Second Chronicles 33:1

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 33:1-8, “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:[2] But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.[3] For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.[4] Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.[5] And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.[6] And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.[7] And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:[8] Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” Hezekiah was one of the best kings of Judah, and what he did for Judah was wonderful. But his son Manasseh was perhaps the worse king of Judah. Manasseh undid all that Hezekiah had done. We have seen the same thing in our country. We might get a leader with some common sense, but he or she is only there a few years. Eventually someone else comes along who wipes out all the good things. That is one of the benefits that we will have when Jesus comes back. He will be king forever, not for just a few years. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

The first thing said about Manasseh shows us that he brought in a lot of false religion. He tore down true religion, and he built up false religion. We see that among many of the leaders today. It does not end well. The false religion resulted in false ideas, and some of the false ideas are really terrible. False religion is made up of false teachings. Verse six says that this false religion instructed them to kill some of their children. It says in verse six, “he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom.” People do the same thing today with abortion and other kinds of child abuse, and trafficking of children, and transitioning of children. God had made such wonderful promises to Israel about the temple and about the land. How could they depart so completely from Him? We also had many blessings from God as He helped our founding fathers put together this country. How could our judges, and legislators, and presidents depart so far from God and from Christ and from the Word of God? It is such a sad commentary on human nature. But today is another chance to repent.

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 33:9-13, “So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.[10] And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.[11] Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.[12] And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,[13] And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.” Near the end of his life Manasseh became a good example of God’s mercy and grace. This was a wicked king. His wicked influence was so great that even when he himself turned to the Lord, it was too late to repair all the damage that he had done to the country. But the Lord was able to get through to Manasseh. It took getting Manasseh carried off as a prisoner to Babylon. But it worked. Manasseh finally suffered enough that he turned to the Lord for help. Some people will only seek God when they are flat on their back and can only look up. How merciful God is. That is what He is doing in the life of everyone on the earth because He wants to save everyone, no matter what sins they have done. Jesus loves to find sinners and save them. Jesus said, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Notice that it says in verses twelve and thirteen, “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,[13] And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.” That is how to get right with God. Realize that you need Him, and pray to Jesus the Savior.

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 33:14-19, “Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.[15] And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.[16] And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.[17] Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.[18] Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.[19] His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.” Manasseh fixed what he could, but notice that it says in verse seventeen, “Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places.” He could not fix everything because he did so much evil for so many years. But God did not forget the good that Manasseh did. That is why it says in verse nineteen, “His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.”

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 33:20-25, “So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.[21] Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.[22] But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;[23] And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.[24] And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.[25] But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.” Manasseh’s son, Amon, was twenty-two when he became king, but he was a very evil king. Evidently, he followed the example of his father’s evil years instead of the short time when Manasseh had turned to the Lord. But Amon did not last long. His own servants killed him when he was twenty-four years old. The land of Judah was fortunate because the next king was Josiah.

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 34:1-3, “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.[2] And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.[3] For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.” The earlier that someone turns to the Lord, the better. That is one reason that children need to be in a good Bible-teaching church. Josiah sought the Lord when he was eight years old. Jesus said, “Seek and ye shall find.” Twelve years later, by the time he was twenty years old, he was ready to accomplish things for the Lord. Young men can be very spiritual and very wise, ready to serve the Lord, especially if they start following the Lord at a very early age.

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 34:4-7, “And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.[5] And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.[6] And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.[7] And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.” Evidently, the most important thing that Josiah did was to get rid of false religion as much as he could. Get rid of false religion, false beliefs, and false teachings. That is what pleases God. Jesus had His harshest statements for those who were false teachers. Interesting that the false teachers of Jesus’ day used the Bible and studied the Bible. That is often the case. It is one of the things that deceives those that are naïve and not well-instructed in God’s Word. Today, people are going away from the churches, the Bible churches. Where did the church come from? Jesus created the church. It is His church. Jesus is the first to use the word “church.” It is God’s will that believers gather together in His name for singing, prayer, Bible teaching, fellowship, and showing Christian love. That is God’s plan and that is God’s will. If you are going to have the best spiritual life possible in the age in which we live, either become a part of a good Bible-teaching church or start one.

The Bible says in Second Chronicles 34:8-13, “Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.[9] And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.[10] And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:[11] Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.[12] And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.[13] Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.” This is an illustration that demonstrates the proper use of money. After your basic needs are met, one of the purposes of money is to use it to further the work of God. Many of God’s ministries involve having a building and all that goes along with that. Somebody has to pay for it. If you have a view to eternity and if you live for more than just this life, you will probably be involved in helping to pay for it. God loves a cheerful giver.

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