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The Unfinished Story of Manasseh - 2 Kings 21
The Unfinished Story of Manasseh - 2 Kings 21
As you read the story of king Manasseh, you will see that he was an ungodly man. He rebuilt the idolatrous high places that his father had destroyed, he erected new altars for Baal and Asherah, and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He even built altars in the house of God for these pagan idols and set a carved image of Asherah there. He practiced witchcraft and divination. He sought guidance from mediums and spiritists. Twice it simply states that he did evil in the sight of the LORD (2K. 21:2, 6).
For all this evil, God pronounced the coming judgment by the Babylonians, which took place in three stages beginning in 606 B.C. and culminated with the complete destruction of Jerusalem.
Yet, our reading from 2 Kings is NOT the whole story. Often people will take only part of what God says and draw final conclusions. We can see this in the life of Manasseh as it is retold in 2 Chronicles. There we see him being taken as a captive to Babylon. While in Babylon, he repented and turned to the LORD (2C. 33:11-13). For this he was allowed to return to Jerusalem. Upon his return, he put an end to idolatry there (2C. 33:15-16).
Can a wicked man repent? Manasseh did. Can an idolater turn from idolatry and serve the true and living God? Not only did Manasseh do this but also the Thessalonians of the NT did it (see 1 Thess. 1:9-10).
It may take extreme circumstances before some people repent. Yet, God sees, hears, and forgives. Whether it was the Jews in Jesus day, the pagan philosophers of Athens, or even the unfaithful churches of Asia, God commands those in error to repent (Mark 1:4, 15; Acts 17:30; Rev. 2 - 3).
If you have done evil, even as much as Manasseh did, you can yet repent and find forgiveness with God. God is willing, are you?
Hugh DeLong
