2 Chronicles 27-28

2 Chronicles 27-28

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 27: Jotham Reigns 

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah who was the daughter of Zadok. And he did good in the sight of the Lord.  His people still acted corruptly.

Jotham built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord. He also built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in every year for three years. Because Jotham followed the ways of the Lord, he became mighty and powerful.

The rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah (Another LOST book of the Bible). He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

Chapter 28: Ahaz Reigns in Wickedness

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord, as his father David had done. Ahaz, instead walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and made molded images for Baal. He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

Because Ahaz did not what was right in the eyes of the Lord, God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They defeated him, and carried him and a lot of his people to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him in a great slaughter. Pekah, who was the son of Remaliah, killed 120,000 valient men in one day, because they forsook the Lord.  

But a prophet of the Lord was sent by the name of Obed; who went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to 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 into heaven. 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? 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.” (2 Chronicles 28: 9-11) Then some of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, and said to 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.” (2 Chronicles 28:13) So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the leaders and all the assembly. Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

At the same time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord. Also Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not assist him. Ahaz took part of the treasures from the house of the Lord, from the house of the king, and from the leaders, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.

Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, saying, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” (2 Chronicles 28:23) So Ahaz gathered the articles of the house of God, cut in pieces the articles of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord. The rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel (another LOST book of the Bible). So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. Then Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.