Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 21
Amon’s father, Manasseh, had served false gods for much of his life. Near the end of his life, Manasseh turned to the true God. He then tried to oppose the evil religions that he had formerly supported (2 Chronicles 33:10-19)
So, for a short period of time, Judah’s people turned back to the true God. That period ended suddenly with the death of Manasseh. Amon, Manasseh’s son, was as evil as his father had originally been. Amon’s rule was short, but terrible. His own officials hated him.
As king of Judah, Amon tried to turn the nation back to the evil religions that Manasseh had followed. He re-established the places where people prayed to false gods; and he brought back the idols (images of false gods).
As his father had done, Amon used the temple (God’s house in Jerusalem) for these wrong religions. Manasseh had removed the image of the female god Asherah that he himself put there (2 Chronicles 33:15). Amon put it back there. He also permitted men to use buildings round the temple for sex with boys and young men. They did this probably in honour of the false god Baal (23:6-7).
Amon had many false gods, and he joined in the ceremonies of many different religions. He probably considered these gods to be sources of power in the spirit world. The religions of these gods seemed to be the way to please these gods and therefore to receive power from them.
However, there was one religion that Amon would not follow. He could see that the religion of the true God was the opposite of all his wrong religions. Therefore, Amon refused to obey God’s law. He turned completely against the true God.
Next part: The death of Amon (2 Kings 21:23-26)
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