Jotham takes over for Uzziah. He took over at 16, probably because leprosy finally made his old man virtually useless on the throne. Jotham is an infrastructure man as well...rebuilding walls and cities and stuff. He actually improved on his dad's record, as Jotham didn't venture into the temple to try to do the priests' job.
What's interesting here, is that the scripture says that the people continued their corrupt practices. Did the people finally stop being the sheep they usually were and do their own thing? Albeit evil, apparently, the king had a lesser influence on them? I'm curious as to what these corrupt practices were. Was it the judges? The authorities? Or did street crime jump to Philadelphia type levels? 2 Kings 15 speaks about how the high places were not removed, and people continued to offer sacrifices there. That could be it. So in a way, that is related to Jotham's policies of high-place keeping.
So he conquered the Ammonites, a continual irritant to the Israelites, and conquered them to the point that they brought tribute to Jotham. For at least three years.
The Bible once again attributes a king's success and power to walking steadfastly before God. That's pretty good. But his son Ahaz was a screw up, of course.
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