From 2 Chronicles 32-34
Manasseh led Judah and Jerusalem astray. He undid all the reforms of Hezekiah. Established places of worship for foreign god’s. Particularly the Egyptian ‘host of heaven’. He even burned his own sons as an offering. He encouraged witchcraft and necromancy. He installed idols in the temple of the Lord. Defiling it. Can the LORD forgive a sinner as bad as this?
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
Several kings have passed. Some who do right in God’s sought, others who do evil. Manasseh is famous for leading the whole nation into evil.
33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.
3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6 And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
7 And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, 8 and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. (2 Chr 33:1–9)
Manasseh led Judah and Jerusalem astray. He undid all the reforms of Hezekiah. Established places of worship for foreign god’s. Particularly the Egyptian ‘host of heaven’.
He even burned his own sons as an offering.
He encouraged witchcraft and necromancy. He installed idols in the temple of the Lord. Defiling it.
The author tellingly recalls the LORD’s promise not to remove them from the land so long as they obey all his commands. He brings it up because they have not obeyed him and he will remove them. Manasseh is responsible.
10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.
12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. (2 Chr 33:10-13)
The LORD sent prophets but they were ignored. So he upped the ante and sent Assyria to invade.
Manasseh surprisingly turns to the LORD. Probably his last ditch effort. He humbles himself before the LORD and prays. The LORD was moved by his prayer and brings him back to Jerusalem.
Never doubt the LORD can forgive you, despite how LORD you may have sunk.
‘Manasseh knew the LORD was God’. The invasion and his answered prayer all convinced him off the LORD’s existence, holiness, power and compassion.
14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. 16 He also restored the altar of the LORD and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. (2 Chr 33:14-17)
After Manasseh repented and returned to Jerusalem he began to try and undo the horrible sins he committed.
But first he upgraded the strength of the city wall. A pragmatic decision considering Assyria’s recent invasion.
He removed the abominable practices he installed from the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem. Commanding the people to worship him.
The people do this but they still worship at the ‘high places’. Not at the temple (‘the place the LORD has chosen’) as commanded in Deuteronomy.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 19 And his prayer, and how God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and the images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers. 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house, and Amon his son reigned in his place. (2 Chr 33:18–20)
The passage ends with a good summary of the main events in his life. It’s helpful to note the influence the ‘seers’ had over him in getting him to humble himself to the LORD and pray.
Story of Israel
Near the end of the book of Kings, the author writes;
26 Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 And the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.” (2 Ki 23:26–27)
The author of Kings puts a lot of blame at Manasseh’s feet. Whereas Chronicles doesn’t. Chronicles shares his later repentance and humility. They are written for different purposes. Kings is explaining why Judah and Israel were sent into slavery. Chronicles on the other hand was written to explain the LORD is still faithful to his promises to his people and they should still have hope.
The addition in Chronicles is intended to encourage the people of Judah to remember God forgives those who turn to him in repentance and humility. If they do so he will welcome them back. They were sent into exile, perhaps they had returned. They needed encouragement.
Story of Jesus
Manasseh had done some really bad things. Sacrificed his sons, led the nation into idolatry. But he humbled himself before the LORD and he was accepted for his humility. It might be easy to think ourselves better than him. We need to beware possible pride and remember Jesus exalts those who humble themselves.
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk 18:9–14)
We should be grateful, despite all the sins Manasseh had committed the LORD was moved by his change of heart and humility.
Soon it might be us praying for the LORD’s forgiveness.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2016. All Rights Reserved.
