2 Kings 21 Amon
Amon reigns in the place of his father, Manasseh. He is twenty-two when he takes the throne and he turns back the clock on Judah.
Manasseh was a horrible king until the last years of his life. He met God while imprisoned and returned a changed man. He brought the people of Judah back to the Lord. But his son, Amon, had grown up under the evil practices of his father. When Manasseh dies, Amon returns Judah to idolatry again. Fortunately, his reign is short so the people are not entrenched in it again. Let’s rejoin our journey with the Spirit through the kings of Judah.
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“It’s about time!” thinks Amon as he is crowned in his abba’s place. He has been frustrated the last five years as Manasseh insisted that the people return to the Lord God of Israel. Aman is used to all the other gods that his abba used to serve. And he plans to bring them back!
Amon wastes on time at all rebuilding the altars of Baal and erecting the Asheroth poles. The people who were put down by Manasseh’s reform resurface as well. Within two months, statues spring up on all the high places and even in the courtyard of the Temple. It is almost as though the last five years didn’t even happen.
Amon even rules as his abba once did; through bribery and favoritism. He has no need of advisors to teach him the intricacies of the ‘bribe’ as he employed these quite successfully as a prince during the reign of his abba.
As the days roll on, the people of Judah get farther and farther away from the Lord. Those who have remained true to the Lord, even during Manasseh’s early, reign go back underground. Part of that underground are Amon’s own servants. A conspiracy begins to develop within the group of Amon’s servants.
“If we don’t do something to stop him, it will be worse than it was when Manasseh was king.”
“I don’t think I can go through that again! The smell of burning flesh still haunts my nightmares, along with the sounds of the children’s screams” offers one servant with tears filling his eyes.
“We will act before THAT happens again!”
After a year and a half on the throne, Amon begins to rebuild the altar in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. And one of his wives is nearing her time for delivery. Amon’s servants can see the writing on the wall. It’s now or never!
“You know that if this child is a son, Amon will throw him into the fire” says one servant while pacing the floor.
“We can pray that it is a girl.”
“That’s not good enough! At some point, he will have another son. And that son will be given to the detestable god Moloch.”
“What can we do about it?”
“We can kill Amon.” This is said by one of Amon’s closest servants. He has seen his master’s heart firsthand. “He will go farther than his own abba in serving the false gods if he is allowed to. It will be the ruin of Judah, and God will wipe us from the face of the earth; as He should.”
Heads nod all around. This is the only way. An unspoken question looms in everyone’s heart. “What if we are caught?” All quietly resolve that removing Amon from the throne is worth more than their own lives.
One question though does get voiced. “What if the next king is worse than Amon and Manasseh?”
“The next king will be little Josiah. I have seen his eyes as he followed his grand abba the last years of his life. I believe his heart if pure and WILL follow the Lord. I have also seen his fear when around his own abba. Praise be to God that Josiah had a godly example and is too old to be used as a sacrifice in the fire. Moloch likes them young.”
It is decided. Amon will die tonight upon his bed.
Amon is completely unaware of the plot that has been set in motion. He believes all his subjects and his servants are loyal to him. As he readies for bed, his servant brings him his evening wine. In it is mixed a sleeping potion. It is a small amount so that Amon won’t taste it.
Amon downs his wine in one long drink. Then he climbs into his bed. It is soft and luxurious, like any king’s should be. He begins to drift off right away. Within an hour, he is sleeping the sleep of the dead.
Amon’s personal servant tries waking him. When he can’t be roused, he quickly thrusts a knife into his side, piercing his heart. Amon doesn’t even move. Within minutes, the life has completely drained from Amon and lies pooled and absorbed into his bed.
Amon’s servant goes to his fellow in the conspiracy. “It is finished.”
“How did you do it?”
“I ran him through with a knife.”
“Why didn’t you hold a pillow over his face? No one would have been the wiser if there were no marks on his body. You could have said that he died in his sleep.”
“No. An easy death was too good for him. He deserved to have his blood spilt.”
“Someone is sure to search out the one whose hand did this deed. We need to get you out of here NOW.”
“NO. If confronted, I will say that I acted alone for fear for the child growing in his wife. Any with a heart will understand. I will NOT divulge your names. I will protect you with my life. This I swear.”
An investigation is indeed conducted when Amon is discovered. Amon’s personal servant is the first one questioned.
“How did someone slip past you last night and do away with your master?”
“No one slipped past me. I was afraid of my master’s state of mind. He is rebuilding the altar of Moloch so he can sacrifice his sons on the altar, as his abba did before him. I put the knife in him to protect the babe growing within his wife.”
“Did you act alone or were you part of a conspiracy?”
“I acted alone. I stole sleeping powder and put it in his wine last night. Then, as he slept, I ran him through with one of his own blades, which he has been using on God fearing people.”
Even though Amon’s servant tries to take all the blame, his co-conspirators are seen meeting with him several times before the murder. They are rounded up by the guards and brought to the garrison.
The people of Judah call for their deaths. The head of Amon’s guard has them beheaded in the city square before the people. Amon is buried in his own tomb in the garden of Uzza. Those who had killed him were thrown out for the birds to eat.
The people take Amon’s son, Josiah, and crown him king in his abba’s place. He is eight years old. The high priest himself takes on the task of raising Josiah in the fear and admonition of the Lord. To be the counsel that Manasseh never received.
(to be continued)
I wonder how long Josiah was alive during his grandfather’s reform. Would he have been a sacrifice if Manasseh hadn’t stopped Judah from going any farther? I believe there either had to be some overlap, or his mother shielded him from the evils of his father and grandfather. It isn’t surprising that Amon goes the way of his father’s beginning. That is what he knew growing up.
If I had been in the place of Amon’s servants, I would have opted for smothering him. We are not told exactly how he died, just that it was the result of a plot against him. The medical sciences probably were not skilled enough at that time to detect suffocation. I made it bloody for that very reason.
I wonder what I would have done in the days of Amon. Would I have protected the future children? Would I have stayed in hiding? I want to say that there is NO WAY that I would bow down to foreign gods, but I would have been raised in a totally different way. Only God knows what growing up in such a time would have resulted for me. I’m GLAD God placed me in this time in history.
Father God, THANK YOU for godly examples in Josiah’s life AND my own. Thank You for the parents You placed me with. THANK YOU for being Lord in my life. I cannot imagine living in any time or place that reviles You. But, even here in this country, that time is coming.
I want to pray for my nation and for it to turn toward You, but I also want Jesus to return SOON. I can’t have it both ways. It has to get HORRIBLE before Jesus’ return. I’m praying that those who will accept Jesus do so quickly so He can come. And, I KNOW that You are able to keep ALL those who call on You as Lord, safe during this time.
