Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 33:1-20
Manasseh was the 14th king of the southern kingdom of Judah and was the son of King Hezekiah. His 55-year reign was the longest kingship in Judah's history, but it was characterized by a level of idolatry and corruption that exceeded the godless nations which God had driven out through the battles of Joshua. "And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel" (2 Kgs 21:2).
His reign was marked by Baal worship, worship of the stars, child sacrifice, cult prostitution, fortune telling, seeking to communicate with the dead, violence (cf. 2 Kgs 21). The sins of Manasseh's reign endured long after his death. Fifty years later, when Babylon invaded Judah and took people captive, in the first deportation, it was because of the sins Manasseh had reinforced (2 Kgs 24:3,4).
But the account of Manasseh is not only a story of extreme corruption … it is also a story of the grace and mercy of God. Through a humiliating defeat, by the hands of the Assyrians and a time of captivity, God opened the eyes and heart of Manasseh and the wicked king repented of his profound sinfulness. God forgave him and restored him to his throne (2 Chr 33;10-13).
Manasseh was a changed man and sought to reverse the sinful practices he had brought to Judah
(2 Chr 33:14-20). Such is the grace of God to the repentant. He truly forgives … meaning, He removes all penalty for sin. And the heart is transformed from a spiritual deadness to spiritual life. Manasseh was as depraved as a human being can be … and the grace of God produced in him a heart that genuinely pursued the righteousness of God.
