In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah, also known as Uzziah, son of Amaziah, began his reign over Judah at the age of sixteen. He ruled in Jerusalem for fifty-two years and did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, similar to his father Amaziah. However, like all his predecessors, he did not remove the high places where people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense.
During the early years, Azariah sought God earnestly, especially under the guidance of Zechariah, who taught him the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God granted him success. He went to war against the Philistines, breaking down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod, and rebuilt towns in the Philistine territories. God also helped him in battles against the Arabs of Gur Baal and the Meunites, and the Ammonites paid tribute to him. His fame spread as far as the border of Egypt due to his growing power (2 Chronicles 26:7-8).
Azariah undertook noteworthy construction projects, including building and fortifying towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, the Valley Gate, and the angle of the wall. He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, supporting his large livestock holdings. A lover of the soil, he had many workers in his fields and vineyards in the fertile lands. His army consisted of 307,500 men, equipped with shields, spears, helmets, coats of armour, bows, and sling stones. In Jerusalem, he made devices for the towers to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread widely as he became very powerful.
The LORD afflicted the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house. – 2 Kings 15:5 (NIV)
However, his pride eventually led to his downfall. In an act of unfaithfulness to the LORD, Azariah entered the temple to burn incense on the altar, a duty reserved for the priests, descendants of Aaron. Azariah the priest, along with eighty other priests, confronted him, insisting he leave the sanctuary. Azariah became furious, and as he raged, leprosy broke out on his forehead. The priests hurried him out, and Azariah himself was eager to leave as the LORD had afflicted him.
When we serve the LORD for a long time, if we are not careful, our hearts may become numb to His words, feeling they apply only to those we teach and not to ourselves. In our walk with God, we must always be open to change, receptive to critique, and willing to analyze every decision from God’s perspective. Otherwise, we risk slipping back into our old ways.
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. – 2 Chronicles 26:16 (NIV)
Azariah lived with leprosy until his death, residing in a separate house, banned from the temple of the LORD. His son Jotham took charge of the palace and governed the people of the land during this time. Upon his death, Azariah was buried near his ancestors in the City of David, where it was noted that he had leprosy. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.
Jotham’s Reign of Righteousness and Conflict
Jotham was twenty-five years old when he ascended the throne, and he ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. Jotham followed in the footsteps of his father, Uzziah, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. However, unlike Uzziah, Jotham did not enter the temple of the LORD. Despite his commitment to righteousness, he did not remove the high places either, and the people continued their corrupt practices of offering sacrifices and burning incense there.
During his reign, Jotham made significant improvements to the infrastructure and military defences of Judah. He rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and conducted extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. Additionally, he built towns in the hill country of Judah and constructed forts and towers in the wooded areas, enhancing the security and stability of the kingdom (2 Chronicles 27:3-4).
Jotham’s military prowess was evident in his successful campaign against the Ammonites. He conquered the Ammonite king, who then paid Jotham a tribute of a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat, and ten thousand cors of barley. This tribute continued for the second and third years, demonstrating Jotham’s sustained influence and power (2 Chronicles 27:5).
Jotham’s steadfast walk before the LORD his God was the source of his growing strength and success. His reign was marked by righteousness, strategic construction projects, and military victories. However, it was also a time when the LORD began to send Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, against Judah, indicating emerging external threats.
In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. – 2 Kings 15:37 (NIV)
Even though Jotham was steadfastly walking with God, the LORD sent challenges his way through the armies of Aram and Israel. However, God also provided him with the strength to overcome these adversities. When we walk with God and are strengthened by Him, challenges will inevitably come our way, but He will guide us through them. Satan will try to instil fear in our hearts, but through God’s grace, we can withstand any challenge. After sixteen years on the throne, Jotham died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Ahaz succeeded him as king, continuing the dynastic lineage of Judah.
A Nation in Turmoil
Meanwhile, in the northern kingdom, dire circumstances prevailed. The nation suffered under unrighteous leadership, with each ruler seemingly fated to perpetuate the sins of those who came before. Assassinations became the norm, as people vied for power, and each successive king fell out of favour in the eyes of God.
The downward spiral starts with Zechariah, who ascended the throne in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign in Judah. His rule, however, lasted a mere six months, marked by wickedness and a failure to depart from the sinful practices mirroring those of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. His reign ended abruptly as Shallum, son of Jabesh, seized power through a violent coup, fulfilling the prophecy spoken to Jehu regarding the fate of his descendants.
Shallum’s reign, though, was even shorter, lasting only a month before Menahem, son of Gadi, overthrew him. Menahem’s ascent to power was ruthless, characterized by bloodshed and brutality, as evident in his merciless attack on Tiphsah. Despite his reign lasting a decade, Menahem continued the legacy of evil, perpetuating the sins of Jeroboam and resorting to bribery to secure Assyrian support against internal threats.
Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer. – 2 Kings 15:20 (NIV)
Following Menahem, his son Pekahiah assumed the throne, only to meet a fate similar to his predecessors. His reign of two years was cut short by Pekah, one of his chief officers, who orchestrated a bloody coup, eliminating Pekahiah and seizing power for himself. Pekah’s reign, spanning two decades, was marred by continued disobedience to God’s commandments and ended in a violent demise at the hands of Hoshea.
Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king… – 2 Kings 15:30 (NIV)
It was God’s will to punish the kings of Israel that allowed the pattern of assassination to repeat itself. The reigns of these kings serve as cautionary tales, demonstrating the consequences of moral corruption and the relentless pursuit of power. Instead of learning from their predecessors’ mistakes, each ruler perpetuated a cycle of sin and violence, inviting God’s judgment. This judgment was often executed through the intervention of foreign powers, such as the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser, which further destabilized the region and led to the subjugation and deportation of Israelite tribes.
As Israel grappled with internal strife and external threats, the words of the prophets echoed through the corridors of power, calling for repentance and a return to the covenant with God. Yet, amidst the chaos and turmoil, hope endured, as the promise of restoration and redemption beckoned to a nation in need of deliverance from the depths of darkness.
Discussion Questions
- Why would the LORD inflict leprosy, a dreaded disease of the ancient world, on His faithful servant?
- Was it God’s will or human ambitions that led to the recurring pattern of assassinations of the kings of Israel?
- Jotham walked with the LORD, so why did the LORD send the kings of Aram and Israel to wage war against him?
The Jordan Valley 
Reply