I'm sure you are familiar with the story about King Solomon's wise judgment concerning the dispute of two women over a baby. To cut the baby in half—that was the decision, knowing very well that the real mother would not let that happen. That is a true story! Another story has surfaced that is not Biblical, but, I suppose, can be illustrative. The Queen of Sheba sent two vases of roses to King Solomon. One vase had real roses in it, while the other had hand-made ones. The latter were so perfect—so real looking—she challenged the great king to tell the difference—without smelling them or handling them in any way!
This was no problem for the wisdom of Solomon. He just opened a window, and it wasn't long at all before some bees made their way into the room and went straight for the real roses—the fake ones didn't fool them at all! Likewise, many people today may look real from the outside, by the way they speak, or act or dress or look or...or...or...or! It takes the heart of God to truly know the spirit—to know the inside!
In recent weeks, our church has been looking at the kings of Judah, and whether or not they were willing to go the whole way in serving both God and their people. The vast majority were not! Whether the hindrance be worry, or fear, or pride, or lack of perseverance, or...or...or...or—no matter what the problem, we must take warning in our own relationships with the Lord. We must learn from their example, whether good or bad. Remember—it is God alone who knows the heart—the very center of emotion and intellect. Who will be willing to, not only enter into, but reside forever in the Father's house—His heart—and who will not be? The next king before us is King Uzziah's son, Jotham. 2 Chronicles 27:1a tells us, "Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem." First, let me mention that "Jotham", in the original Hebrew, means, "Jehovah is perfect." He was the 11th king of Judah, and he reigned from about 750-732 B.C. Now there is a little confusion here in that he served as a regent, or co-king, for the first eight years, with and for his father Uzziah. You see, Uzziah, was punished for his pride that manifested itself in that he thought he could be his own spiritual leader and offer up his own incense. God showed him in a hurry that such rebellion would not be tolerated—suddenly, he had leprosy!
Even today—especially today, in these last of days—such ignoring of God-given spiritual direction in the true church of Jesus Christ, will not be tolerated. What the Lord says through His true pastors is not just advice—you know, 'take it or leave it"—no, it is His command. Jesus said at the close of the prophetic Book of Revelation, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (22:14) Since Jotham's father could not really physically rule in the last ten years of his life due to the dishonor of the leprosy, his son helped him in that time, and hence, it is hard to know whether those 8 years are included in the 16 mentioned, or whether they are above and beyond.
So, what was his reign like? Well, 2 Chron. 27:2 tells some of the story—"And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly." I should mention that the "right things" is a reference to all that Uzziah did that was good, but it is not speaking of his rebellion. We are told Jotham did the right things, too, but it also says that he did not go into the temple, the corporate place of worship. I thought at first that maybe it refers to his decision to not follow in his father's sin by going into the temple to offer his own incense. And that may be very true—and if it is, that would be very good, but, it also says, "howbeit." And "howbeit" means "but." In other words, it is the opposite of doing what is right. So, it might be that that he just flatly didn't bother to go into the temple. And please don't think that that was normal for royalty. Notice that when Uzziah rebelled, the leprosy was only part of his punishment—"...he was cut off from the house of the Lord." (26:21b) Evidently, Uzziah had at one time been in his Father's house. King David, I suppose, is the prime example. He ends his "Shepherd's Psalm" with these words—"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Ps. 23:6) Yes, kings, too!
So, if it really is a flat-out refusal to enter the temple, it is directly related to the people refusing to let all corruption and idolatry go. In 2 Kings, we are told it was the king's responsibility to tear down the high places of false worship, but Jotham didn't do it. (15:35) Oh, if only he had had the perfect heart of King David on this matter. In Psalm 69, David explains what caused the closest people to him—including some of his own family—to reject and persecute him. Verse 9 reads, "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." Centuries later, Jesus Himself cleansed and purified the temple at the beginning of His ministry—"And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; and make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (John 2:15-17)
"Zeal," by the way, is a very strong word—heat, ardor, fervent mind, and indignation, are only part of the definition. Jesus was white hot in His fervency for the honor of His Father's house. It was Jesus' custom to be found on the Sabbath day, either in the temple or in a local synagogue. Clearly, He was not one to forsake the house of the Lord. And He was not just any king; He was—and is—the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus was so zealous for His Father's house, He cleansed it at the conclusion of His ministry, as well—when He saw that the people ignored His first warning (Matt. 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19) They had turned the Father's house into a place of merchandise—a proverbial mart or mall—an "emporium"—a place to get what you want! It is also called a den of thieves—stealing the honor away from God by being about the Lord, but not according to His order. The temple was no longer a house of prayer—running from it like its a house on fire. And that it is—a gathered people on fire for God, and those that don't want that, try to turn it into something else.
Perhaps Jotham had no zeal for it. Praise God, though—whatever the reason for not entering the temple—something BIG must have happened, a real life-changer! We are told this—"So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." (vs.6) Prepared—in the Hebrew, it refers to standing erect, and therefore, perpendicular—established, fixed, appointed, sure, proper, and prosperous. Elsewhere, it is translated as faithful, fashioned, fastened, firm, fitted, and framed. Boy, that is a far cry from his days outside the temple. I think what happened is that he really entered the temple—the heart of God. Verses 3 & 4 tell us, "He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers." From the main entrance into his Father's house, to the furthest regions of the kingdom, Jotham—by the power of the Holy Spirit—"fixed" everything! He had prepared his ways before the Lord his God! Personal! Jesus put it this way: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go prepare a place for you, and if I go...I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1,2) Very personal!
At Ezion-geber, modern archaeologists have found a signet ring with a seal bearing the letters, "ITYM." These are Hebrew characters that can be translated, "Belonging to Jotham." Praise God—now Jotham belongs to the Lord and resides in his Father's house. A.W. Tozer once wrote, "We who live in this nervous and neurotic age of self-consumption would be wise to meditate on our lives long and often before the face of God and on the edge of eternity. For we are made for eternity as certainly as we are made for time. To be made for eternity, and choose to dwell exclusively in time, is, for mankind, a tragedy of huge proportions." Oswald Chambers asks, "Is the Eternal in you living in the Father's house? Are the graces of His ministering life working out through you in your home, your business, in your domestic circle? Let Him have His way; keep in perfect union with Him." Finally..finally...finally—a king was willing to go all the way, God's way—showing His perfection! And that is a matter of letting what's on the outside line up with what is on the inside. Don't judge everything by the outside—the rose could be fake!
