2 Chronicles 33:22
“But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;”
The verse above is a sad commentary of Amon. Amon chose to follow the wrong example that his father set in sacrificing to carved images. This wasn’t the only example that Amon had to follow because Manasseh got right with God and removed the strange gods and idols out of the temple. Amon saw what the LORD did to his father when he sacrificed to the false gods, and he also saw how God was intreated for his father after his prayer of repentance. Sadly, instead of choosing the right positions and actions of his father, he chose to follow the wrong example of his father’s weakness.
Oftentimes, I find that Christian choose to follow the wrong example of their parents or Christian leaders from the past. Instead of choosing to follow their strengths, we tend to gravitate towards their weaknesses to our own detriment. The difference between those we follow and ourselves is that we have a whole life to examine and to see which side the LORD blessed. We have no excuse when we choose to follow the weaker side of someone’s life, and God will judge us accordingly. There are several principles that we can learn from Amon’s life that we should apply to our own lives.
First, always choose the stronger positions of those we choose to copy. Preachers make the mistake of choosing the weaker positions of men of God from the past instead of choosing their strongest positions. Children will oftentimes choose to follow the weakest part of their parent’s lives instead of choosing to follow their stronger positions. You must remember that people do grow, and just because they held a weaker position at some point in their lives doesn’t make it right for you to follow their weaker positions or actions. Always choose the strongest position a person held when choosing to follow their example.
Second, God holds you to a greater standard because you know better. God held Belshazzar to a greater standard because he saw both the weak and strong side of his father, Nebuchadnezzar. God held Chorazin and Bethsaida to a higher standard because they saw the works of God, whereas Tyre and Sidon had not. God will hold you to a higher standard of accountability when you know better. You can justify choosing the weaker stance of those you follow, but God doesn’t justify your choice of a weaker stance because He knows that you know better. God always punishes the nation or individual who knows better more than He does the ones who didn’t have the examples that you have to follow.
Third, always remember that someone is going to copy every choice of action or position that you make. Friend, there is another generation that is following you and they will most likely choose to follow your weaker position. Let this reminder be a motivation to be very careful with your actions and positions. Be careful to leave the next generation with an example that will allow them to do right even if they choose to follow your weaker actions or positions. Certainly, God will hold the next generation accountable for their own actions, but He will also hold you accountable for the actions and positions you are leaving them. Leave an example of right actions and positions so that generations to come will have no choice but to follow but the right choice.