2Ki 21:11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king (v.1). This means that he was born during the additional fifteen years extension that was given to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:6). Sadly, Hezekiah's prayer for more years to live brought about the birth of this wicked son. Those additional fifteen years brought Judah one of its worst kings. Hezekiah’s good and glorious reign was followed by one of exactly the opposite character. Manasseh, his son and successor, reversed his entire religious policy, and returned to the wicked practices of his grandfather Ahaz. He rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He also erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He desecrated the Temple of God by erecting altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the Temple (v.1-9). Manasseh did worst than anyone before him: “Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols” (v.11). What a contrast from his father. Hezekiah was the best of his kind (2 Kings 18:5) while his son, Manasseh, was the worst of his kind, even exceeding the Amorites who were the pioneers (v.11). We see that the good kings of Judah were very good while the bad kings were very bad. The climax of wickedness was reached in Manasseh. He had a good father, yet he outstripped in ungodliness all the kings before and after him. The question that comes into our minds is this: How could such a godly king like Hezekiah give birth to such an ungodly and wicked son? One reason I can think of is this: He lacked the godly guidance from his father. He became king at the age of twelve. It means he lost his father at a very young age. How could a twelve year old boy rule the kingdom? He was too young and vulnerable to be king. My guess is that he was depending on those around him to guide him. Were those “counselors” like Hezekiah? One lesson we can learn is this: A righteous father does not always produce a righteous child. Things are not so straightforward: godly fathers may not always produce godly sons while ungodly fathers may not necessarily produce ungodly sons. In the kings of Judah, we see godly sons from ungodly fathers and ungodly sons from godly fathers. Manasseh was one of the most wicked men mentioned in the Bible and, yet, his father was the godly Hezekiah. In contrast, Josiah was the son of an ungodly father (Amon) and yet, he stands out in Bible history as one of the most eminent kings of Judah (2 Kings 21:1, 2). Josiah addressed idolatry and made sweeping reforms (2 Kings 23). His grandfather was Manasseh. Many a godly parent has gone to their grave sorrowing over a child that did not turn out as desired. Is it always the parent’s fault? Well, not in all cases, as we see in the kings. Children sometimes forget their godly training and choose the path of ungodliness. Jacob and Esau were from the same parents. They had the same training. Unfortunately, Esau chose to be like the Canaanites. As parents, we must always remember that bringing up a child into this world is a great spiritual responsibility that demands much prayer, thought, and provision, both material and spiritual (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6). Yes, this is no guarantee that we will bring up godly children; but at least we can say we have done our part. We will be blameless in the Day of Judgment when we have done our best to bring up godly children. We need to be like Job who daily prayed for his children (Job 1:5).