What lessons can we learn from Jotham's leadership and legacy? Setting the Scene • 2 Chronicles 27 sketches a sixteen–year reign lived in the shadow of Uzziah’s leprosy and in the face of a nation that “still behaved corruptly” (v. 2). • Jotham’s story closes with 2 Chronicles 27:9: “Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place”. The simplicity of the epitaph invites us to look back at how he lived. Integrity Starts at Home • “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but he did not enter the temple of the LORD” (27:2). – Jotham learned from Uzziah’s failure (26:16–21) and refused to repeat it. – Leadership rooted in humility guards against the pride that ruins good beginnings (Proverbs 16:18). Walking Steadfastly Brings Strength • “So Jotham grew powerful because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God” (27:6). – Strength is the by-product of obedience, not the other way around (Joshua 1:7-8; Psalm 1:1-3). – Ordering one’s ways involves intentional habits: worship, justice, and daily choices that line up with God’s revealed will. Selective Separation from Sin • While the king lived righteously, “the people still behaved corruptly” (27:2). – Jotham shows that godliness is possible even when culture drifts (Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:15). – He resisted the gravitational pull of majority opinion, modeling holy resolve without isolating from his responsibilities. Building Up God’s House and Community • He “built the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD and did extensive work on the wall of Ophel” (27:3-4). • He “built cities in the hill country of Judah, and fortresses and towers in the forests” (27:4). – A leader invests in both spiritual infrastructure (the temple) and the common good (cities, defenses). – Our own “building projects” include strengthening local churches (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) and serving civic needs with excellence (Proverbs 14:34). Fair and Firm Governance • Jotham subdued the Ammonites and accepted tribute—100 talents of silver, 10,000 measures of wheat, 10,000 of barley—for three years (27:5). – He exercised power without excessive exploitation, balancing firmness with restraint (Micah 6:8). – Leaders today can pursue justice without vindictiveness, seeking order and peace for all under their care. Leaving a Clear Legacy • His recorded deeds spotlight faithfulness more than flash, yet his son Ahaz departed from the LORD (28:1-4). – A righteous example is essential even if the next generation must choose it for themselves (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ezekiel 18:20). – The brevity of 27:9 reminds us that every life ends in a sentence; what precedes it determines its weight. Practical Takeaways for Today • Humility learns from past failures—ours and others’. • True strength flows from steady obedience. • Holiness may require standing apart from prevailing norms. • Invest in both spiritual and societal structures; godliness is never merely private. • Use authority to protect and bless, not to aggrandize self. • Live for the verdict of heaven, knowing our actions outlast our years. |
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