2 Chronicles 24 - 27
In summary:
In accordance with his narrative goals of depicting good examples for imitation (and now, bad examples to avoid) for the community rebuilding Jerusalem, the Chronicler gives us new information about the next four kings of Judah: Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah (called Azariah in 2 Kings) and Jotham.
In accordance with his narrative goals of depicting good examples for imitation (and now, bad examples to avoid) for the community rebuilding Jerusalem, the Chronicler gives us new information about the next four kings of Judah: Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah (called Azariah in 2 Kings) and Jotham.
In more detail:
In his narrative of the next four kings of Judah, the Chronicler presents us with new information that we did not see in 2 Kings to highlight both the good and the bad of their reigns.
For example, we already read about the repair of the temple under Joash’s reign in 2 Kings 12:4-16. Of course the people’s joy in contributing to its restoration (2 Chronicles 24:10) would be an attractive story to the Chronicler and worthy of being repeated. He adds that the blame for the neglect of the temple belonged to Athaliah: “For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals” (2 Chronicles
24:7), not because of inattentiveness on the part of the priests or Levites.
But what stands out most in comparing Joash’s reign in 2 Chronicles with that of 2 Kings is the elevated role of Jehoiada the chief priest. In the first verses of 2 Chronicles 24, the Chronicler observes, “And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2 Chronicles 24:2), a chronological reference that the author of 1 and 2 Kings reserves only for kings. In addition, the Chronicler does not follow his observation with a reference to the numbers of the king’s children but to the abundance of children of Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:3). From these verses (in addition to what he told us about Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 23), the Chronicler prepares the scene for the observation that the good from Joash’s reign came from the faithfulness and devotion of Jehoiada and his influence over the king.
This is the Chronicler’s observation in the rest of the narrative. Jehoiada the priest dies and is honored as if he were a king (2 Chronicles 24:15-16). And immediately afterwards, the king is corrupted by the influence of the Judean princes that remained: “And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs” (2 Chronicles 24:18). Their rejection of Yahweh upon Jehoiada’s death is exemplified in the death sentence against his son Zechariah for having called them to repent (2 Chronicles 24:19-22). It is not by chance that the following year a small Syrian army defeats Judah (2 Chronicles 24:23-24), an event that the author of 2 Kings mentions but without referencing divine retribution. The Chronicler closes his narrative of Joash by noting that his burial did not receive the same level of honor as Jehoiada’s (2 Chronicles 24:16, 25).
The Chronicler also gives us more information about Amaziah than the author of 2 Kings had. He tells us about the offense against the Israelites for hiring 7000 soldiers only to release them for not having consulted Yahweh first (2 Chronicles 25:6-10). He gives us more details about his battle against the Edomites (2 Chronicles 25:11-13); and reveals to us that his idolatry provoked Yahweh’s wrath (2 Chronicles 25:14-15) and his
rejection of divine reproof paved the way for his fall (2 Chronicles 25:16). All of this gives us a new perspective on the events that we read in 2 Kings 14 – there, the autor emphasized Amaziah’s military pride and his humiliation by King Joash of Israel; in 2 Chronicles, Yahweh decrees judgment against Amaziah not only for his military overconfidence but also for his pride and rebellion shown in idolatry and his rejection of Yahweh’s word. As the exiles coming from Babylon would know well, the temple cannot be viewed as a good luck charm to protect Jerusalem from Yahweh’s just judgment against pride.
Uzziah’s reign (or Azariah’s in 2 Kings 15:1-7) receives a lot more coverage by the Chronicler. He summarizes his reign by saying, “He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper” (2 Chronicles 26:5). And he gives us a long list of examples in 2 Chronicles 26:6-15 that we did not see in 2 Kings. They include the defeat of his enemies and the building of new cities (2 Chronicles 26:6); foreign recognition of his power and authority (2 Chronicles 26:7-8); the fortification of Jerusalem and the desert (2 Chronicles 26:9-10); military power (2 Chronicles 26:11-14) and advances in military engineering (2 Chronicles 26:15).
But similar to Amaziah, Uzziah fell to pride: “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For 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). He decided to take for himself a privilege that pagan kings enjoyed throughout the Middle
East, that even Israelite kings did in Jeroboam’s false religion (according to 1 Kings 13:1) but that was prohibited for the kings of Judah, just as he was warned immediately, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God” (2 Chronicles 26:18). Full of pride, he reacts angrily against the rebuke, and leprosy immediately breaks out on his forehead (2 Chronicles 26:19). In truth, his punishment was merciful; he could have ended up like Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10.
There is very little information about Jotham in 2 Kings 15:32-38. The Chronicler specifies Jotham’s evaluation from the author of 2 Kings; to, “And he did what was right
in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done” (2 Kings 15:34), the Chronicler adds, “Except he did not enter the temple of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 27:2). He observes the spiritual decline of the nation: “But the people still followed corrupt practices” (2 Chronicles 27:2). He lists other evidences of a blessed reign like additions to the temple (2 Chronicles 27:3), fortifications (2 Chronicles 27:3-4), military victory against his enemies and prosperity from tribute (2 Chronicles 27:5). Of course these blessings came from his devotion to Yahweh: “So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 27:6).
Therefore, the four royal portraits that the Chronicler presents in today’s reading add a lot more than what we saw in 2 Kings. Through the short biographies of these kings, the Chronicler warns his readers and listeners of the dangers of pride, most of all pride against Yahweh and His law. If pride is shown:
1) directly against spiritual authority (as in the example of Joash who in the end rejected Jehoiada’s authority),
2) through idolatry (as in Amaziah’s case),
3) through the rejection of Yahweh’s reproof (as Joash, Amaziah and Uzziah experienced), or
4) by disregarding Levite and sacerdotal privileges in worship (as Uzziah had done),
Yahweh must punish pride to the shame of the royal house and the impoverishment of the entire nation. The people’s best protection, therefore, is Yahweh’s anointed (and all of His leadership) guarding a submissive heart, one that promotes devotion to Yahweh in concert with the priests and Levites. In this way, the Chronicler asserts, Yahweh will establish His people.
Therefore we Christians have another reason to appreciate the declaration of Jesus, the Anointed One above all: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He is
the Anointed One with a perfect heart, without pride, who directs His people in passionate devotion to His Father. He perfectly exemplifies the characteristics of justice, righteousness and submission that the Chronicler and his readers longed to see.
In his narrative of the next four kings of Judah, the Chronicler presents us with new information that we did not see in 2 Kings to highlight both the good and the bad of their reigns.
For example, we already read about the repair of the temple under Joash’s reign in 2 Kings 12:4-16. Of course the people’s joy in contributing to its restoration (2 Chronicles 24:10) would be an attractive story to the Chronicler and worthy of being repeated. He adds that the blame for the neglect of the temple belonged to Athaliah: “For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals” (2 Chronicles
24:7), not because of inattentiveness on the part of the priests or Levites.
But what stands out most in comparing Joash’s reign in 2 Chronicles with that of 2 Kings is the elevated role of Jehoiada the chief priest. In the first verses of 2 Chronicles 24, the Chronicler observes, “And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2 Chronicles 24:2), a chronological reference that the author of 1 and 2 Kings reserves only for kings. In addition, the Chronicler does not follow his observation with a reference to the numbers of the king’s children but to the abundance of children of Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:3). From these verses (in addition to what he told us about Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 23), the Chronicler prepares the scene for the observation that the good from Joash’s reign came from the faithfulness and devotion of Jehoiada and his influence over the king.
This is the Chronicler’s observation in the rest of the narrative. Jehoiada the priest dies and is honored as if he were a king (2 Chronicles 24:15-16). And immediately afterwards, the king is corrupted by the influence of the Judean princes that remained: “And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs” (2 Chronicles 24:18). Their rejection of Yahweh upon Jehoiada’s death is exemplified in the death sentence against his son Zechariah for having called them to repent (2 Chronicles 24:19-22). It is not by chance that the following year a small Syrian army defeats Judah (2 Chronicles 24:23-24), an event that the author of 2 Kings mentions but without referencing divine retribution. The Chronicler closes his narrative of Joash by noting that his burial did not receive the same level of honor as Jehoiada’s (2 Chronicles 24:16, 25).
The Chronicler also gives us more information about Amaziah than the author of 2 Kings had. He tells us about the offense against the Israelites for hiring 7000 soldiers only to release them for not having consulted Yahweh first (2 Chronicles 25:6-10). He gives us more details about his battle against the Edomites (2 Chronicles 25:11-13); and reveals to us that his idolatry provoked Yahweh’s wrath (2 Chronicles 25:14-15) and his
rejection of divine reproof paved the way for his fall (2 Chronicles 25:16). All of this gives us a new perspective on the events that we read in 2 Kings 14 – there, the autor emphasized Amaziah’s military pride and his humiliation by King Joash of Israel; in 2 Chronicles, Yahweh decrees judgment against Amaziah not only for his military overconfidence but also for his pride and rebellion shown in idolatry and his rejection of Yahweh’s word. As the exiles coming from Babylon would know well, the temple cannot be viewed as a good luck charm to protect Jerusalem from Yahweh’s just judgment against pride.
Uzziah’s reign (or Azariah’s in 2 Kings 15:1-7) receives a lot more coverage by the Chronicler. He summarizes his reign by saying, “He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper” (2 Chronicles 26:5). And he gives us a long list of examples in 2 Chronicles 26:6-15 that we did not see in 2 Kings. They include the defeat of his enemies and the building of new cities (2 Chronicles 26:6); foreign recognition of his power and authority (2 Chronicles 26:7-8); the fortification of Jerusalem and the desert (2 Chronicles 26:9-10); military power (2 Chronicles 26:11-14) and advances in military engineering (2 Chronicles 26:15).
But similar to Amaziah, Uzziah fell to pride: “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For 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). He decided to take for himself a privilege that pagan kings enjoyed throughout the Middle
East, that even Israelite kings did in Jeroboam’s false religion (according to 1 Kings 13:1) but that was prohibited for the kings of Judah, just as he was warned immediately, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God” (2 Chronicles 26:18). Full of pride, he reacts angrily against the rebuke, and leprosy immediately breaks out on his forehead (2 Chronicles 26:19). In truth, his punishment was merciful; he could have ended up like Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10.
There is very little information about Jotham in 2 Kings 15:32-38. The Chronicler specifies Jotham’s evaluation from the author of 2 Kings; to, “And he did what was right
in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done” (2 Kings 15:34), the Chronicler adds, “Except he did not enter the temple of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 27:2). He observes the spiritual decline of the nation: “But the people still followed corrupt practices” (2 Chronicles 27:2). He lists other evidences of a blessed reign like additions to the temple (2 Chronicles 27:3), fortifications (2 Chronicles 27:3-4), military victory against his enemies and prosperity from tribute (2 Chronicles 27:5). Of course these blessings came from his devotion to Yahweh: “So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 27:6).
Therefore, the four royal portraits that the Chronicler presents in today’s reading add a lot more than what we saw in 2 Kings. Through the short biographies of these kings, the Chronicler warns his readers and listeners of the dangers of pride, most of all pride against Yahweh and His law. If pride is shown:
1) directly against spiritual authority (as in the example of Joash who in the end rejected Jehoiada’s authority),
2) through idolatry (as in Amaziah’s case),
3) through the rejection of Yahweh’s reproof (as Joash, Amaziah and Uzziah experienced), or
4) by disregarding Levite and sacerdotal privileges in worship (as Uzziah had done),
Yahweh must punish pride to the shame of the royal house and the impoverishment of the entire nation. The people’s best protection, therefore, is Yahweh’s anointed (and all of His leadership) guarding a submissive heart, one that promotes devotion to Yahweh in concert with the priests and Levites. In this way, the Chronicler asserts, Yahweh will establish His people.
Therefore we Christians have another reason to appreciate the declaration of Jesus, the Anointed One above all: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). He is
the Anointed One with a perfect heart, without pride, who directs His people in passionate devotion to His Father. He perfectly exemplifies the characteristics of justice, righteousness and submission that the Chronicler and his readers longed to see.
