(The video is in French, with English subtitles available.)
Amon, a reminder of the severity of God
Manasseh repented towards the end of his reign. We can say it sincerely: good for him and glory to God! But unfortunately the damage was done, not only among the people, but in his own home, in his children.
Not only did Amon not walk in the way of the Lord, but we read that he “he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers” (2 Kings 21:22). To forsake something, one must have had something to do with it. Is it possible that Amon gave the appearance of following the Lord during his father’s lifetime? After seeing the radical change in the conduct of his father Manasseh, and after he had cleansed the city of all his idolatrous deeds, Amon may have followed his father when he worshiped the Lord—at least outwardly. If it were very sincere in Manasseh’s heart, it is obvious that Amon did not understand it, or did not want it at all! From the beginning of his reign, his true intentions, his true thoughts, manifested themselves.
It has been suggested that Manasseh himself prepared his sepulchre in his house in the garden of Uzza, for he did not feel worthy of anything else after all he had done. He had judged himself before God. Amon too was buried in the same place as his father, but it was the judgment of God that was on him. Serious thought.
If Manasseh reminds us of the unfathomable grace of God and his great patience, in Amon we are reminded of his severity. God is not mocked. God keeps “mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin”, but He is “by no means clearing the guilty”, and He is “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7).
We cannot ignore the influence that Manasseh had on his son Amon, but that does not diminish Amon’s responsibility. He had seen his father’s repentance, but unfortunately the things of God did not find a place in his heart. It reminds us of the importance of our actions before the children—our children—in view of their eternal future. Let’s bring them to the Lord! Yes, “Bring him to Me,” He tells us (Mark 9:19). “Let the children come to Me” (Mark 10:14).
This new video presents three lessons learned from the reign of Amon.