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So we have discussed the successive failures of Judah's kings due to their pride in the previous post. Uzziah was the arch-type of that succession living out his days as a Leper, isolated and separated from the people due to his arrogant attitude regarding the altar of incense. His son, Jotham, however, would be a definitive break in the repetition of failing kings, serving the Lord properly for the duration of his reign.
2 Chronicles 27:1–2 (ESV) Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still followed corrupt practices.
Notice verse 2. While Jotham did what was right in the Lord's eyes, even eschewing the evil failures of his father, the people still followed corrupt practices. Why would that be? Perhaps because the people had seen enough of their leaders following the Lord and then in pride falling from the Lord that they lost confidence in leadership entirely.
A nation can survive many things, but a void of confidence in leadership is a disaster waiting to happen. We have to believe that our leaders are walking in the right path and seeking the true way of God that brings righteousness and justice to the Earth. However, when there's an absence of faithfulness in leadership repeatedly, it's hard to see the people follow even when God gives them a great leader.
This is perhaps the problem with democracy. Now, I'm no fan of any other type of governance on this Earth. Like Winston Churchill, I agree democracy is the worst form of governance except for all the others. But when people keep selecting leaders they believe will "fix their problems" and then those leaders are shown to be what they are - humans who cannot really solve your problems - a crisis of confidence in leadership is inevitable. Where will we turn?
Yet here we have a picture of Christ. Jotham's final description is in verse 6:
2 Chronicles 27:6 (ESV) So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.
Jotham did not let the people's unfaithfulness discourage his faithfulness to Yahweh. Jotham was righteous regardless of what the nation did. So too Jesus Christ was and is our righteous King regardless of what we do. And in the New Covenant, His righteousness is our covering.
We can thank God that our faithful King has exchanged for us righteousness in place of our sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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