Mercy for a Wicked King
Today the only appointment I had was with my fitness trainer this afternoon. That allowed me to get some work done outside, run some errand, get the pool and get some rest as well.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen. So He brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he sought the favor of Yahweh his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. He prayed to Him, so He heard his petition and granted his request, and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that Yahweh is God.” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 HCSB
There are no two kings who stand in greater contrast than Hezekiah and his son Manasseh. Hezekiah was one of the most righteous of Judah’s kings. Manasseh, the most evil. He also reigned longer than any other king of Judah, 55 years. It is believed that he reign as a co-regent with his father for ten years. This makes his turn to idolatry, even more disturbing.
Over half a century, the deeds of this one ruler set Judah on an irreversible course of judgment leading to captivity. Even though his grandson, Josiah lead a time of revival, the years of Manasseh could not be undone. We don’t know what drives the heart of a son as a ruler to live in such a contrast as his father; from looking at the pattern of kings of Judah and those who were good and those who were evil, a couple of observations come to mind.
1 – The influence of God’s prophets and priests. We see on several occasions that the key person was not the king, but the “power behind the throne.” If that power was good people turned to the Lord, if it was evil there was rampant idolatry and evil. We read of kings like Joash who was saved by his aunt during a purge of the royal family and hid in the Temple. There he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest. Joash served the Lord until Jehoiada died.
We can observe similar patterns of influence on the the kings of Judah. If they listened to the prophets and priests they were successful and righteous. If not they were evil and idolatrous.
2 – The presence of the righteous with the wicked. You can observe that righteousness has a constraining influence on wickedness and wickedness has a constraining influence on righteousness. What matters is who has the greatest influence on the leader and his heart. It probably took more time than it appears in reading the accounts, but it seems the reversal from good to evil comes much more quickly than turning from evil to good.
I would imagine that there were those, especially among the idolaters of the day who quickly looked for opportunities of influence of the a king. We read this description of Manasseh, “He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great deal of evil in the Lord’s sight, provoking Him.” (2 Chronicles 33:6 HCSB) All that his father worked to “tear down” he “rebuilt” and then some.
We see in Manasseh a response that stands in contrast to King Asa. That is the in spite of all his evil, the Lord was able to get his attention. It took drastic measures to humble him. Perhaps it was in reflection of his father’s cry to the Lord when given a “death sentence” – we don’t know. What we know is he sought the Lord in humility and the Lord brought him from captivity and restored his position and he came to know that “the Lord is God” and none other.
Manasseh made corrections and attempted to get the people to worship only the Lord. It proved “too little, too late” but perhaps is was what helped pave the way for his grandson, Josiah, to become a righteous child king.
Prayer to today…. “Lord make me mindful of the influence I can have on others for good or evil and the influence others can have on me. Keep me true to you and to always remember that You alone are God. Help me to remember that the life of righteousness and true in You is the best life.”
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