2 Chronicles 27:1-9
This short chapter has only good things to say about Jotham, the son and successor to Uzziah. Although he too became powerful (v. 6), he learnt from his father’s terrible lesson, as v. 2 stresses. It is a sign of wisdom! If we learn from the experience of others, we will avoid having personally to go through the same painful school. Jotham conquers the sons of Ammon. What is his secret? Let us keep to it, if we also wish to obtain this divine power: "He prepared (or established) his ways before the LORD his God" (v. 6). To prepare one’s ways means to walk in line with the instructions in the Bible and to walk before God in a way which meets His approval. "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.’ (Proverbs 4:26-27).
Sadly we see that the people do not follow the example of this faithful king! They corrupted themselves even more (v. 2). The time of Jotham can, therefore, not be classed as a revival such as the Spirit of God produces during the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah.