I'm thinking about royalty today. And parenthood. I just finished some research on King Josiah and his great-grandfather, King Hezekiah. The Bible says this about Hezekiah … He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah, nor who were before him. Interesting, since it says exactly the same thing about his great-grandson, Josiah, whose reign began 46 years after Hezekiah’s ended. I don’t think there is a conflict here, though. I think both men were passionately in love with God, and relentless in their pursuit of righteousness, both personally and for the nation they led. Both men had evil fathers and inherited a kingdom steeped in idolatry and immorality. And both did everything they could to rid Judah of pagan worship, and restore the people to lives pleasing to the Lord. So, in my own little mind, I am content to believe they are simply tied for first place.
Except they weren’t. The greatest King in Israel’s history was undeniably David … a man after God’s own heart. Jewish tradition says, despite the hyperbole, Hezekiah was second. So, okay, we have a trifecta of really great Kings here. They are giants of the faith with a lot in common. None of them tolerated idol worship, and each reestablished obedience to God’s commands as the norm for making political decisions, and for everyday life in their kingdoms. All three were passionate about the temple: David wanted to build it, and both Hezekiah and Josiah repaired, rebuilt, and rededicated it after years of godless neglect. Oh, and one more thing … despite their passion for God and strength as leaders that placed them in the annals of Israel’s best, all three were really lousy fathers.
How can this be? Is this a case of PK Syndrome? You know, the difficulties for kids whose parent or parents were pastors, growing up with all the complications that come with being raised in the home of a prominent religious figure? So maybe we have PK Syndrome? Well, not exactly.
Hezekiah’s father was an evil, idol-worshipping, weakling who offered one of his sons by fire to the false god, Molech. He desecrated the temple and attempted to destroy any vestige of the worship of the God of Israel. His reign was a disaster for the Kingdom of Judah. Josiah’s father, Amon, also ranked among the evil kings of Scripture, though he was only a close second to his father, Manasseh, who has the dubious distinction of being the absolute worst King in Judah’s history.
David was not raised as royalty but rather as a shepherd, the son of Jesse who was a farmer and sheep breeder, and who appears to have been a follower of the God of Israel. Jesse had 8 sons of which David was the youngest. But as David’s story unfolds, it becomes clear that he was not highly regarded by Jesse, his father, or by his brothers. As the smallest and least attractive of the brothers, David was relegated to a lonely life on Judah’s hillsides as the keeper of the sheep.
Yet all three men overcame the effects of their upbringing to become Godly, passionate, powerful men who played prominent roles in the history of the nation of Israel. Remember the trifecta of really great Kings? However, when it came to raising their own sons, their glory begins to fade a bit.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Mr. Evil Himself, and runner-up Amon, Josiah’s father, was his grandson. Josiah went on to have four sons, all four of which were evil, selfish, idol-worshippers who were responsible for the eventual demise of the monarchy, the destruction of Jerusalem. and the final overthrow of the Kingdom of Judah.
According to the Bible, David had at least 19 sons. But, with the exception of Solomon, the standouts among them are only mentioned because of their very evil deeds. Son Amnon. raped his own sister and was killed for it by his brother, Absolom. Two of his sons attempted to wrest the kingdom from David, and Absolom tried to kill him.
And they are not alone in the list of bad dads. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all caused problems for their offspring through their deceitfulness and favoritism. Righteous Judge Samuel made his sons judges, even though the Bible says they did not walk in his [Samuel’s] ways they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
God sent a prophet to tell High Priest Eli, that his sons, both priests themselves, would die because of their evil ways. I could go on; the list is a long one.
So, where did all of these spiritual giants go wrong? I think the problems they faced are the same we all face today, maybe on a smaller scale, but equally perplexing. It was no easy job being king, especially when inheriting a kingdom filled with evil that had to be eradicated, and relentless enemies bent on your destruction. There were high places to tear down, battles to fight, and wars to win. And being a Patriarch, a Judge, or a High Priest were all extremely demanding lifestyles that required commitment and leadership. In other words, finding a work/life balance was a tough one.
Another pitfall that plagued many of our Biblical forefathers was favoritism. Isaac, Jacob, and Jesse, to name but a few, created toxic family rivalries because they blatantly favored one son over other sons.
Finally, although these courageous Biblical heroes were able to overcome monumental obstacles, win wars, and slay giants they were often not able to discipline their own sons. Samuel and Eli both knew that their sons were not following God, but rather than confronting the problem, they gave them positions for which they were definitely unqualified. The Bible clearly tells us that some of these men, even David, did not discipline their sons. In the Book of 1 Kings, we are told that David, slayer of bears, lions, and giants was afraid that discipline would ‘offend’ his children.
So, there you have it. Incredible, powerful, courageous, righteous men who found favor with God, and influenced the history of all of mankind were only human, after all. They may have saved the kingdom or won the war, but they fell victim to the same pitfalls we all face as parents. And even though we may never be called upon to save a kingdom or win a war, if we want our children to ‘walk in our ways,’ we need to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes those ancient fathers did.
Blessings and Shalom,
Issachar Community