In Ecclesiastes, one of Solomon’s pieces of evidence of the vanity of life under the sun—that is, a view of life without God in the picture—is that one may spend his entire life working wisely, diligently, and righteously only to leave it all behind for someone who has no heart for it.

On another occasion, he laments that a man may so work all his life, but who knows what the person who follows in his footsteps will be like?

The last two chapters of 2 Chronicles vividly illustrate Solomon’s frustration.

What a stark contrast between Josiah, king of Judah, and all his successors!

The summary of Josiah’s life in 35:25-27 reveals a man greatly appreciated by Jeremiah, the prophet, and all the people he ruled. Not only did he exhibit righteous leadership, but he was also deemed a man of good character, worthy of being enshrined in the nation’s laments.

In short, he was a worthwhile example for his successors to follow, leaving them a good legacy to live up to.

Within a few months of Josiah’s death, his twenty-five-year-old son Jehoiakim ascended the throne. At his age, he was old enough to recognize his father’s legacy, love for the Lord, and righteous leadership. But his eleven-year reign is summarized simply as “evil in the sight of the Lord.”

He was followed by an eight-year-old king who reigned for three months. How much damage could a child-king do? Well, enough to merit the same summary.

He was replaced by his twenty-one-year-old brother Zedekiah, who also “did evil in the sight of the Lord,” but in addition he “humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet.”

Sad, isn’t it?

Imagine the grief of the man of God, who witnessed firsthand the godly legacy of Zedekiah’s grandfather, but was so arrogantly scorned by the grandson.

Finally, the entire nation was overcome by the Babylonians, marking the indefinite suspension of the monarchy in Israel.

At this point, some would attempt to build a case against Josiah’s fathering. Surely, he might argue, if Josiah had only been as godly a dad as he had been a king, his kids would’ve continued his legacy!

That is an unwarranted conclusion to draw.

The Scriptures give us no insight into the manner of Josiah’s fathering. Instead, let’s focus on what we do know: the sons rejected the example their father left them.

Let’s put the responsibility where it belongs.

So in application, then, let’s be sure we’re leaving the right kind of legacy behind…the right pattern for those coming behind us. And let’s not throw up our hands in despair concerning the uncertainty of the future. Instead, let’s determine to do right in our lifetime and leave the responsibility for doing right on the shoulders of future generations.