Manasseh’s son, Amon, became one of the more wicked kings of Judah. Manasseh’s repentance didn’t happen soon enough in his life to keep his son from following in his earlier wicked ways. But it was soon enough to save his grandson. Josiah, Manasseh’s grandson became one of the most righteous Kings in Judah. Some argue that he was indeed the most righteous.  He is still recognized as one of the most beloved kings in Israel’s history.

Boreham suggests that if you study the chronology, you learn that the last six years of Manasseh and the first six years of Josiah overlap; and the last six years of Manasseh were his repentant years, his godly years, his years of reform and contrition. He pictures the old king spending long hours with his small grandson, telling him, “Now, one day you’re going to be king. Don’t make the mistakes I did. From the beginning, serve the Lord.”  Josiah did!

But I’d argue that Josiah didn’t follow the example of his grandfather. He did a study of his own genealogy and chose which ancestor he’d follow. Our verse tells us who he modeled his life after. It says, “(Josiah)did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of David his father…” he chose to follow the man who had a passionate heart for God.

Max Lucado tells us, “God has not left you adrift on a sea of heredity. Just like Josiah, you cannot control the way your forefathers responded to God. But you can control the way you respond to him. The past does not have to be your prison. You have a voice in your destiny. You have a say in your life. You have a choice in the path you take.
Choose well and someday—generations from now—your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will thank God for the seeds you sowed.”

Chuck
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” 1 John 4:10-11(NLT)