Manasseh’s Choice

Every individual has to decide for themselves whether they are Going to serve God or not.  Hezekiah’s father had been a wicked king who closed up the temple and promoted idolatry.  Hezekiah was exactly the opposite, doing his best to serve God in every case.  His son Manasseh chose to emulate his Grandfather, Ahaz, Rather than his father, as II Chronicles 33:1-9 explains. 

“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 out 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 for ever.  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 for ever:  Neither will I any more 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 err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.”

Manasseh out did even his grandfather, chasing false religions.   The more outlandish and weirid they were the more involved he became, rebuilding all the altars and places of worship had set up.   Instead of closing up the Temple, he set up altars to other gods in the courtyards, and set up an inside, in the place God had reserved for himself.  He even went so far as to sacrifice some of his children in th fire to Molech and followed the horoscope, the almanac, and different astrologers.  Under his leadership, Judah and Jerusalem were even more ungodly than the heathen they had replaced.   

God intervened to get Manasseh’s attention, as II Chronicles 33:10-13.  “And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.  Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.  And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.” 

Manasseh ignored God’s warnings, so He sent the Assyrians against him.  They carried him away to Babylon in chains.  At the time Babylon was just a minor province of the Assyrian Empire.  Being a hostage and slave shook Manasseh up, and he began to seek the Lord, asking forgiveness for his sin.  God is a forgiving God, and forgave him, freeing him to return to Jerusalem. 

Manasseh’s repentance was sincere as II Chronicles 33:14-17 makes very clear.  “Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.  And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.  And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.  Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.”

After his conversion, Manasseh did everything he could to undo the evil he had done, destroying the altars he had rebuilt, and removing the altars and the idol from the Temple.   He banned the other religions, and re-established the worship of God according to God’s commands.  Unfortunately, he was never able to completely eliminate the false doctrines.  Though they were worshipping God, the people did not always do it according to God’s command, going to the high places and groves, rather than to the Temple as God had commanded. 

God is a forgiving God, able to forgive and bless even those who have deliberately rejected him.  Manasseh was blessed with a fifty five year reign.  Unfortunately, forgiveness doesn’t eliminate all the consequences of sin, and while the people turned to God, they clung to some aspects of the false religions, worshipping God in ways he had forbidden.   His son Amon never turned to God, as II Chronicles 33:20-25 shows. 

“So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.  Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.  But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them; And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.  And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.  But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.”

Amon learned Manasseh’s ways as a child, and unlike the rest of Judah, he clung to the example his father had originally set.  Many times those who have been closest to us, our children are the hardest to reach because they have learned to copy us too well.  They may choose to continue to follow the path we set for them.  The consequences of our choices can have serious effects on those we love.