2 Kings 21
Today's Passage: 2 Kings 21
Following the rule of Hezekiah we come to a new generation who had to make the choice for themselves to follow the Lord or to follow a wicked path.
King Manasseh decided that he would encourage the worship of false gods. He did more evil than the pagan nations that inhabited the land before him.
This rightfully led God to anger towards Judah, but He still sought to lead them to repentance. He sustained prophets like Hosea, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Isaiah who continually preached of the judgement that would come if they did not repent.
The punishment was logical: if they insisted on imitating other sinful nations, God would extend the same punishment to them.
In 2 Chronicles 33 we see Manasseh’s punishment come to fruition. When Mannaseh and the people did not listen to God, he was captured and brought to Babylon. He endured punishment for his sin.
But in the midst of his distress he humbles himself before the Lord.
Second Chronicles 33:13 says “He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”
For the last portion of Manasseh’s life he lived out his repentance. He took away the idols and altars to foreign gods and restored the altar to the LORD.
The life of Manasseh is a small picture of the life of Judah as a whole. They would time and time again choose wickedness, to look like the rest of the world, but God would lead them to Babylon and ultimately would use their punishment as a means to bring them to repentance.
Today, we too have a choice to worship the LORD or to be swayed by this world. When we turn to our own way there will be consequences and punishment for our sin, but God’s desire is to lead us to repentance and life.
How do you see the Lord mercifully leading you to repentance today?
Written By: Paulette Carwile
Following the rule of Hezekiah we come to a new generation who had to make the choice for themselves to follow the Lord or to follow a wicked path.
King Manasseh decided that he would encourage the worship of false gods. He did more evil than the pagan nations that inhabited the land before him.
This rightfully led God to anger towards Judah, but He still sought to lead them to repentance. He sustained prophets like Hosea, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Isaiah who continually preached of the judgement that would come if they did not repent.
The punishment was logical: if they insisted on imitating other sinful nations, God would extend the same punishment to them.
In 2 Chronicles 33 we see Manasseh’s punishment come to fruition. When Mannaseh and the people did not listen to God, he was captured and brought to Babylon. He endured punishment for his sin.
But in the midst of his distress he humbles himself before the Lord.
Second Chronicles 33:13 says “He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”
For the last portion of Manasseh’s life he lived out his repentance. He took away the idols and altars to foreign gods and restored the altar to the LORD.
The life of Manasseh is a small picture of the life of Judah as a whole. They would time and time again choose wickedness, to look like the rest of the world, but God would lead them to Babylon and ultimately would use their punishment as a means to bring them to repentance.
Today, we too have a choice to worship the LORD or to be swayed by this world. When we turn to our own way there will be consequences and punishment for our sin, but God’s desire is to lead us to repentance and life.
How do you see the Lord mercifully leading you to repentance today?
Written By: Paulette Carwile
No Comments