Articles
Just Like Grandpa Ahaz
Just Like Grandpa Ahaz
It is heartbreaking to read of the generations of the kings of Judah. We just finished reading of the good king Hezekiah. Hezekiah removed the high places and the Asherah (18:4). He repaired the doors of the temple and cleansed the temple (2Chr. 29:1,17). He then reinstituted temple worship to the LORD (2Chr. 29:20-ff).
His son, Manasseh succeeded him and reigned in Judah. Unlike his father, he is said to be evil. He rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah had destroyed (2Kings 21:3), erected altars for Baal, made an Asherah, worshiped all the host of heaven and served them (2Kings 21:3). He burned his son as an offering, used fortune-telling, omens, dealt with mediums and necromancers (21:6). Of course this was all condemned in the Covenant that the LORD had made.
Somehow the goodness of his father was lost on him, but the evil of his grandfather seemed to be his role-model. The deeds of parents often find consequences two or three generations later. Our legacy is not just our children but our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This seems to be part of what the LORD warned about when He said He would visit the iniquity of man onto the 3rd and 4th generation. In giving the 10 commandments God states concerning idolatry (such as practiced by 'grandpa' Ahaz): "You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exodus 20:5). Now the fruit of Ahaz's idolatry has been produced in Manasseh.
God specifically revealed that in judging people each person will be judged according to his own deeds. Ezekiel 18 specifically talks about the GUILT of sin not being inherited from father to son. He also stated that the RIGHTEOUSNESS of a person is also not inherited. Each will stand in judgment for his own deeds.
Consequences on the other hand can span many generations. Actions spawn ideas, concepts, and attitudes. Children are not raised ONLY by their parents. They are influenced by their peers and their extended family. The good influence of parents can be overshadowed by the ungodliness of grandparents.
