Sat.’s Devo - Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz

Read: 2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 20:11 Uzziah became king when he was only 16 years old. He was a good king until he got full of pride. When he was good, he followed the Lord and conquered his enemy, the Philistines and brought safety and confidence to his land. Other nations gave him gifts and were afraid to attack him and there was peace in the land and prosperity. As he got older, he got filled with pride and decided he wanted to offer incense on the incessant altar. He went into the Temple before the priests could stop him. When they tried, his forehead was already breaking out in leprosy. They rushed him out of the Temple but he remained a leper the rest of his life and had to live outside the palace. His son, Jotham became the next king at 25. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok, the priest. Jotham did what was pleasing to the Lord like his father Uzziah but he did’t offer up incense. But the people continued living in sin. Jotham rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple and restored the wall that had been torn down in Amaziah’s day. He fortified cities against attacks from the enemy. He went to war against he Ammonites and conquered them. He received much tribute from neighboring nations and was very powerful because he continued to obey the Lord. He reigned 16 years and when he died, his son Ahaz became king. Ahaz ws 21 when he came to the throne. He reigned 16 years also. He did not do what was pleasing to the Lord. He was a king like the kings of Israel. He made images to worship Baal and sacrificed his own sons to Baal. He sacrificed in pagan shrines and groves. So, God allowed the king of Aram to defeat him and exiled large numbers of his people to Damascus. Israel attacked them and killed 120,000 of their army all because they had abandoned the Lord. One of the soldiers from Israel’s army killed Ahah’s son, the palace commander and the king’s second-in-command and captured 200,000 women and children and took them back to Samaria. When they entered Samaria, Obed the prophet was there to meet them. He told them that God and all heaven was disturbed by the way they had barbarically killed their brothers and taken these people captive. God had let them do this to punish Judah for their sins but Israel’s sins were much worse. They needed to return these people or God would punish Israel even greater. Four of the leaders in Israel agreed and they had the captives clothed, tended to their wounds and sent them back to Jericho. King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help against he Edomites. They had invaded Judah and taken captives. The Philistines were also attacking and gaining territory. Instead of helping Ahaz, the king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He took valuable items from the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace and all the wealthy homes. Even then, Ahaz did not ask the Lord for help. He asked for help from the gods who had defeated him thinking it would help but it only hurt him worse. He took things from the Temple and busted them then closed the doors so no one could worship God. He set up altars to foreign gods on every corner of the street in Jerusalem. He made pagan shrines in all the towns of Judah and made God even angrier. He died and wasn’t not buried in the royal cemetery of the kings of Judah. His son, Hezekiah became king, thank God. In Romans, God explains that he puts men in position of authority for his own purposes and we much honor them. In the story we read in the Old Testament we read that even though Jotham was a good king who honored the Lord, the people didn’t, so God gave them a king next who led them in every sin he could imagine. All this brought really bad consequences to the people. But God was trying to get their attention and show them that things do not go well for them when they choose any god but him. Paul explained that you honor the one in charge but you also keep a clear conscience. If they do evil things, you do not follow them. Always honor God’s laws first. We are to clothe ourselves in righteousness and be children of the day. Lord, help us to desire righteousness and not to fulfill the desires of our flesh. Thank you for cleansing our land of idolatry and returning us back to you.