Post by John on Apr 30, 2018 20:51:46 GMT -5
There are many people listed in the Old Testament that were King in Israel and Judah that did evil in the sight of the Lord. As a matter of fact, when the Kingdom was divided, there wasn't a single King that reigned over Israel that wasn't evil, although some were worse than others. In Judah, there were good kings and bad kings, which is why Judah survived longer than Israel. The King, whose reign was so bad, it led to the eventual downfall of Judah was a man named Manasseh. He wasn't the last King over Judah, and not long after him, one of Judah's best Kings, Josiah, would reign for 31 years, which delayed judgement. Still, this one man, Manasseh, was so wicked, the people's hearts were turned away from the Lord. He reigned over Judah for 55 years. Here is what the Bible says about King Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:1-10
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast our before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places, which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my Name be forever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two Courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a carved image (the idol which he had made) in the house of God, of which God had said to David, and to Solomon his son: In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name forever. Neither will I anymore remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole Law, and the statutes, and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. So Manasseh made Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to ere, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.
There were many wicked rulers in Israel and Judah, but I never read of any that did worse than Manasseh, with his laundry list of sins that he committed, and caused the people of the land to commit. It is like, he was a man who gave himself to evil completely. What stands out about this story is how it ends. First of all, the man reigned for 55 years. I can't think of any other King that served longer than he did. Why did God longsuffer with this evil man? The Lord did punish him for his sins. The Bible says that he was taken captive by the Assyrians where he was among thorns and bound with fetters. He would never listen to the prophets while he was in Jerusalem, but God's chastisement got his attention. The Bible says that he "Prayed unto him (God), and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him into his kingdom." The prayer of Manasseh is part of the Christian Apocrypha in the 1611 Edition King James Bible. Once he returned to Jerusalem, it says that "Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God." He changed his ways, and served the Lord the rest of his days.
The question that comes to my mind when I read this story is why would God have such mercy on him, after all he did? Other kings, like Saul for instance, did evil, but not nearly to this extent, yet they found no pardon. What was so special about Manasseh? I feel like the Lord did this to show us that even the worst of the worst can be saved if they turn to God with a whole heart. Remember that God is our creator, and he knows how we will react to our circumstances. King Saul never showed any true remorse, but only sorrow that God determined to remove him as King. There was no sign of any true repentance, only fear of how it would effect him. In the case of Manasseh, he wouldn't listen to the prophets until the chastisement came, and it wasn't until he called on God in his afflictions, and the Lord brought him out of bondage, that Manasseh knew that Jehovah is God. It is like he didn't really believe until then. He didn't see one god as different from another, so he served many idols. He didn't believe the prophets of God when they warned him, but once he saw the proof that the Lord is God, he changed his ways with a heart felt confession and came to true repentance.
I think of all the people I have encountered that think they can never be saved because of all the evil things they have done in their life. They were so bad, God would never save them. They think they must just wait to die and face the music, which is eternity in hell, but when you see this example of wicked behavior, and a God willing to pardon such a man, not under the New Covenant, but under the Old Covenant, you can clearly see that as long as you have breath in your body, there is hope. All you have to do is come to a place of true Godly sorrow, and the Lord will forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. If you are reading this, and do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there is no better time than now to make things right with God. Ask God to forgive you of your sins, and then ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you. Promise to turn your back on sin and serve him from this day forth. If he forgave King Manasseh, he will surely forgive you.
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast our before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places, which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my Name be forever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven, in the two Courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a carved image (the idol which he had made) in the house of God, of which God had said to David, and to Solomon his son: In this house, and in Jerusalem which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my Name forever. Neither will I anymore remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole Law, and the statutes, and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. So Manasseh made Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to ere, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.
There were many wicked rulers in Israel and Judah, but I never read of any that did worse than Manasseh, with his laundry list of sins that he committed, and caused the people of the land to commit. It is like, he was a man who gave himself to evil completely. What stands out about this story is how it ends. First of all, the man reigned for 55 years. I can't think of any other King that served longer than he did. Why did God longsuffer with this evil man? The Lord did punish him for his sins. The Bible says that he was taken captive by the Assyrians where he was among thorns and bound with fetters. He would never listen to the prophets while he was in Jerusalem, but God's chastisement got his attention. The Bible says that he "Prayed unto him (God), and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him into his kingdom." The prayer of Manasseh is part of the Christian Apocrypha in the 1611 Edition King James Bible. Once he returned to Jerusalem, it says that "Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God." He changed his ways, and served the Lord the rest of his days.
The question that comes to my mind when I read this story is why would God have such mercy on him, after all he did? Other kings, like Saul for instance, did evil, but not nearly to this extent, yet they found no pardon. What was so special about Manasseh? I feel like the Lord did this to show us that even the worst of the worst can be saved if they turn to God with a whole heart. Remember that God is our creator, and he knows how we will react to our circumstances. King Saul never showed any true remorse, but only sorrow that God determined to remove him as King. There was no sign of any true repentance, only fear of how it would effect him. In the case of Manasseh, he wouldn't listen to the prophets until the chastisement came, and it wasn't until he called on God in his afflictions, and the Lord brought him out of bondage, that Manasseh knew that Jehovah is God. It is like he didn't really believe until then. He didn't see one god as different from another, so he served many idols. He didn't believe the prophets of God when they warned him, but once he saw the proof that the Lord is God, he changed his ways with a heart felt confession and came to true repentance.
I think of all the people I have encountered that think they can never be saved because of all the evil things they have done in their life. They were so bad, God would never save them. They think they must just wait to die and face the music, which is eternity in hell, but when you see this example of wicked behavior, and a God willing to pardon such a man, not under the New Covenant, but under the Old Covenant, you can clearly see that as long as you have breath in your body, there is hope. All you have to do is come to a place of true Godly sorrow, and the Lord will forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. If you are reading this, and do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there is no better time than now to make things right with God. Ask God to forgive you of your sins, and then ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you. Promise to turn your back on sin and serve him from this day forth. If he forgave King Manasseh, he will surely forgive you.