2 Kings 15:32-38--Jotham Reigns in Judah

2 Kings 15:32-38
English Standard Version
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Jotham Reigns in Judah
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok. 34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. 35 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the LORD. 36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37 In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. 38 Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

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We've finally reached another king in Judah.  In the second year of the reign of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.  His father was one of the longest-reigning king to this point (there will be one king of Judah coming up that will have a longer reign).  He was 25 years old when his father passed away and he began to reign in his father's place.  Jotham's reign was short compared to his father, but normal for many of the other kings--only 16 years on the throne.  Why such a short reign compared to his father?  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD like his father did, but he did not remove the high places and allowed people to continue to make sacrifices there.  However, he did build the upper gate of the house of the LORD.

Everything else that we need to know about Jotham can be found in 2 Chronicles 27 (the chapter is short, but the whole chapter is dedicated to him).  During the time of Jotham, the LORD sent the Syrians as well as the northern kingdom of Israel into Judah to raid it.  That is all that today's passage will tell us, but 2 Chronicles gives us more details about the fortifications that were built by Jotham to fend off these raids and attacks.

When he was only 41 years old, Jotham died and was buried among the kings of Judah in the city of David, that is Jerusalem.  and his son Ahaz ruled in his place.