Decline, Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Today's reading in II Kings 20 and 21 tells of the reign of Manasseh, the evil son of Hezekiah.  He began his reign at the age of 12 and ruled for 55 years.  He reigned by bloodshed and violence.  He lead the people into idol worship and engaged in every evil practice heretofore done by Israel's kings.  It makes you wonder what kind of fathers the kings were.  Hezekiah was given a gift by God of 15 extra years.  During these "bonus" years Manasseh was born.  Wouldn't Hezekiah have poured into this son the very devotion to God that he had displayed during his reign?  We don't know what kind of a parent he was, but clearly the fruit of that relationship was rotten to the core.