12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 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. – Second Chronicles 33:12-13
Evil Ahab
A few days ago, we looked at the Ahab and Jezebel, the original Bonnie and Clyde. If you remember, God’s assessment of Ahab wasn’t so good.
33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. – 1 Kings 16:33
Ahab’s father was King Omri. According to 1 Kings, Omri did more evil than all the kings before him. And then came Ahab. As mentioned before, Ahab married the wicked gentile Jezebel who was steeped in idolatry and was infamous for her hatred of the God of Israel. They not only practiced and promoted idolatry but at every turn, they seemed to do something evil. Including murder. When it comes to leadership, King Ahab set a very low bar. But he was outdone by Manasseh who lowered the bar even more.
Evil Manasseh
Unlike Ahab, Manasseh had a godly example in his father. Manasseh was a son of King Hezekiah, who was a good king famous for his reforms as he tried to rid the land of idolatry. Unfortunately, King Manasseh undid many of his father’s works.
21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.” – 2 Kings 21:1-7
This account of Manasseh’s reign is appalling. Manasseh was not content to wallow in sin alone, rather he encouraged his subjects to do the same. He not only practiced idolatry, he promoted it and actually practiced it in the house of the Lord. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he actually burned his own son as a sacrifice to his idols. The text goes on to tell us that Manasseh was involved in the occult, using fortune-telling and omens and dealing with mediums and necromancers. Satan apparently had a firm grip on King Manasseh, and his evil provoked the Lord to anger.
9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel. – 2 Kings 21:9
16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. – 2 Kings 21:16
Manasseh was evil. He was cruel. He sinned against his Creator and encouraged Judah to do the same. He killed his son. He killed others filling Jerusalem with blood. Satan had him in his grips. But God wasn’t done with him.
Manasseh’s Entreaty
10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 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. – 2 Chronicles 10-13
The arrogant Manasseh was humbled. Captured and placed in chains, he finally comes to his senses. He doesn’t turn to Asherah. He doesn’t turn to Baal. He doesn’t consult the mediums or necromancers. No. In his distress, he humbles himself and entreats the favor of the Lord his God. Only God can free man from Satan’s chains.
God’s Condescension
During the Civil War era, E.M. Bounds was writing about prayer. His books are still popular today. One of his main premises was that our prayers are so powerful because they move the hand of our all-powerful God. I am not sure how that works with the sovereignty of God, but what amazes me about this account is that the prayer of Manasseh moved the heart of God. Look closely at the text. It says he prayed to God, and God was moved by his entreaty. Moved by the prayer of the wicked Manessah? Yes. As a king, Manessah may have set the bar low, but not to low for God to reach him. I am always amazed at the condescension of God. Most of us would have given up on Manessah. But not God.
Mannesah’s entreaty should be an encouragement to us. Despite his evil past, he had hope for the future. Although his sins angered God, his prayer moved God, and God acted on his behalf. Mannesah the idolator learned that the Lord was God. A God who is moved when we humble ourselves before Him.