Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Matthew 1:10

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“And Hezekiah begot Manasseh, and Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah” (CG).

The previous verse ended with, “and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.” The record now continues with, “And Hezekiah begot Manasseh.”

Manasseh is first mentioned in 2 Kings 9:21. However, the detailed record of his reign begins in 2 Kings 21 –

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” 2 Kings 21:1, 2

So wicked was this king that the record goes on to say –

“Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), 12 therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’” 2 Kings 21:11-15

Manasseh was not unlike a couple of recent Democrat presidents of the United States. The record of the things he did is strikingly similar to many actions of these wicked men. Manasseh means He Shall Forget and also From a Debt. Matthew next records, “and Manasseh begot Amon.”

Amon is first mentioned in 2 Kings 21:18. The details of his reign go on to say –

“Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. 21 So he walked in all the ways that his father had walked; and he served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them. 22 He forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord.” 2 Kings 21:19-22

He was eventually killed by the servants in his own house. Another bad king bites the dust. His name means A Nourisher, A Nurse, Master Workman, or maybe even Mother(land). Some Greek texts call him Amos. Matthew next records, “and Amon begot Josiah.”

Josiah is first mentioned in 2 Kings 21:24. However, the details of his righteous rule begin in 2 Kings 22 –

“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” 2 Kings 22:1, 2

The note that he did right, like David, is striking. So exceptional were the actions of Josiah, that he is normally remembered today as Good King Josiah. He was one of the good guys. He restored right worship to the nation. Good job Josiah! His name means something like Yah Heals, Fire Made by Yehovah, or something along those lines.

Life application: Manasseh was one bad dude. He is remembered almost exclusively as a terrible person. He was eventually carried away to Babylon. However, while a prisoner in Babylon, this is recorded in 2 Chronicles –

“And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13

Despite all of his wickedness, when he turned back to the Lord in his heart, the Lord restored him to his people, his land, and his position of authority. The record of his life ends well with good deeds and burial in his own house.

The Lord is unimpressed with your bank account, your position at work, or the estate you may dwell in. These things do not define a person.

The Lord is not impressed with the position of President of the United States, and just because someone is in that position, it does not mean he is either godly or deserving of any notice by the Lord at all. The only thing the Lord is evaluating is the intent of the heart.

Wicked presidents will someday be chucked into the Lake of Fire. However, because of the nature of the Lord God, if those people change their minds about Him, turn to Him, and receive Jesus as their Savior by believing in His gospel, they will be saved. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. This is true of King Manasseh, and it is true of wicked men who fill the office of president, prime minister, chancellor, etc.

The Lord is gracious and forgiving. Pray for your leaders concerning salvation. If they humble themselves, God will heal them. In turn, they may have an effect on healing the land in which you live.

Lord God, may we be careful to pray for the turning of our wicked leaders. Though it may be a long shot, it can happen. King Manasseh humbled himself before You, and those who lead us, no matter how despicable, may be willing to do so too. So, Lord, soften our hearts enough to pray for their salvation. May it be so. Amen.