The Revival of Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 34

Last week we looked at the life of King Manasseh-the longest reigning and most evil king in Jerusalem. His wicked ways influenced his people and his son to turn away from God and do evil things. When he humbled himself before the Lord, however, that also influenced his family and people. His people turned to the Lord as Manasseh tore down the altars and cleared out the House of the Lord. This redemption, however, came too late to influence his son, Amon.

In our own society this happens regularly. Perhaps a parent is an alcoholic or abusive. The child learns that about the parent and that's what they take from it. The child then must choose to walk in those footsteps or those of another. Statistics show that a recovering alcoholic must be clean for five years before anyone truly beleives them. People watch the person's actions to see if they truly are what they say they are.

This same thing is true to the redeemed. It is true that no one can walk so long in the darkness that he cannot come to the Lord. However, the longer someone has been walking in darkness, the longer it takes for others to believe a change. Even years after we are saved, those who knew us before our humbling might not believe that change. We must show it every day and live it every day.

Josiah, Amon's son and Manasseh's grandson, began his reign when his father died. He was eight years old at this time. This means he only saw the last six years of Manasseh's life. The part of his life that centered on God is what Josiah saw. Starting in his first young years, Josiah continued his grandfather's work of removing the dark altars. Josiah ordered the priests of the Lord to finish cleaning out the House of the Lord. In the long and wicked reign of Manasseh, the Word of God had been lost. The scriptures had been lost. The book of the Law was lost. Is it any wonder that the people of Judah were also lost on the wrong path?

Josiah wanted the Word of God found so the people could truly know what God had said to His people. When the Word of God was found, he ordered it read to him. Then, immediately, Josiah gathered the entire kingdom to hear the Word of God. This is an example of a good, strong, old-fashioned Revival. Josiah knew that only the Word of God would tell the people of Judah who there were and who they needed to be.

The point I'm getting at is that we can have a positive or a negative impact on others. Those who see our sins will remember them and see us that way. Our children see what we do as what we believe. If they see us doing things we know are wrong, they might choose to follow those actions. If they see doing what we know is right, they might choose to follow those actions. We can be either a stepping stone or a stumbling block. Josiah followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, choosing not to follow his own father's evil ways. We can only hope that our influence will be a positive one in the same way.