1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: twenty seven, and we'll be reading from the Message. Jotham 6 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: was twenty five years old when he became king. He 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: reigned sixteen years at Jerusalem. His mother was Jerushah, the 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: daughter of Zadok. In God's eyes, he lived a good life, 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: following the path marked out by his father Usiah. Unlike 10 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: his father, though, he didn't desecrate the Temple of God, 11 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: but the people pushed right on in their lives of corruption. 12 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: Jotham constructed the upper gate of the Temple of God, 13 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: considerably extended the wall of the Ofel, and built cities 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: in the high country of Judah, and forts and towers 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: down in the forests. He fought and beat the king 16 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: of the Ammonites. That year. The Ammonites turned over three 17 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: and a quarter tons of silver and about sixty five 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: thousand bushels of wheat, and another sixty five thousand bushels 19 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: of barley. They repeated this for the next two years, 20 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: Jotham's strength was rooted in his steady and determined life 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: of obedience to God. The rest of the history of Jotham, 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: including his wars and achievements, are all written in the 23 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: royal annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah. He 24 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: was twenty five years old when he became king. He 25 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: reigned for sixteen years at Jerusalem. Jotham died and was 26 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: buried in the city of David. His son Ahaz became 27 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: the next king. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for 28 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for the privilege of 29 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: being able to look at it together today. And Lord, 30 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: as we look at this portion of scripture, you give 31 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: us a picture of Jotham, and you tell us that 32 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: his strength was rooted in his steady and determined life 33 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: of obedience to you. Lord. It appears that he was 34 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: a man who realized that you were the source of 35 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: strength that he needed, and he trusted in you, and 36 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: he relied on you, and you supplied the strength that 37 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: he needed to rule and reign in Jerusalem. Lord, we're 38 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: grateful that we have examples like this, and we pray 39 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,679 Speaker 1: Lord that we would be reminded by it to live 40 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: a life that's rooted in your strength and characterized by 41 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: obedience to you. That is the fruit of genuine faith 42 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: in your son Jesus Christ. We know Lord that just 43 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: as Jesus was about to ascend back to Heaven, he 44 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: spoke to his disciples and told them that it was 45 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: their mission to teach others to obey what he taught. 46 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: And Lord, we pray that our lives would be characterized 47 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: by faith in your son Jesus Christ and obedience to 48 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: his teaching. We know Lord that the strength for this 49 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: is something that you supply, and we're grateful that we 50 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: can come to you in faith, knowing that that's a request, 51 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: that that's a prayer that you are more than eager 52 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: to answer. Thank you, Lord for your love for us, 53 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: Thank you for blessing us as you choose to do so. 54 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: And we pray Lord that throughout the course of this 55 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: day that you would grant us your wisdom and that 56 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: we would walk with you faithfully in the midst of 57 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: all things. We thank you Lord for all these things, 58 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.