Jotham and Ahaz

Jotham-Ahaz (southern kingdom, Davidic dynasty)

Jotham

(2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chronicles 27)

Jotham was the son of the king (Uzziah) who went into the temple and was struck by leprosy. Uzziah was then confined to a room and Jotham took on many administrative functions, almost like a co-monarchy.

In a weird way, it was almost refreshing to see a king so zealous for God that he went into the temple. It was refreshing because in the time since devolution, the northern kingdom had exclusively bad kings with the exception of Jehu. Because of this, the northern kingdom is heading for total annihilation. Likewise, at this same time, prophets are emerging and warning the northern kingdom to change or else the end will come.

After Uzziah died, Jotham became official king of Judah. He reigned for 16 years. He did what was pleasing to God, although he did not destroy the pagan shrines nor stop the sacrifices. The presence of the shrines and sacrifices to other gods is frequently mentioned in these sections. I suspect that part of the reason was because human sacrifice was involved. It also highlights the religious practice of the people in general. If the shrines are up, then the population is worshiping at them.

The most notable things about Jotham's reign was that he directed some construction projects in the kingdom and he conquered the Ammonites who paid an annual tribute to Jerusalem. Again, the boundaries of the empire are being restored.

Ahaz

After Jotham died, his son Ahaz became king. Ahaz seems to be the worst king of the southern kingdom thus far. He worshiped other gods in the shrines. He even sacrificed his own children in the fire. This may have been what the local people were doing at all these other shrines and why it was pointed out.

This is a marked contrast to his grandfather Uzziah who was so zealous for God that he entered the temple. Likewise, his father Jotham was pleasing to God.

Meanwhile, king Pekah of Israel allied itself with the king of Aram and attacked Jerusalem. They could not take the city.

Where other kings sought God for help during invasions, Ahaz seeks the Assyrians. To make things worse for Ahaz, he pillages the gold from the temple, pledges himself as a vassal to the king of the Assyrians, and gives it the gold to the king of Assyria. The Assyrians come and attack the Arameans, take Damascus and cart the people off for assimilation into the Assyrian empire.

A longtime foe, the Arameans, is now destroyed. However, a new foe, the Assyrians, is on the warpath.

Similarly, the political situation parallels the religious one. Where the empire grew under Jotham's reign, the empire is now a vassal state to a much larger empire, the Assyrians.

2 Chronicles 28 fills in some more details of the reign of Ahaz. Verse 3 suggests that the sacrifice of his children in the fire occurred in the valley of Ben Himnon and not in the shrines of the high places.

Child sacrifice is frightening on many levels. But another detail to consider is that these children are the descendants of King David. Hence, they would also be the relatives of Jesus. Against this context, Isaiah's first message of King Ahaz takes on even more significance.

This chapter also suggests that these religious practices were the spiritual reason that God allowed/used the northern kingdom and the Arameans to attack the southern kingdom.

The Arameans took many people of Judah captive and took them back to Damascus. We know that the Assyrians will do the same to the entire city of Damascus, so we have our first of people in the southern kingdom being taken away. However, once in the Assyrian empire, the people become completely lost to history. So, we have a portion of Judah who is now "lost".

The army of the northern kingdom takes many captives from the southern kingdom as well. This time though, God intervenes with a prophet Oded who convinces them to release their captives or be cursed by God. It works and they release them. The dialogue shows some recognition on the part of the soldiers from the north that they should not make God even more angry than God already is.