Neither Before...Nor After!

     While it is so, what we normally (and rightly) believe when we proclaim that a son follows after his father and mother; namely that they have great, and even controlling impact on their habits and on their lives as they grow to adulthood - Hezekiah stands as one of but a few examples of how God can reverse that truth. Here Hezekiah was Judah's second righteous King, following after God with his whole heart, even breaking down the high places, throwing those things down even to the extent of destroying the cherished "Nehushtan"; the bronze serpent retained since the days of Moses (nearly 1000 years!) and used to "aid" worship. [That is another topic altogether by the way - that God rejects such a "aid' and condemns such "aided" worship as idolatry speaks volumes against Roman Catholicism and other modern forms of of Christianity that use like aids to facilitate their approach to God.]
     Likewise, Jonathan was a godly son from the loins of an extremely ungodly father, Saul. He stood by David in his youth and is commended by God for his spirituality and his desire to walk with the Lord.
     Back in 1 Kings 15:8-14, Asa, the son of Abijam, was Judah's first godly king, though he did not pursue with nearly the zeal with which Hezekiah pursued Him. His leadership in godliness was reserved and the high places were not torn down.
     Soon after Hezekiah came Asa (2 Kings 22:1-23:30) who lead Judah in a great spiritual revival. It was under Josiah that the Book of the Law was found and that Hilkiah, the Priest repaired the House of the Lord. True worship was restored and Josiah made a covenant with the Lord to follow after Him and keep all the Words of the Lord with all of his heart and should and strength. He brought the images out of the house of the Lord and destroyed them, defiled the high places, he defiled Topheth where the priest of Molech had made the children of Israel pass their sons and daughter "through the fire". He broke down the alter at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam, son of Nebat had made. He removed the bones in the tombs that were being worshipped and ground them to dust.
     Most importantly, he re-initiated the keeping of the Passover according to the command of the Word of God. 2 Kings 23:25 says there was no King like him in his "fierceness" (zeal) for God either before or after.
     Sadly, Verse 26 of that same chapter says:

     "Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 And the LORD said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’ ”

     God can change the heart and the disposition of the son, despite what the father is like! And praise be that this is the case! Were this not so - we would all be doomed to the dismal and downward spiral of sin that ultimately caused God to send both Israel and Judah into captivity.
     Fortunately - God intervenes for His children and for His glory's sake. He steps in and He does a work - He calls men to Himself and he deliver them from the just and normal results of their nature and the fruits of their sin. Thanks be to God!