Topical Bible: Afflictions and Adversities: Manasseh

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Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah and Hephzibah, was the fourteenth king of Judah, reigning for fifty-five years, the longest of any king in the history of Judah or Israel (2 Kings 21:1). His reign is marked by significant afflictions and adversities, both for himself and the nation of Judah, due to his departure from the ways of his righteous father, Hezekiah.

Idolatry and Wickedness

Manasseh's reign is characterized by a profound spiritual decline in Judah. He is noted for his extensive idolatry, which included rebuilding the high places that his father had destroyed, erecting altars for Baal, making an Asherah pole, and worshiping all the host of heaven (2 Kings 21:3-5). He even placed a carved image of Asherah in the temple of the LORD, about which God had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My Name" (2 Kings 21:7). His actions led Judah into greater sin than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites (2 Kings 21:9).

Moral and Social Corruption

Manasseh's reign was not only marked by idolatry but also by moral and social corruption. He is said to have shed much innocent blood, filling Jerusalem from one end to the other (2 Kings 21:16). His practices included child sacrifice, divination, and consulting mediums and spiritists, provoking the LORD to anger (2 Kings 21:6).

Divine Judgment and Personal Affliction

The LORD spoke through His prophets, declaring that because of Manasseh's abominations, He would bring such disaster upon Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle (2 Kings 21:12). The LORD's judgment was inevitable due to Manasseh's leading the people astray.

Manasseh's personal affliction came when the LORD allowed the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria to capture him. He was taken with hooks, bound with bronze shackles, and led to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11). This period of captivity was a direct consequence of his rebellion against God.

Repentance and Restoration

In his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to Him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea. As a result, Manasseh was brought back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. This experience led Manasseh to know that the LORD is God (2 Chronicles 33:12-13).

Upon his return, Manasseh took steps to rectify his wrongs. He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem, and he threw them out of the city. He restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed fellowship and thank offerings on it, commanding Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel (2 Chronicles 33:15-16).

Legacy and Impact

Despite his repentance, the impact of Manasseh's earlier reign had lasting consequences. His son Amon followed in his footsteps, doing evil in the sight of the LORD (2 Kings 21:20-21). The seeds of idolatry and corruption sown during Manasseh's reign contributed to the eventual downfall of Judah.

Manasseh's life serves as a profound example of the consequences of turning away from God, the possibility of divine forgiveness, and the enduring impact of one's actions on future generations. His account is a testament to God's willingness to forgive those who earnestly repent, even after a life of significant transgression.

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2 Chronicles 33:12
And when he was in affliction, he sought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
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