Yet evil always lurks nearby. After Jehoiada’s death, Joash ungratefully turned against God and His priests. After military defeats and illness, Joash was killed by his servants (2 Chronicles 24:20-27). Judah’s next king, Amaziah, “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart” (2 Chronicles 25:2). He began well but became proud of his successes. His failed policies led to his assassination (2 Chronicles 25:14-28).
King Uzziah also struggled with pride. While he was faithful, God gave him victories. Thinking too highly of himself, he took over the role of the priests in the temple, whereupon God struck him with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16-23). Uzziah’s son Jotham reigned well. “But the people still followed corrupt practices” (2 Chronicles 27:2).
King Ahaz fell into the depths of depravity, even burning his sons as sacrifices to his gods. He closed God’s temple, filled Jerusalem with idols, and brought disasters on his nation (2 Chronicles 28). The next king, Hezekiah, immediately reversed Ahaz’ ungodly policies. Notice his priority: “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them” (2 Chronicles 29:3). He organized proper temple worship. “Thus the service of the house of the LORD was restored” (2 Chronicles 29:35). The people then went out and destroyed everything associated with idol worship—a case of removal coming after restoration. Though Assyria was at the height of its power, God kept Judah safe.
Every work that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. (2 Chronicles 31:21)
Despite the clear lessons of history, Hezekiah’s son Manasseh “led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:9). Manasseh burned his son in idol worship, filled Jerusalem with violence, and placed his carved idol in the temple—ultimate insults to God. God’s prophets declared,
Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations… therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle…. I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day. (2 Kings 21:11-12, 14-15)
The Assyrian army captured Manasseh, tortured him, and carried him into exile where he repented (2 Chronicles 33:12-16), but the damage had been done. Judah was doomed, and his son Amon, “incurred guilt more and more” when he became king (2 Chronicles 33:23-24).