At the age of 12, Manasseh inherits the throne of the kingdom of Judah. Rather than follow the Lord, he begins to build idols to Baal and worship them. He constructs these altars within the temple of the Lord.
1 Kings 21:6 says, “He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.”
The people of Judah begin to look more and more like the pagan nations that surround them. They allow their sin to hijack their actions and ideologies. How often do we ourselves begin to look like the unbelieving communities around us?
Manasseh abhors the ways of the Lord and annihilates so many people that their blood fills Jesulasel from one end to the other. The Lord promises that his actions will not go unpunished. Manasseh rests with his fathers after his death, leaving the throne to his son, Amon.
2 Kings 21:21-22 says, “He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to him.”
Amon’s own officials devise and execute a plan to end his life in his own palace. After Amon’s death, his murderers are punished and his son, Josiah, inherits the throne at 8 years of age.
Unlike his father and his grandfather, Josiah follows an entirely different way of life. 2 Kings 22:2 says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” Josiah’s life is a testament that while we inherit certain traits, we ultimately control the decisions we make and the things we prioritize.
Josiah funds the rebuilding of the temple and entrusts his secretary, Hilkiah, with the proceedings. As they are repairing the temple, they stumble upon a book, later discovered to be the Book of the Law. Josiah asks Hikiah to read what the Lord has said. When Josiah realizes that his ancestors have sinned against the Lord, he is distraught at what could become of Judah because of the past kings’ unfaithfulness.
In 2 Kings 22:13, Josiah says, “Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
The Lord promises Josiah that he will not have to live through or experience the destruction of his people. Because he is faithful, he will be allowed to rest in peace before the imminent destruction.
Josiah and Hilkiah begin to reconstruct the temple, tearing down the altars built to Baal and other pagan gods. Josiah goes through all the land destroying pagan altars and sacrifice locations. He reinstats the Passover and instructs the people to follow in its traditions. The mediums and spiritists are sent out to fulfill the commands in the Book of the Law found in the temple.
Unfortunately, as Josiah is battling the king of Egypt at Megiddo, he is slain. His son, Jehoahaz, takes the throne.
Josiah is a prime example of realizing his own shortcomings and giving his life to pursue the Lord’s calling. When he read the book of the Law, he was convicted of Judah’s sin, and worked effortlessly to help the people return to the Lord. When we are convicted by the Word of God, our responsibility is to respond as Josiah did. We must accept the fact that we have fallen and must strive to please the Lord with the next actions in our lives.
