2nd Chronicles 33 WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! The writer of Chronicles had in mind, guided by the Holy Spirit, the danger of following generations to forget the lessons to be learned from those who lived before them. References are made from time to time of what "his father" had done and why. Manasseh (one who forgets; forgetting) had been sharing in leadership with his father, Hezekiah, for a number of years and had seen the value of being humbled before God happen right before his eyes. Probably during the last ten years of the fifteen years extension of Hezekiah's life, he had seen the way a repentant humbled man served God, and the people honored his father. In the arrogance of his heart, when his father was gone, Manasseh followed the example of his evil grandfather Ahaz, rather than the goodness of his father.
There is something strange about human beings in that it is not uncommon for us to want to change things to suit ourselves, rather than follow the tried and proven ways of godly people who in the simplicity of their faith, follow God. There are attempts to use verses of scripture from the Bible to justify evil intent, and by taking verses out of context, adapt them to one's own personal opinions. This attitude has led to an unusual, and evil, philosophy that says, "Your truth is truth for you, and my truth is truth for me." So, truth then is simply relative and is what each individual says it is. To many people, there is no absolute truth nor standard of righteousness. Ungodly attitudes and actions follow, and chaos in personal lives follows that. It is inevitable that when such an opinion becomes popular, whole societies and nations will disintegrate from within.
Under the morally and spiritually deteriorating reign of Manasseh, the downward trend towards the righteous judgment of God falling on His people because of Manasseh's sin and the sin of the people accelerated. A strange fascination with the occult, demons, sorcery and looking for omens in the stars became prevalent. It is similar to our day in which people put stock in horoscopes, reading tea leaves and the palms of peoples' hands to get what they think is some insight into their future. Even the games that children play on their computers have demonic figures seeking to kill the opposition and gain victories. Tattoos people put on their bodies depict skulls, demon faces and other forms that have dark connotations. Unfortunately, some believers think they increase their Christian testimony by putting tattoos of scripture, the cross and other so- called Christian symbols on their bodies. That only identifies them as part of the present culture.
We would abhor the thought of making "children pass through the fire," but in our day and country millions of children are aborted and burned before they have an opportunity to exercise their own rights, because parents don't want a child to interfere with their own personal lifestyle. The pain of a child's life being taken from them is not even considered by self-centered, pleasure-seeking adults. The attitudes and actions of Manasseh are being practiced now. Why is this so prevalent and acceptable by so many? It is because the moral and spiritual standards of those who lived before us are considered "old-fashioned and out of date" and so are rejected. The attitude now is, "Everyone is doing it except for a few old people and religious fanatics. If the majority accepts it and practices it, it can't be wrong. After all, the majority rules."
The sins of Manasseh were sickening. As a corrupt leader he was close to the top of the list. He not only did what was wrong and promoted the wrong by making idols, high places, and debased living, but he took steps to demean the worship of the True God and desecrate the house of God. He was not content with promoting evil. He wanted to remove what was righteous and holy. People who complain that everyone should be tolerant of everything and everyone, whether it be law breakers or religious activities, are very intolerant of Bible-believing Christians who hold to the standards of divine, God-given law. For us to hold to the standards of the commandments of God and preach them, angers many people. Guilt is something they want eliminated. By rejecting anything that produces guilt such as the Ten Commandments, the teaching of Jesus and the preaching of the Gospel, people think they can live free and happy.
When restraints are removed from a society, deterioration quickly sets in. It starts when restraints are removed in homes and children are allowed to do what they want. Then in schools there is very little respect demanded from students and hardly any consequences for their misbehavior. Parents even support their children when the evidence is there that they have done wrong. Soon they will practice unrestrained use of alcohol and drugs. And then they resort to criminal behavior in the community to support their lifestyle, even to rioting against the police and legal authority. In the workplace the limitations and expectations put on employers makes it very hard for a small businessman to maintain a profitable business.
In Manasseh's day warnings were given by prophets to the leaders and the people as to what was going to happen if they did not repent and turn from their sinful ways. But those warnings were either ignored or rejected. Prophets were killed, mocked, scourged and imprisoned. They became "destitute, afflicted, and tormented." The world was not worthy of such people. When we have done what we can to stem the tide of wickedness, we can only wait for God to act in His own way to bring judgment and justice. Manasseh's sins were great and the abominations he committed and instigated, had a bad effect on others so that they too rejected God's messengers - and then God Himself. The Assyrians who were the mighty power at that time, were moved by the Lord to capture and take Manasseh to Babylon for trial. He had a nose ring of humiliation and the shackles of bronze on his hands as he was led away from Jerusalem.
In mercy and grace, God brought Manasseh down to the bitterness of captivity and humiliation to the place of repentance and supplication before God. God heard his prayer and in God's own way, He brought him back to Jerusalem again, a better man. What a changed man he had become! He went from being an arrogant, evil ruler, to a captive in chains. But when he came back even though he was well up in years, he was a humbled and much wiser man. When God deals with us, it is our greatest wisdom to humbly wait upon Him in faith, and if repentance for sin is in order, do not wait for a better time. "I now repent with bitter tears; Lord I'm coming home."
Manasseh had likely about ten years of sharing leadership with Hezekiah from the age of twelve to twenty- two. Then there was forty years approximately of wicked and ungodly leadership and the sickening actions of idolatry. The people were influenced by his leadership to practice what God opposed and to do that which was against God's word. They blended the worship of God with paganism which resulted then in confusion and sin and still does today. Even though Manasseh had about five years to rule after coming back from Babylon in which he brought about good reforms by rejecting what he had practiced previously, there were still the consequences of his previous actions which were not removed.
How wonderful it is of God to demonstrate His grace and mercy to one so vile and evil as Manasseh. We are able to encourage those in the bondage of sin that "There's a way back to God from the dark paths of sin. There's a door that is opened that all may go in. At Calvary's cross is where you begin, When you come as a sinner to Jesus." For every believer we need to take our stand at the cross and glory only in the cross. "Jesus keep me near the cross," is a wonderful safeguard which will keep us humbled. Manasseh never forgot his humbling conversion experience, and must have felt unworthy of being buried with other kings, so was buried "in his own house."
His son Amon had only two years to reign and seemed determined to undo the reforms his father had made during the last years of his leadership. In two years of deliberate rejection, he did the same things his father did before he was humbled and converted. He knew what his father was like in earlier years and seemed fascinated by the evil his father had promoted. It is not good for those God saves from the dark side of life, and from the powers of darkness, to tell their children of their evil exploits in their unsaved days. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Amon's death by assassination at the hands of his own servants, testifies to what this young arrogant man of twenty-four was like. Those who knew him best wanted him dead. They saw the kind of man he was or had become, and recognized that under his leadership things would deteriorate "more and more." People are not dumb. They know when a leader has gone too far and what will happen to them when evil goes unchecked. The lack of humility in a leader may seem to be allowed for awhile, but "payday someday" always comes.