2 Kings 21:9
“But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.”
One would think that Hezekiah’s children would turn out to be decent young people; however, Manasseh, his son, turned out to be one of the most godless kings in Judah’s history. It makes no sense that Hezekiah, one of the most spiritual kings in Judah’s history, had a son who did “more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.” It leaves you wondering how this happened.
All you have to do is look at the previous chapter to learn why this happened. The key to Manasseh’s actions is found in verse 9 where it says, “Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?” As good a life as Hezekiah lived, he made the mistake of letting up in his senior years. I believe this led to Manasseh’s total departure from the LORD’s way. Though Manasseh was ultimately responsible for his own actions, his father’s apathetic attitude at the end of his life produced a godless generation. Three lessons can be learned from this story.
First, never do less; do more. At the end of Hezekiah’s life, you see him doing less for the LORD than he used to do. Many parents have trained godless children because they stopped serving the LORD instead of continuing in their service. Your children need to see that you never do less for God; if anything, always do more for the LORD. It is easy to get to the point where you want to “enjoy” the pleasures of life so much that you do less for God and more for worldly activities. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life, but don’t do it at the sake of doing less for God. Your children need to see you continually stepping out by faith and doing more; this will teach them that God is still alive.
Second, never stand down; stand up. Hezekiah let up in his stand for right at the end of his life, which resulted in a son believing that his father’s beliefs were not real. You will produce godless children if at someone point in your life you stand down from what you used to believe. I have watched many parents who once stood firm on scriptural principles stand down from their beliefs because they didn’t want to fight their teenage children over these issues. Parents, you must never compromise what you once stood for if you want your children to continue living according to God’s Word. Never have fewer standards than you used to have; if anything, stand up and do more.
Third, never stand still; move forward. Hezekiah became complacent with what he accomplished. Let me encourage you never to become complacent in your accomplishments. Always strive to do more. God’s direction for the Christian is always forward. Always remember that you are either going backwards or forwards in the Christian life. A choice to stand still is a move backwards. If you want your children to serve the LORD continually, you must make a constant forward direction.
Ultimately, every person makes their choices in life, but don’t contribute to their godless choices. If you become a positive influence for right in the lives of your children, you will have a better chance of them serving the LORD when they’re on their own.