Consequences of Choice / Topic: Responsibility

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33, John 4

Scripture: 2 Kings 21:1-6
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my Name." 5 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

Observation: Manasseh was one of the worst kings Judah had ever had. And he was fathered by one of the best kings in the history of Judah. Verse 3 indicates that Manasseh reinstated all the evil practices that his father had destroyed, even going so far as to sacrifice his son in the fire! How could a father do this to his own children, you may ask? The sacrificing of sons and daughters in the fire was done at "worship" services to fertility gods. And the screams of the dying children were covered by the sounds of the sexual orgies that the adults were engaging in while the human sacrifices were happening. What was paramount to the adult worshippers was their own sexual pleasure and other fleshly indulgences (drunkenness and feasting were also part of the idol worship). Whenever adults put their own interests above those of their children, all of society suffers. Society also suffers when children don't respect their parents (Manasseh is an example of that too; it often happens that people who don't respect their parents are also self-absorbed when they become parents). As an aside, Manasseh was punished by God and did repent and turn back to God in his later years, so his father's good example and teaching did bear fruit eventually. We need to remember that when our children choose the wrong paths.

Application: We must make every effort as parents to instill respect for us in our children. We must also evaluate ourselves and make sure we are repenting of any tendency we have toward being more concerned about ourselves than others. And we must pray for those who lead our society because we have our own modern day child sacrifices that we offer to the "gods of fertility". It's called abortion. We insist on the availability of abortion so that we don't have to bear the responsibilities of our sexual behavior and can "indulge" as we like. It is up to the Church to pray and repent for the wrongs done by our society as a whole. No one else will do it and God calls us to it (see 2 Chronicles 7:14).

Prayer: Father, heal our land. Forgive us for not speaking up more boldly and for not praying as we ought to. And LORD, help us to be a great model for our children and to be faithful in teaching them to respect You and us. When we teach them properly and they fail to continue in Your ways as an adult, help us to forgive them and continue to pray for them to return fully to You. Thank you for your faithfulness.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.