Name: Verzosa, Micko Rafael V.

Date: 05/28/2021
Year & Section: BSIT – 2C Instructor: Jacob Genobiagon

OLW 9 – PHILIPPINE LITERATURE

2 Chronicles 33-36:

The Good Kings of Judah

There are 21 rulers of Judah in 2 Chronicles and God's put them all on the throne. In fact, many
of them have names that include God's name—"Yah," in Hebrew. All the names that begin with "J" or
end in "iah" reflect that, like "Uzziah" ("God is my strength" ) and Abijah ( Yah is my father"). Despite
their religiously symbolic names, we're dealing with a pretty mixed bag here. Let's try dividing them up
like Clint Eastwood might—into the good, the bad, and the ugly.

King Abijah
This guy defeated Israel in battle and was
described as a ruler who "grew strong" (13:21).
King Jehoshaphat
He was one of the first major kings after
Solomon. Jehoshaphat worshipped God and
made sure that his people did, too. He also tried
to get a truce going between Israel and Judah. (It
didn't work out well in the end, but at least he
gave it a shot.) He also "had great riches and
honor" (18:1).
King Jotham
We don't get a lot of info about this king, but
what little we do hear is good. He built towers,
defeated enemies, and "did what was right in the
sight of the Lord" (27:2). That's a lot more than
we can say for some other kings.
King Hezekiah
Many generations later, this king restored the
Temple in Jerusalem to its former glory, started
Passover celebrations in Jerusalem, and tried to
unite the north and south again by calling a truce
and a throwing a huge party. He also managed to
defeat the Assyrian Empire (a feat that Israel
couldn't manage—they got pummeled out of
existence). In the end, he got sick, but "Hezekiah
humbled himself" (32:26) and God healed him.
King Josiah
He was only 8 years old when he took over
control of Judah, but he quickly became a royal
powerhouse. Not only did he "wal[k] in the ways
of his ancestor David" (34:2), but he destroyed
all the idols in Judah. He continued with the
Passover celebrations that Hezekiah initiated and
he even discovered a new book of laws written
by Moses. That's a big find. In the end, he
ignored a couple warnings from God and was
killed in battle, but all in all, he deserves our
admiration.

Out of 20 kings, only 5 of them were righteous. That's not a very promising track record. Let's
look at what they have in common. What in the Chronicler's opinion makes someone a successful king?

Well, all these kings are strong. Many of them are wealthy and able to defeat their enemies in
battle, even powerful nations like the Assyrians. But the most important thing is that these guys all follow
God. Notice how they honor and restore God's house, celebrate his holy days, and revere the laws he gave
Moses. Sure, they're rich and powerful and mighty, but without their faith, they'd be none of that.