2 Chronicles 33 & 34

2 Chr 33
Alright, so I don't know what happened between Hezekiah and his son, Manasseh, but Manasseh did not follow the Lord or even his father, Hezekiah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, building back the high places, building other abominations, even practicing witchcraft. Israel became more evil than the nations that God drove out of the land of their possession (v9).

The Lord sent Assyria against Manasseh. By sight, if I were living at that time, it would seem that Hezekiah, a good king, and Manasseh, his evil son were to befall the same fate because Manasseh prayed and was delivered from the Assyrians just as Hezekiah. Just goes to show you that our God hears a humble heart (v12) no matter your past. From this point on, it seems that Manasseh had a conversion to serve the Lord and follow him.

Manasseh's son, Amon, suffers an even worse fate than his father for doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

2 Chr 34
Josiah, at 8, now becomes the new king. His does good and sets his heart to seek the Lord. He tears down the altars, Manasseh built and purged the temple. He then repairs the temple, and in the process finds money and the book of Law, both of which he purposes to serve the Lord. Hilkiah, the temple's priest, brings this to the attention of the King, and Josiah is so distraught by the idea that God's law has not been kept, that he tears his clothes, saying

"for great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book" (v21).

Josiah spoke to Huldah, the prophetess, and she laid all that god had planned for Josiah out. After hearing this prophecy from her, Josiah gathered all of Judah together to read from the word. He set his heart to keep God's commandments, and throughout Josiah's lifetime, the people did not turn from following the Lord.

Praise the Lord for examples like Josiah, who sought the Lord and followed his word! I pray that all might come to follow this word that is more sure than even a spoken word from God (2 pet 1:19).