Breaking The Ties That Bind

Ahaz had a son named Hezekiah who observed his father's practices while he was growing up in the royal palace. Hezekiah had seen some of his brothers and sisters burned to death as a sacrifice to the god Molech in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He had watched his father exhibit total disregard for the Temple. He had seen his father set up sacred places to unholy deities. Hezekiah observed it all

If Hezekiah were living today then we would say, "Poor child, he doesn't have a chance of making it. Look at the family he's from. That boy is destined to live out his father's wicked ways as sure as the world." God had other plans for Hezekiah and Hezekiah had learned the way that he should not walk and he set his heart to break the ties that would bind him.

When Ahaz died Hezekiah set a new course for the entire nation. In Chronicles 29:1-11 Hezekiah set the course for his tenure as King.

1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 3In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5and said: "Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD'S dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense." (2 Chronicles 29:1-11)

Hezekiah chose to break the chains that would bind him, enslave him, and sabotage the plans God had to bless him and make of him a blessing to his family, the Temple, and the nation. When Hezekiah grew up and became king he knew that he must break out of his father's shadow and renounce his father's ways.

There is a deep and profound lesson here for us. Children tend to repeat what they see. If a child grows up watching his father treat women with disrespect then the child grows to think that is the way a man treats the women in his life. If a child grows up watching his father abuse drugs and alcohol then the child grows up thinking that this is part of what it means to be a man. If a child grows up watching his father put himself, his job, his recreational activities, etc. before the interests of his family then the child grows up thinking this is part of what it means to be a man. If a child grows up never seeing his father humble himself before the Lord in prayer, never reading his Bible, and griping about attending worship then the child thinks that this is way a man is supposed to live his life.