Leaving A Legacy – Find Us Faithful

Researching the story behind the musical, one must read the original in 2 Chronicles 33-34 and 2 Kings 21-23.

 

Josiah is a third generation king who returns Jerusalem once again to the One true God that his grandfather Manasseh humbled himself to. Manasseh had started out poorly. He brought in idols from foreign lands, led the Israelites astray. God tried many times to reach Manasseh and the Israelites, but Manasseh would not listen. So eventually, God sent the Assyrians in to attack Jerusalem. In his distress, Manasseh cries out to the Lord. He repents and restores Jerusalem back to serving the One true God. Upon his death, his son, young King Amon, ascends to the throne, but unlike his father before him, Amon never humbles himself before the One true God. He was so rotten and cruel and mean, that eventually his own men attacked and killed him. The only one left to fill his shoes was an 8 year old boy, King Josiah.

King Josiah had watched his father and all of King Amon’s ways. Josiah decides he needs to be better. Throughout the next 31 years of his reign, Josiah returns Jerusalem back to its rightful place, getting rid of all the idols King Amon had the people worship and led the Israelites back to the heart of God, the One true God.

As a parent, I watch this play under production and think about how many times this type of scenario played out in the old testament. The children of Israel went back and forth, generation after generation. There would be high points and low points. When fathers led their children in the ways of the Lord, for the most part, it carried on to the next generation. But there were low points too when one generation chose to be led astray and after a few generations, the people had forgotten, once again, about God and His ways. In every one of these scenarios, God never leaves. He’s always there and orchestrates awesome events to turn their hearts back to him.

The same is true for us today. Our children watch us. Even though we follow the One true God, there are low points in our lives as well. Even though we can’t see it when in the middle of it, God is at work orchestrating awesome ways to show His love for us and bring us back to Him. Our children watch us closely, each and every day. Will we leave a legacy one day that will cause our children to follow in our footsteps and worship the One true God, or will we be remember as a “bad bad King,” like King Amon. I’d rather be remembered as a Josiah, wouldn’t you?