what a fantastic blog

Matthew 1:10

"Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,"

Manasseh.  Became king at 12 years old.  Not a good seed.

Let's just bullet point this and make all our lives easier.

• Rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah had destroyed. 
  I looked up 'high places' in my concordance appendix and I found this interesting:
  The high places are places of idolatrous worship and child sacrifices.
  They were built by --> Solomon, Jeroboam, Jehoram, Ahaz, Manasseh, people of Judah, Israil and the Sepharvites
  They were destroyed by --> Asa, Jehosaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah
  
• Built altars to Baal (the most popular false god with the Canaanites)
• Made an Asherah pole (a sacred tree or pole that stood near shrines to honor the mother-goddess Asherah, per Wikipedia)
• Bowed down to and worshiped the starry hosts
• Built altars to all the starry hosts in the temple of the Lord
• Sacrificed his own son in a fire
• Practiced sorcery (defintion via merriam-webster dictionary: the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits)
• Practiced divination (definition: the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers)
• Practiced witchcraft (definition: the use of sorcery or magic; communication with the devil)
• Consulted mediums and spiritists
• Shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem end to end with that blood

Can you just imagine what God was thinking?  I just picture him shaking His head, almost in disbelief (ignore the fact that He already knew it would happen, haha).  But I do like when he says, "I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down."

It saddens me that he is in Jesus's family tree because I wouldn't wish that great great... grandfather on anyone.  But yet it is a little inspiring to.  If Jesus came from those bloodlines, then it gives hope to those who feel like they can't overcome their family's shortcomings.  And it also makes Jesus more human, because even though I know he was full human, it's just hard to believe sometimes.  I mean, I'm human, and sometimes, if I compare myself to what Jesus was... I just suck!

I'm very thankful for patience and understanding and love and grace and all of these wonderful gifts that God gives to us, ALL THE TIME!