Bulletin Articles
“Like Father, Like Son”
Categories: Iron sharpens ironOne of the most surprising turns in the story of the kings of Judah involves the king often considered to be the worse of the bunch: Manasseh.
And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah… And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. (2 Kings 21.2-6)
This guy is just the worst. Yet his father, Hezekiah, was among the rather few kings in Judah’s history to be considered righteous, comparing favorably to the beloved King David—“And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done” (2Ki 18.3). Of course, since Hezekiah’s life gets a fair amount of text, we learn about his mistakes, too. For example, he displayed his immense wealth to visiting diplomats from Babylon. Babylon wasn’t the sort of nation that inspired fear, at the time, but God told him what would be the consequence of his pride: “all that is in your house…shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord” (2Ki 20.17).
That’s a major consequence, and we clearly see the mistake that caused it. But we’re left to speculate about what caused another consequence—why did this righteous king’s son stray so far from the pattern his father established? We have all sorts of expressions, like “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” which we put to use when someone does something reminiscent of his father’s behavior; but they don’t seem to get as much use in regard to scenarios like Manasseh’s. As his father, Hezekiah had some kind of influence on his son, but we can’t say whether Manasseh’s list of sins reflects a mistake in Hezekiah’s parenting technique or a stubborn rebellion on the part of the son (or, more likely, some combination of the two).
We’re ready to trot out the phrase, “chip off the old block,” when it comes to Manasseh’s son, though!
[Amon] did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them. He abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. (2 Kings 21.20-22)
When we read that Amon’s own servants got together and killed him, we’re almost ready to cheer them on—almost disappointed that “the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon” (2Ki 21.24), as if the bad guys won. He was a jerk, and we’re glad that he only reigned two years before being assassinated, meaning he didn’t have very much time to wreak havoc. But what kind of king will replace him? Well, Amon’s son, Josiah,
did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. (2Kings 22.2)
How did this happen? When we consider that Josiah was only eight years old at the start of his reign, we can surmise that he got a lot of help from advisors, and this explains a lot. But there’s more to it. Manasseh, after reaping some of the consequences of his sins, “humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers” and repented of his evil deeds (2Ch 33.12). He did his best to clean up the messes he’d made in his younger days. While his son and heir, Amon, was a real piece of work as we saw, it’s worth noting that Josiah was six years old when Manasseh died—Amon having become his father at age 16. It’s clear that Amon wasn't a godly man, repeating his father’s many sins. But as Manasseh drew near his death, he had the opportunity to be a better influence on his young grandson, who was in line for the throne, than he had been on his own son.
As with Manasseh himself, we can’t credit all, or even most of Josiah’s righteousness to this hypothetical godly influence from the family patriarch. The four generations between Hezekiah and Josiah demonstrate that sons do not always turn out like their fathers—they make their own choices whether to submit to God’s will, or exalt their own. But we also see that influence—good or bad—can make a difference, and echo through the generations. Is that any less true today? Your relationship with God comes down to an intensely individual responsibility, regardless of external circumstances or influence, to live out an obedient faith in Jesus. At the same time, Jesus tells us that “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt 18.6). Paul tells us to bring up our children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ep 6.4). The present generation will have a substantial effect on whether the next generations love the Lord and walk in his ways, or rebel and follow the road that leads to hell. Use your influence wisely. Start by seeking adoption into God’s household, through the intercession of his only true Son. Then, imitate the Son and be conformed to his image, living as he lived, righteous and selfless. Finally, work to bring others into God’s house—family, friends, and the little children, before the door is shut.
Jeremy Nettles
