When I read the story of Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, I want to ask the question: Really?  Did you really think that things would go well for you when you burned your child as an offering?  Did you really think that it was a good idea when you turned to fortune-telling, omens, and mediums?  Did you really think that these were positive additions to your country?  Did you seriously not consider the nation's past and look at the consequences that it faced when other leaders acted in similar ways?  It's not exactly hard to figure out how God might react to these and other actions.  I don't know if his father, Hezekiah, didn't train him in the ways of the Lord or if Manasseh was just too strong-willed.  Nonetheless, Manasseh brought destruction upon his people because of walking away from the ways of the Lord.  But beyond that, in exercising his "freedom" to be who he wanted to be (isn't that what people want to do today, too?), Manasseh really was enslaved to his sinful behavior, and his people were enslaved, too.  Do you want to be a part of a nation that sacrifices children?  Would you pass up the favor of the Lord so you could consult mediums and fortune-tellers?  The Israelites had nothing to gain and everything to lose.  Often we face the same thing.  We make choices that carry consequences – really there's not much to gain and a lot to loose.  The good news is that the Lord was willing to forgive the people of Israel just as much as He's willing to forgive us when we humbly return to Him.