2 Chronicles 27–32

Chronicles 27–32

1JOTHAM WAS TWENTY-FIVE years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the LORD. The people, however, continued their corrupt practices. 3Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel. 4He built towns in the Judean hills and forts and towers in the wooded areas.

5Jotham made war on the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years.

6Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.

7The other events in Jotham’s reign, including all his wars and the other things he did, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. 9Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

28:1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 2He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshiping the Baals. 3He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.

5Therefore the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners and brought them to Damascus.

He was also given into the hands of the king of Israel, who inflicted heavy casualties on him. 6In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers in Judah—because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. 7Zicri, an Ephraimite warrior, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, second to the king. 8The Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.

9But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. 10And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the LORD your God? 11Now listen to me! Send back your fellow countrymen you have taken as prisoners, for the LORD’s fierce anger rests on you.”

12Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. 13“You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the LORD. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”

14So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. 15The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow countrymen at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.

16At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help. 17The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners, 18while the Philistines had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages. 19The LORD had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. 20Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help. 21Ahaz took some of the things from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace and from the princes and presented them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help him.

22In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. 23He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.

24Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the LORD’s temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. 25In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers, to anger.

26The other events of his reign and all his ways, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

29:1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.

3In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

12Then these Levites set to work:

from the Kohathites,

Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;

from the Merarites,

Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;

from the Gershonites,

Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;

13from the descendants of Elizaphan,

Shimri and Jeiel;

from the descendants of Asaph,

Zechariah and Mattaniah;

14from the descendants of Heman,

Jehiel and Shimei;

from the descendants of Jeduthun,

Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the LORD, as the king had ordered, following the word of the LORD. 16The priests went into the sanctuary of the LORD to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley. 17They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: “We have purified the entire temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. 19We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the LORD’s altar.”

20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the LORD. 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the LORD. 22So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar. 23The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. 24The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

25He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets. 26So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments, and the priests with their trumpets.

27Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. 28The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.

29When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. 30King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.

31Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.

32The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs—all of them for burnt offerings to the LORD. 33The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. 34The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. 35There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings.

So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. 36Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

30:1Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. 2The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.

6At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

“People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

10The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them. 11Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.

13A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.

15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the LORD. 16Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the LORD. 18Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests sang to the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD’s instruments of praise.

22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the LORD. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the LORD, the God of their fathers.

23The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the aliens who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

31:1When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

2Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling. 3The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons and appointed feasts as written in the Law of the LORD. 4He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. 5As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. 6The men of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps. 7They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. 8When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.

9Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; 10and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”

11Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the LORD, and this was done. 12Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Conaniah, a Levite, was in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. 13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were supervisors under Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God.

14Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the LORD and also the consecrated gifts. 15Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.

16In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records—all who would enter the temple of the LORD to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 17And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 18They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.

19As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farm lands around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.

20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

32:1After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, 3he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. 4A large force of men assembled, and they blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields.

6He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

9Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

10“This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11When Hezekiah says, ‘The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it’?

13“Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? 14Who of all the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

16Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17The king also wrote letters insulting the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” 18Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of men’s hands.

20King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.

22So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side. 23Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

24In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 25But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.

27Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.

30It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook. 31But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

The other events of Hezekiah’s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Original Meaning

Jotham (27:1–9)

THE BRIEF REPORT of King Jotham’s reign is little more than a postscript to King Uzziah’s tenure on the throne of Judah. The beginning regnal résumé (27:1–2) includes the expected formulaic information (age of accession, length of reign, and name of mother). In keeping with his emphasis on the Davidic monarchy, the Chronicler characteristically omits the synchronism to Pekah king of Israel (cf. 2 Kings 15:33–35). McConville treats the Chronicler’s refusal to recognize the independent status of Israel as a type of “denial”—that is, he considers the northern kingdom to be “in rebellion against the house of David” (cf. 2 Chron. 10:19).2

Harmonizing the chronological data for Jotham’s reign proves challenging. Typically, his sixteen-year rule is dated from 750–735 B.C. It appears that Jotham serves as a coregent with his father Uzziah for the first ten years of his kingship (750–740 B.C.). The reference to the twentieth year of King Jotham (2 Kings 15:30) is usually understood to mean that Jotham’s reign also overlaps with that of his son Ahaz. If so, then Ahaz is coregent and junior partner with his father Jotham commencing in 735 B.C. Jotham probably dies in 732 B.C.

Jotham is the first king of Judah since Abijah to receive an unqualified theological review from the Chronicler (27:2; cf. 13:1–22). Jotham’s righteousness is illustrated by both a positive and negative analogy to his father Uzziah. (1) He is compared favorably to his father in that he does “right in the eyes of the LORD”; that is, he is obedient to God’s law (27:2a). (2) But in contrast with his father, Jotham does not violate the temple precincts by attempting to usurp the priestly role (27:2b). The theme of individual responsibility reappears in the Chronicler’s report in that Jotham’s reign has little impact on the corrupt practices of the citizenry of Judah (27:2c). Unlike kingship at an early period (e.g., David), a righteous king on the Davidic throne is no guarantee that his subjects will behave in like manner.

The Chronicler’s review of Jotham’s reign applauds achievements on three fronts: his building program, his military success, and his consolidation of political power (27:3–6). The report represents an expansion of the parallel in 2 Kings 15:32–38. The Upper Gate of the temple (2 Chron. 27:3) was located on the northern side of the structure (cf. Ezek. 9:2), and Selman suggests the area was in need of repair because of the earlier attack against Jerusalem by King Jehoash of Israel (25:24).3 The hill of Ophel (27:3) is equated with the southeastern hill of Jerusalem at southern end of the temple precinct. The building of “towns … and forts and towers” in the outlying regions of Judah serves as testimony to the prosperity and growth achieved under Jotham. These installations are probably defensive measures as well, designed to buffer Jerusalem from direct attack by invading enemies.

Jotham’s war with Ammonites (27:5) is not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, but the campaign extends his father’s military expansion from areas southwest of Judah to the east. According to modern-day equivalents, the amount of tribute received from the Ammonites is staggering—more than three tons of silver and approximately 62,000 bushels of barley. The reference to Jotham’s becoming “powerful” is instructive. The same expression was used to characterize Uzziah’s earlier reign (Heb. ḥzq; cf. 26:16). But unlike his father, Jotham does not fall prey to the temptation of pride and turn away from God. His success is attributed directly to the fact that he “walked steadfastly before the LORD” (27:6). This unique expression is generally understood to be synonymous with the phrase “to set one’s heart on God” (cf. 1 Chron. 22:19; 28:9; 2 Chron. 30:19).

With the concluding regnal résumé (27:7–9), the writer returns to the parallel in 2 Kings 15:36–38. The reference to “all his wars” (2 Chron. 27:7) is an addition by the Chronicler and may refer to initial stages of conflict with the Syro-Ephraimite coalition (cf. 2 Kings 15:37; 16:5–6).4 The repetition of age of accession and length of reign from the opening résumé is unusual. The resulting inclusio or envelope construction serves to emphasize the significant accomplishments of a youthful king in a comparatively brief period of time. In contrast to his father Uzziah, Jotham is buried in the city of David in the royal tomb complex (27:9; cf. 26:23).

Ahaz (28:1–27)

Bridging Contexts

HEADLINES. The headlines characteristic of the print media are “attention-getters” or “hooks,” designed to draw the reader into “the rest of the story” or to entice a consumer into purchasing a product. Leslie Allen has noted that the Chronicler helps draw his audience into his retelling of Hebrew history by providing cues or “headlines” that highlight key aspects of his message before illustrating them or elaborating on them in detail.42

One example of a headline from the reign of King Jotham is the statement that he “grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God” (27:6). The cause-and-effect relationship between the king’s success as a ruler and his obedience to the word of the Lord cannot be missed—even by the casual reader of the Chronicler’s history. The simple lesson to be learned, whether or not one reads past the headline, is that obedience to God pays dividends—be they spiritual or material. This message is sorely needed for those inhabiting postexilic Jerusalem at the time of the Chronicler, especially if the attitude expressed by the people living at the time of Malachi the prophet still prevails. They challenge God and his prophet with this question: “What did we gain by carrying out his requirements?” (Mal. 3:14).

The counterpoint to this example is a tragic headline from the story of King Ahaz, who “in his time of trouble … became even more unfaithful to the LORD” (28:22). Once again, the gist of this story is encapsulated in this “one-liner,” apart from a further careful reading of the narrative. The depth of Ahaz’s rebellion against God and the perverseness of his evil ways are accentuated by his failure to seek God in a situation when any other ordinary human being would implore divine help—a time of severe personal and/or national crisis. Like all master teachers, the Chronicler recognizes that learning takes place through both negative and positive examples.

Hezekiah is the prominent character in this section of the Chronicler’s retelling of Israelite history. He is featured primarily for restoring the appropriate worship of Yahweh in the Jerusalem temple and for modeling courageous faith in the throes of the Assyrian crisis. It is widely recognized that the writer of Chronicles emphasizes the reigns of Kings Hezekiah and Josiah because they represent important links to the ideal of Hebrew kingship embodied in David and Solomon. In so doing, the Chronicler makes the heroic, even legendary figures, of Israel’s glorious past more accessible to his own audience living in an ignoble present.

Especially important is the portrayal of the exemplary personal qualities and character traits of these ancestral stalwarts in the narrative of the Chronicler. He presents characterizations in such a way that the common person can readily aspire to imitate them—with the conviction that these aspirations are realistic and attainable. The “headlines” from Hezekiah’s reign offer several such patterns of godly behavior, which ordinary folk might take to heart, copy, and benefit from.

• Hezekiah “opened the doors of the temple” (29:3). An open door is an invitation—in this case, an invitation to encounter the divine presence through corporate worship. This invitation is supremely valuable because it permits human beings to fulfill their purpose as creatures made in God’s image, reflecting the praise of his glory (Isa. 43:7). What’s more, worship of God is the integrating principle of human life. It removes the artificial “sacred-versus-secular” dichotomy usually applied to time and vocation. Worship also brings proper perspective to the issue of theodicy (i.e., the problem of evil in the world), for it is only after the psalmist enters the sanctuary that he understands why the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous seem to suffer unjustly (cf. Ps. 73:12–17). It is the experience of worship that assures the psalmist of the ultimate vindication of the righteous.

• “Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD” (29:10). Hezekiah’s declaration to make a covenant with the Lord is more than political rhetoric or religious showmanship. The expression “to make a covenant” takes the people back to their roots, back to “first things”—the Israelites’ experience at Mount Sinai. This reflection on “first things” is important both for an individual and for a nation, because it permits a recentering of priorities and a refocusing of perspective. No doubt, the Chronicler believes such an occasion motivating a recentering and refocusing of one’s life is essential for his own audience.

The term covenant is a callout of sorts because it signifies the reciprocal obligations of the parties involved in sealing the agreement. Covenant renewal was an essential feature of Israelite religious practice because it is the covenant itself that establishes direct relationship with God. The act of will on Hezekiah’s part (“I intend”) is a reminder of the importance of human responsibility in maintaining that relationship with God. Each generation must renew or personalize and revitalize that relationship with God (cf. Josh. 24:15).

• King Hezekiah sends word to all Israel: “Return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you” (30:1, 6). The great prophetic cry of the Old Testament is to “turn to God and live” (Ezek. 18:23, 32). As we have learned elsewhere in our discussion of the Chronicler’s message, the word “return” (šwb) is essentially a call to repentance—a total change of heart, mind, and direction in life away from sin and toward God, an “about face,” to borrow a military command. This word is important to a biblical understanding of theology proper, that is, the knowledge of God. The word “return” reminds us that the Lord is a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness … and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Ex. 34:6–7a). The word carries a stern warning as well because the Lord “does not leave the guilty unpunished” (34:7b).

According to one rabbi, “no word is God’s final word.”43 That is, beware of divine silence because when God stops speaking to his people, judgment is imminent. Clearly, the full import of the word “return” is still available for the Chronicler’s audience if they are willing to hear and respond—God is still speaking!

• “But Hezekiah prayed for them” (30:18; cf. 32:20). The power of prayer in petition for oneself and intercession for others is attested time and again in the Old Testament. Unlike the false gods who have ears but are deaf (Ps. 115:6), prayer to the God of Israel is effective because he is a God who hears and answers prayer. Compare, for example the words of the psalmist whose testimony is repeated over and over by the Old Testament faithful: “When I called, you answered me” (Ps. 138:3). The Jews of the Chronicler’s day have no Davidic king ruling over them, no army to protect them, and no political leverage within the bureaucratic structures of the Persian Empire—but they still have prayer and a God who hears and answers!

• Hezekiah “sought his God and worked wholeheartedly” (31:21). Whether king or peasant, scribe or farmer, man or woman, adult or child, all can apply themselves to seeking God and doing his work wholeheartedly. God shows no partiality, but his eyes range throughout the earth to search out those who are fully committed to seeking him (16:9; cf. 19:7; 2 Sam. 14:14; Rom. 2:11). Seeking God is not our natural inclination as fallen people in a fallen world (cf. Ps. 14:2; Rom. 3:11). Yet, as a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, Hezekiah knows the importance of seeking God while he may be found (Isa. 55:6). He also knows that there are great benefits attached to this quest for God, including spiritual life and those good things God provides for sustaining physical life (cf. Ps. 34:10; 69:32). What better quest can the Chronicler offer his audience than to seek God with all their heart (119:2)?

• “So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem” (32:22a). The Chronicler understands the simple truth that people are people, nothing more, and that God is God, nothing less. A faithful God delivers his faithful people. The mere presence of the Jews back in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile is testimony to this fact. This alone leads the Chronicler to summon his audience to renew their worship of the Lord, the God of heaven, who appointed King Cyrus of Persia to rebuild his holy temple in Jerusalem (36:23).

• Perhaps the most significant headline posted by the Chronicler in his retelling of Hezekiah’s reign is the banner line: “He took care of them on every side” (32:22b). The overt reference in this verse is to the Lord, who delivered Hezekiah and the people of Judah from Assyrian aggression (32:22a). But the header is implicitly true of King Hezekiah as well, since he did what was “good and right and faithful” throughout Judah (31:20).

The record of Chronicles provides numerous “snapshots” of Hezekiah tending to the needs of his people. For example, he attends to the spiritual welfare of his people in the rehabilitation of the priesthood and the restoration of temple worship (29:3). His care for the physical needs of his people is manifested in the building of storehouses for stockpiling surplus foodstuffs against future famine or siege and in the provision of a reliable fresh water supply for the inhabitants of Jerusalem (32:28, 30). Finally, Hezekiah’s concern for social and political stability in his realm may be seen in his desire to reunite the remnants of the kingdom of Israel with the kingdom of Judah in his great Passover celebration (30:5).

To compare human leaders as shepherds is a natural metaphor for writers in a pastoral community. The Old Testament portrayal of Israelite authority figures like kings as shepherds is based on the analogy of God as Shepherd for his people, especially in the depiction of leading his flock to safe pastures in the Exodus (Ex. 15:13, 17; cf. Ps. 78:52–55; 80:1).44 The idea of the king as a shepherd or guide for his people is also a common motif in the ancient Near East.45

An important subtext in the Chronicler’s retelling of the history of the Israelite monarchies is the conviction that God will once again restore Davidic kingship over his people. The Chronicler has not given up on Ezekiel’s promise that the Sovereign Lord will place a “shepherd” over his people like his servant David, who will tend to their needs (Ezek. 34:23–24). The New Testament writers are not slow to pick up on applying this motif to Jesus—the “good shepherd” according to John’s Gospel (John 10:11) and that “great Shepherd of the sheep” from the familiar benediction in the letter to the Hebrews (Heb. 13:20).

Contemporary Significance

HEZEKIAH THE ENCOURAGER. The members of the clergy of the Christian church have been recognized as “pastors” (lit., “herdsman” in Latin) from the apostolic age to the present, largely on the basis of Peter’s exhortation to the elders to be “shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care” (1 Peter 5:2). Michael Wilcock has compared Hezekiah with “the pastor coping with crisis” in his handling of the Assyrian invasion of Judah.46 He offers four principles for the Christian leader facing such crossroads in ministry: looking up to God (i.e., worship and obey God first of all), looking around at the church (i.e., focus on the needs of God’s people as a whole), looking into the heart (i.e., emphasize the inward response of genuine devotion and true spirituality), and looking out at the enemy (i.e., fully trust God for deliverance).

This advice is still valid for the pastor or Christian leader facing a crisis situation, especially the prominence given to the place of worship at critical moments in one’s life (cf. Ps. 73:16–17). Yet, striking in its absence from Wilcock’s list is Hezekiah’s role as an encourager—a key duty of the pastor or Christian leader. Three times the Chronicler conspicuously reports how Hezekiah speaks words of encouragement to the people, affirming their service to God and instilling confidence in them despite the dire circumstances portended by Sennacherib’s invasion of the southern kingdom (cf. 30:22; 32:6–7, 8).

The repetition of this character trait in the king of Judah seemingly makes the topic an obvious one for a contemporary application of this passage. Much to my surprise, however, an investigation of several recent books on the subject of pastoral theology have turned up little on the importance of the “Barnabas-principle” (or the gift of encouragement) in pastoral ministry. Undaunted, I probed books that catalogue exemplary human virtues, certain that the attribute of encouragement would be rostered among those highly esteemed personal traits of the morally educated person. Once again, I was confounded because the virtue of encouragement is missing in the honor roles of desirable human qualities.47

Naturally this raises the question of exactly what a “virtue” is. Perhaps I was mistaken about encouragement as a virtue. Are virtues only “inner-directed” qualities and traits that define human goodness and morality? Is there an equal place for “outer-directed” characteristics of human goodness? I discovered that very early the Christian church recognized four “cardinal virtues” because of the promotion of Plato’s ethical teaching by Ambrose of Milan (A.D. 340–397): wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. Later the church added the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity (or love), so that seven virtues might be contraposed to the seven deadly sins in catechetical teaching. In its simplest form, a virtue is defined as “a commendable quality or trait.” Given this understanding of virtue, Hezekiah’s ability to encourage others is indeed a “commendable trait”—and one worth emulating!

In fact, there is a biblical mandate to be a “Hezekiah” of sorts, as the New Testament itself encourages Christians, whether pastors or not, to be encouragers. The apostle Paul actually identifies the ability to encourage others as a spiritual gift and a manifestation of God’s grace in a Christian’s life (Rom. 12:8). Beyond this, he links “encouragement” (paraklesis, from the Gk. word parakaleo, lit., “to call to one’s side” [i.e., “to encourage”]) to the edification of other Christians and instructs believers in Christ to take on encouraging the saints as a sort of spiritual discipline (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11, 14). Paul knew the benefit of encouragement because he himself had been helped both by the responsiveness to spiritual things among those he encouraged (e.g., 2 Cor. 7:13) and by the encouragement he received from fellow Christians (e.g., Acts 28:15).

There is a sense in which encouragement may be viewed as an extension of the virtue of courage. Courage is “a settled disposition to feel appropriate degrees of fear and confidence in challenging situations.… It is also a settled disposition to stand one’s ground, to advance or retreat as wisdom dictates”; more simply stated, courage is “acting bravely when we don’t really feel brave.”48 The attributes of courage and encouragement are related in that a timid or fearful person is more susceptible to the encouragement of example than the rash or reckless person. The former may be inspired to act courageously while the latter’s overconfidence may do more harm than good in a crisis situation.

To encourage, then, is to embolden another to overcome a paralyzing fear or deep-seated reluctance. To encourage is to inspire, to hearten, and to offer hope to another through word or deed. The New Testament values encouragement as a Christian virtue because it serves to embolden the timid in the service of Christ (1 Thess. 5:14). The encourager also contributes to the righteous endurance of the Christian in that daily mutual encouragement prevents the heart from being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Heb. 3:13; cf. 10:25). The encourager thus helps build the kingdom of God because those who endure “will … reign with him [i.e., Christ]” (2 Tim. 2:12).

Few will dispute the need for the gift of encouragement as part of the daily Christian experience in our fallen world. The need was so apparent for the apostle Paul that the ministry of encouragement carried the force of an imperative in his counsel to the young pastors under his tutelage (2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:9). Clearly, encouraging people is one of the vital tasks of a pastor as “shepherd of God’s flock.” The greater question is one of implementation: How do I become an encourager? No doubt there are numerous ways in which one might fulfill Paul’s charge to “encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). Here are three specific suggestions aimed at cultivating the virtue of encouragement as an aspect of Christian character.

(1) Be a disciplined student of the Bible—God’s Word. We are equally well-served by Paul’s reminder to the Roman church that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Naturally, as a professor of Old Testament studies I am partial to this text because the Scriptures for Paul at this time were the books of the Old Testament. Whether it be the Old or New Testament, however, the Scriptures reveal Jesus Christ, in whom we have eternal encouragement by the grace of God (2 Thess. 2:16).

Pastor Wiersbe offers us one practical example of the encouragement and hope found in the Scriptures when he informs us that despite the fact we are “troubled” like those believers in the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 4:8–9), “we don’t have to fail.”49 The Christian possesses a conquering faith because “our competence comes from God” (3:5). Beyond this, the Christian has access to extraordinary resources—a divine “treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God” (4:7). So then, we enjoy eternal encouragement, knowing that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

(2) Be a discerning student of human behavior. We have noted in our study that the Chronicler is well-acquainted with the Hebrew wisdom tradition. Wisdom is practical knowledge garnered from experience and observation and then applied to the circumstances of life. As a “pastor,” King Hezekiah is able to speak encouragingly to his people because he knows them intimately through shared experiences of war and worship and through the careful observation of their life situations as their ruler. The beauty, goodness, and vigor of a well-timed word is an enduring maxim in the book of Proverbs (Prov. 15:23; 25:11). There is great power in our words, for “the tongue has the power of life and death” (18:21). This Old Testament teaching is not lost on James in the writing of his letter, for he too recognizes that “out of the same mouth come praise and cursing” (James 3:10). What Larry Crabb calls “life words” must spring out of the compassion and wisdom of the encourager’s heart.50

Ultimately, words that encourage are motivated by love and are directed toward the target of fear. This means “encouragement depends on loving motivation in the encourager as well as wisdom to discern the needs of the other person accurately.”51

(3) The ministry of encouragement has parallels to coaching. According to Leonard Sweet, “one test of a healthy soul is whether or not it can cheer a rival from the bench.”52 Our highly individualistic culture has created a social environment that fosters a fierce competition in all areas of life—vocational, recreational, political, commercial, and so on. This competitive spirit leads to rivalry, which in turn promotes feelings and attitudes of professional jealousy.

Sadly, the Christian subculture is not immune to this insidious disease. Probably each of us has witnessed, experienced, or in weaker moments even been overtaken by the symptoms of envy, resentment, and critical spirit that often mark one who begrudges the achievement of another. Professional jealousy is but one aspect of the dark side of Christian ministry, be it among the professionals in the church and the academy, the paraprofessionals in church-related ministry, or the laity. But it need not afflict the Christian community. There is a ready remedy. The godly encourager has learned how to avoid the snare of professional jealousy because he or she esteems others as “better” individuals and continually looks to the interests of others rather than to one’s own (Phil. 2:3–4).

Such an approach to the ministry of encouragement outstrips Sweet’s culturally conditioned exhortation to “cheer a rival from the bench” because it acknowledges no rivals. The humble encourager is free to come alongside and “rejoice with those who rejoice” or “mourn with those who mourn,” without the excess baggage of pride and conceit that an emphasis on competition tends to carry (Rom. 12:15–16). So with God’s help and the Spirit’s prompting, learn to be an encourager. Take a page from Hezekiah’s “pastoral manual” and bolster confidence in others!