Like father like son?

Today, we read of the religious reform by Josiah in Judah (2 Kings 23:1-28). We have briefly gone through a king list of Israel. It is high time we took a look at the kings of Judah.

Last time, we finished at Joash, king of Judah. After him, Judah had Amaziah, Azariah (Uzziah), Jotham, Ahaz before Hezekiah in whose reign, Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. Before the conquer, Israel formed an alliance with Syria to ward off the invasion of Assyria. They wanted Judah to join as well. Ahaz refused and the Syro-Ephraimitic war was fought. It was at this time that Isaiah made the famous Immanuel oracle (Isaiah 7:14). Notice that Ahaz refused to demand a sign from God for an assurance.
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,
"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." (Isaiah 7:10-12)
Nevertheless, God gave him a sign. A son was born to him and it was Hezekiah. He was the Immanuel. Later, Matthew took this oracle out of context, re-packaged and applied it to Jesus (Matthew 1:23).
In Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib, king of Assyria invaded Judah with a huge army (2 Kings 18:13). Hezekiah prayed to God in the Temple. God heard his prayer and sent Isaiah to console him. Then, God saved Judah by killing 185,000 Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35). Later, Hezekiah fell sick. He cried to God. God extended his life for 15 years (2 Kings 20:6). God sent Isaiah to inform Hezekiah of His decision. Unlike his father, this Hezekiah asked a sign from God!
And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?" (2 Kings 20:8)
Hezekiah was not a smart king. When Babylonian diplomats visited him to inquire about his health, he showed them everything in his house, his armory, his storehouses and his realm (2 Kings 20:13)! Isaiah appeared again to scold him for his stupidity and predicted the Babylonian Exile. Guess what Hezekiah's reaction was.
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?" (2 Kings 20:19).
In the eyes of the Deuteronomist historians, Hezekiah was already a good king because he did not rely on political alliance with Egypt!
Unlike his father Hezekiah, Mannaseh was very evil in the eyes of the Deuteronomists. He restored all the idolatry practices.
And he burned his son as an offering, and practiced soothsaying and augury, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger (2 Kings 21:6).
Amon reigned after Mannaseh for only two years and he was as bad. Amon was assassinated by his servants and the people made his son Josiah king. Josiah was only eight (2 Kings 22:1).
In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, Hilkiah the high priest 'discovered' the book of Law in the Temple (2 Kings 22:8). When the book of Law was read to him, Josiah was so moved that he rented his clothes (2 Kings 22:11). The prophetess Huldah was consulted (2 Kings 22:14). She predicted the destruction of Judah and the exile. But because of his penitent heart and humility before the Lord, Josiah would not see the evils she predicted (2 Kings 22:20). Then Josiah began a series of religious reform in Judah (2 Kings 23:1-28). Josiah was a good king religiously but not militarily.
In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him; and Pharaoh Neco slew him at Megiddo, when he saw him (2 Kings 22:29). What a pity! His untimely death rendered the religious reform he started half-baked. The fate of Judah was sealed.
What can we say about these kings of Judah? My only conclusion is that 'Like father like son' is not always true, at least as far as kings are concerned. We are independent individuals. God deals with us according to what each of us does.

My Advocate, I pray that my children walk in Your path of truth. My actions and sins certainly affect them. But I am confident in Your righteousness. Let not my punishments harm them. Amen.