Manasseh and Amon: First there was a good king who went bad and lost most of his kingdom (Solomon). The remainder of the kingdom (Judah) was ruled by good kings mixed with bad (Rehoboam to Jehoshaphat). The LORD kept faith with the Davidic house through the bad times, because of the Davidic promise. He continued to do so even through the very bad times when that house was allied with the house of Ahab (Jehoram, Ahaziah). By the time of Ahaz, however, divine patience was wearing thin. Hints that Judah would ultimately share Israel’s fate abound in 2 Kings 16–20, the deliverance of Jerusalem under Hezekiah notwithstanding. With Manasseh, God’s patience breaks, and hints of disaster give way to explicit prophetic announcements. Fifty-five years of the worst apostasy Judah has seen are just to…