King Jotham

How He Became King: After his father Azariah died
When He Began Reigning: 25 years old
Reign Length: 16 years
Ruled Over: Judah
Type of King: Good
Prophet: Isaiah, Hosea, Micah
Death: Uncertain
Burial: Buried in Jerusalem

Jotham became king after his father Azariah died. He began reigning when he was 25 years old and he reigned over Judah for 16 years. He did that which was right:

2 Kings 15:32: “In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.”

The king learned from the mistakes of his father, and he did not sin against God by entering into the Temple to offer incense. However, even though Jotham served the Lord, the people did not follow his example. They continued to act corruptly:

2 Chronicles 27:2: “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.”

Like his father, he continued to strengthen the country:

2 Chronicles 27:3: “He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.”

Jotham defeated the Ammonites and became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord:

2 Chronicles 27:5: “He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.
6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.”

When he died, he was buried in Jerusalem:

2 Chronicles 27:9: “And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.”

His son Ahaz then reigned in his stead.