One of the tragedies mentioned repeatedly in 2 Chronicles is kings who lived good lives, but didn’t finish well. To illustrate, consider Asa, beginning at chapter 14, Jehoshaphat, beginning at chapter 17, Joash, chapter 24, Amaziah, chapter 25, Ussiah, chapter 26, Hezekiah, beginning at chapter 29, and Josiah, beginning at chapter 34.
Each king was introduced as doing what was right in God’s eyes. Some were clearly not willing to make the wholesale changes necessary to fully deliver the people from compromise and idolatry, but they did improve things and God blessed their efforts.
Hezekiah and Josiah led revivals and destroyed all vestiges of idolatry. But as they became older, they made decisions which indicated self-confidence rather than God-dependency. This led to compromise and tragic failure. As they experienced God’s blessing and protection, they became soft toward their enemies, the enemies of God. Sometimes, right after a victory, they compromised by taking the idols of those they conquered back to Jerusalem and started worshiping them. How absurd, as the prophet pointed out in chapter 25:15, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?”
Jehoshaphat learned his lesson once, repented, and led his people victoriously, until, right at the end of his life he again compromised and failed. The danger is always there, even after a life well lived, to blow it and not finish well. Pray that God would keep you from this pitfall.