INTRODUCTION

1. Character studies teach us truth from the real-life experiences of other people.

2. Presently, let us consider the story of Manasseh, who was an exceedingly wicked king in Judah.

    

THE CORRUPTION OF MANASSEH

1. Manasseh reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

   1. Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah, who was a good king over Judah for twenty-nine years (2Chron. 29:1-2).

   2. Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned longer than any other king over Judah (2Chron. 33:1).

2. Manasseh's sins were many and grievous.

   1. Consider the list of Manasseh's sins from 2Kings 21:2-8, 16, and 2Chronicles 33:2-8.

      1. He rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

      2. He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

      3. He sacrificed his sons by burning them in the valley of Ben-hinnom.

      4. He practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists.

      5. He put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God.

      6. He "shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord" (2Ki. 21:16).

   2. The extent of Manasseh's wickedness is given in 2Chronicles 33:9, which says, "Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel."

3. In the end, Manasseh repented, but the nation remained corrupted.

   1. Because of the wickedness of Manasseh and the nation of Judah, God declared through His prophets that Jerusalem and Judah were to suffer the same fate as Samaria and the house of Ahab, which was destruction through their enemies (2Ki. 21:10-15).

   2. Manasseh himself was captured by the Assyrians, which led to his repentance (2Chon. 33:11-16).

      1. He was led away in chains and a hook in his nose.

      2. Notice verse 12 -- When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.

      3. When Manasseh prayed to God, God returned him to Jerusalem, and then "Manasseh knew that the LORD was God" (v. 13).

      4. Manasseh fortified Judah against the Assyrians, removed the altars and idols that he had set up, sacrificed to God, and "ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel" (v. 16).

   3. Manasseh was changed, but the corruption brought upon Judah by Manasseh remained.

      1. The "people still sacrificed in the high places, although only to the LORD their God" (2Chron. 33:17).

      2. When Amon, Manasseh's son, became king, he did evil just as his father had done before, and he never humbled himself as Manasseh had done (2Chron. 33:21-23).

      3. Many reforms were made under Amon's son Josiah, but God's wrath was never turned away from Judah.  Notice these passages:

         1. 2Kings 23:26 -- However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.

         2. 2Kings 24:3-4 -- ³Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, ⁴and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive.

         3. Jeremiah 15:4 -- "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem."

             

APPLICATIONS

1. We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

   1. Manasseh had authority as king, but the people of Judah were responsible to the higher authority of God to resist and reject Manasseh's corrupt leadership.

      1. The Scripture in 2Kings 21:7-8 recalls the covenant God made with David and Solomon when He said,

         ⁷..."In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.  ⁸And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them."

      2. Notice 2Kings 21:9 -- But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.

      3. Similarly, notice 2Chronicles 33:10 -- The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.

   2. This type of responsibility was expressed by the apostles when they told the Sanhedrin, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

   3. Likewise for us, we must obey God in every situation regardless of those who is in authority over us.  If our leaders counteract the word of God, then we must counteract them.

2. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people (Prov. 14:34).

   1. The principle of Proverbs 14:34 is universally applied to all nations.

      1. The idolatrous ways of the Amorites and other peoples that possessed Canaan led God to drive them off of the land.

      2. Judah was not exempt even though they were the chosen people of God.  Their sin was a disgrace, and they received the same punishment as the Amorites.  This fate was set by the warning given in Leviticus 18:24-28.

   2. Neither the United States nor any other nation is exempt from God's law today.

      1. If any nation is immersed in sin, then it is a disgrace to it, and punishment is certain to follow.

      2. Psalm 9:17 says, "The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God."

3. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2Pet. 3:9).

   1. Despite the great wickedness of Manasseh, God patiently waited for his repentance.

      1. God allowed Manasseh to reign longer than any other king in Judah, yet Manasseh's reign was evil.

      2. Perhaps we would have expected God to end Manasseh's wicked reign sooner, but that would have ended Manasseh's opportunity to repent prematurely.

   2. The patience of God with Manasseh proves that He will be patient with sinners today.

      1. Manasseh, like the apostle Paul, did tremendous evil.  Paul said of his own situation, "Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life" (1Tim. 1:16).

      2. Through Manasseh, Paul, and our own experience, we learn to "regard the patience of our Lord as salvation" (2Pet. 3:15).  Let us therefore respect and share God's patience with unrepentant sinners today, and let us pray that they will turn to the Lord.

4. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation (2Cor. 7:10).

   1. When Manasseh was captured by the Assyrians, he was in misery. Even so, it was this experience that drew him to God.

      1. In the midst of his distress, Manasseh humbled himself and prayed to God.  It was only then that he came to revere the Lord as God.

      2. If he had never been captured, then Manasseh never would have changed.

   2. Godly sorrow is not pleasant for anyone, yet it is necessary, and it can lead to salvation.

      1. Paul was not happy that the Corinthians were sorrowful, but he rejoiced that they were made sorrowful to repentance (2Cor. 7:8-9).

      2. So it is also for us and all men, for sorrow can lead to joy if it is godly sorrow.