child must be lived, taught and enforced by the parent.
c) Quality time with your children is good but it is no substitute for quantity time. Children need much one-on-one time with their parents to build trust, friendship, and communication.
d) Developing character in the heart of a child takes planning, patience, repetition and discipline.
e) One of the greatest failures of parents is waiting too long before they get serious about child training. Once the weeds of sinful self-will become deeply rooted, it is very difficult to pull them out.
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Submitting to his godly parent’s example and training contributed to Jotham becoming mighty.
The second thing that contributed to Jotham becoming mighty was …
2. He chose to do right in the sight of the LORD
a. He followed his father’s good example (v.2)
1) He chose to do right in the sight of the LORD.
2) He did right according to all that his father had done.
3) Doing right in the sight of the Lord is never an accident. (Jeremiah 17:9) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Ecclesiastes 7:20) “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” There are some nice people in our world and some who do right by man’s standard. However, Jotham did right according to God’s standard. That was a deliberate spiritual choice.
b. He avoided his father’s failures
1) He did not enter into the temple to offer sacrifices as his father had foolishly done (v.2)
2) He did not follow the corrupt ways of the people. Sadly, the sins of idolatry that Solomon introduced 250 years earlier were still pulling the hearts of God’s people away from Him.
3) This is further evidence that Jotham chose to do right. Though he could not control the hearts of his people, he chose himself to do right. He also had learned from God’s judgment of leprosy on his father’s sin.
4) These are important principles for you and me. As sinners, we naturally do what is right in our own eyes. (Proverbs 16:25) “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” We too must choose to do right according to God’s standard. We must choose to go against the flow of society if we are going to do right in God’s sight. We must follow the examples of men like Jotham, Joshua & Caleb, Daniel & his three friends, and women like Ruth and Abigail.
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Choosing to do right in the sight of the LORD contributed to Jotham becoming mighty.
The third thing that contributed to Jotham becoming mighty was …
3. He prepared his ways before the LORD
a. His preparation was purposeful.
1) When he prepared his ways before the LORD, he set his plans firmly in place by seeking and obeying God’s direction. He learned what was right and he determined in his heart to obey God no matter what. The preacher Bob Jones Sr. used to thunder from his pulpit, “Do right until the stars fall!” We must prepare our ways.
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When Melody was a pre-teen, her family attended an Independent Baptist Church and she began to grow spiritually. When her family stopped attending that church, she purposed in her heart to continue. Caring people from the church picked her up for the services. Over the years, she benefited much from the preaching, learned hundreds of Bible verses and after completing high school was challenged to attend Bible College to prepare to serve the Lord. I met Melody in Bible College. I am so thankful that as a teen she purposed in her heart to do right and keep attending that good church.