Jump Start # 1879

2 Kings 20:21 “So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son became king in his place.”

There are several titles or distinctions that belonged to Manasseh, the king of Judah. He reigned longer than any of Judah’s kings. He was king for 55 years. He also was one of the worst. He not only built idols throughout the land, but he put them in the temple. He allowed witchcraft and mediums to spread their poisonous influences. He practiced child sacrifices, even sacrificing one of his one sons. The Bible tells us that he was more wicked than the Amorites, a pagan nation. Manasseh murdered innocent people. Our times have known evil leaders that killed their own people. Manasseh, if all the facts were known to us, would equally be among the worst and most cruel leaders who ever reigned on this planet.

God blamed Manasseh for leading the people into spiritual ruin. For decades this terror continued. God announced the doom of Manasseh’s reign. He was taken by hooks into a foreign land. What makes the story of Manasseh so sad is that his father was Hezekiah, one of the best kings of Judah. Hezekiah tore down the idols of his day. His reign shadowed that of the great King David. Hezekiah restored worship to God. His reforms brought hope and sunshine that had long being forgotten. And here is Manasseh, growing up in that household. He was young when Hezekiah died, but there were plenty of people around who would have told him of the goodness and righteousness of his father. Manasseh went the other way. He rejected all of that.

And that brings us to our thought for today. Opportunity. There are homes today that mirror what happened in the Hezekiah– Manasseh choices.

Some of us have grown up in the homes of godly parents. What an advantage we had. It was understood where we were going to be on Sunday, the church house. This wasn’t open for discussion, debate or argument. On vacations, our parents found places to worship. When friends spent the night, it was understood beforehand, that on Sunday, everyone is going to church. We grew up and we had rules. There was no back talking to our parents. Certain words, certain shows, and even certain people were off limits. We ate together as a family. We were expected to be honest. We had to clean up our rooms, make our beds and be in those beds at a certain time. When we started to drive and started to date, they questioned us about who, where and what we were going to do. If we messed up, we lost privileges. We were taken to nursing homes, funeral homes and weddings. We were expected to behave and if we didn’t, we got it. While at the time, we didn’t like all those rules, our parents kept us safe—physically, morally and spiritually. They made us learn the Bible. Unlike our classmates at school, we had to report to our parents all the time. Yet, we didn’t get arrested. We didn’t flunk out of school. We learned to work hard, be honest and walk with the Lord. What an advantage we had. Our character and work ethic stood out when we had summer jobs. Without knowing it, we had a huge advantage because of the things our parents instilled within us. Those lessons have stayed with us. Today, we have taught those same lessons to our children. We were blessed.

Others, did not have a home like Hezekiah’s. There was a lot of shouting. Mom and dad may have split up. Other people were in and out all the time. Drinking was normal. Church was never mentioned. Lewdness and profanity were common. Those that grew up in this atmosphere, did what they wanted. Often, it landed them in trouble. While they mocked the “good” kids, there was something about that stable home that appealed. Parents who really cared. Parents who were involved. Parents who set rules. Later, these people met someone who introduced them to the Lord and His church. They learned. They became Christians. It was hard. There was much to change. Today, they lead their children in the way of the Lord. They do not wish their childhood on anyone.

Then there are the Manasseh’s of the world. They come from good homes. They come from parents who are trying to walk with the Lord. Yet, the Manasseh’s want nothing to do with that. They run with the worst people. They are always breaking the rules. They have no place for God in their hearts. Rebellion is their choice in life. They break the hearts of godly parents. They neither acknowledge God nor worship Him. They live a life that centers around them. They believe that they are happy and free. One day their Hezekiah parent dies. They don’t know who to call for the funeral. They haven’t been to church since they were a kid. They rush through the funeral, uncomfortable because they are having to hear the Bible which they do not know and thoughts of eternity, which they don’t like to think about. As soon as dear ole’ dad is buried, they are off to the merry ole’ way.

It’s hard to get some to see what a wonderful opportunity they have before them. It’s also hard to get some to see what a waste they have made of their lives. Just imagine what Manasseh could have done with 55 years of righteous ruling as a king? Imagine the good that he could have done? Could it be that the Lord allowed him to live so long to give him time to change? After he was taken by hooks to a foreign land, he did change. He came back and the last of his life was trying to fix all the trouble he caused. He didn’t do a very good job of that. His son, Josiah, led the nation in reforms. Josiah was more like Hezekiah.

Families. Drama. Good kids and not so good kids. It all comes down to choices. Each of us must look at what our parents gave to us and decide if that’s the direction we want to travel. Opportunities. Some use them and some waste them.

Hezekiah– Manasseh– Josiah—a family tree. Otto-Robert-Roger—that’s my family tree. What have I done with the opportunities presented to me? What have I done to please the Lord? You have a family tree. You may have had a Hezekiah in your family. Did you use those opportunities? You may have had a Manasseh. Did you see the mistakes and do better? Someday, my name will be at the head of the list of the family tree. You name will be at the head of the list. Are we giving our family powerful opportunities to walk with the Lord? Many lives will be touched and influenced through our family tree. We can help or we can hinder. We can be a Hezekiah or we can be a Manasseh. Your choices and your life is much more than just about you. There are others. Those others can be helped or hurt by the footprints you are leaving.

The way of the cross leads home—be sure to follow that and help others to see that as well.

Roger