Lesson 40: The Fall & Return of Manasseh

2 Chronicles 33

Never has someone fallen so far and come so far back as Manasseh.

As Hezekiah started his kingdom with great reforms - Manasseh started his with great retrograding

As great as his father was - so great was the wickedness of Manasseh.

As Hezekiah was faithful - Manasseh was unfaithful

As Hezekiah followed God with all his heart, Manasseh followed idols with all of his.

As Hezekiah depended on God - Manasseh depended on the flesh.

I. A VERY POOR START

A. His reign started in his youth

Power given to children is unwise. While a few others may have done well, it was mainly because of godly influences in their lives.

B. He had no godly person to guide him

It is very likely that his most godly influence had died, Hezekiah and while Isaiah may have been around - it would appear that Manasseh started following wrong influences shortly after becoming the king.

II. A GODLY HERITAGE

Proverbs 22:1 KJV

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Psalm 16:6 KJV

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

A. His father - Hezekiah - the greatest king of Judah

We just spent several weeks looking at his life, but let us sum it up with these verses:

2 Chronicles 29:2 KJV

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

2 Chronicles 31:20–21 KJV

And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

2 Kings 18:5–6 KJV

He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

B. His mother - Hephzibah - my delight is in her

2 Kings 21:1 KJV

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzibah.

This was a special lady very likely and a special name. The name is also used one other time in the Bible:

Isaiah 62:4 KJV

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

You may not have a godly upbringing - a normal childhood, but everyone of us can find a godly heritage today. We can sometimes find it in our immediate families and often in our extended families. More than that, everyone of us can find a godly heritage in the church and in the Word.

Psalm 37:4–5 (KJV)

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

III. THE BACKSLIDING OF A KING AND NATION

He is certainly a case study of debauchery. Going down the road of Romans 1 into deep depravity.

A. He did evil

2 Kings 21:2 KJV

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

1. He restored the high places

v.3

2. Altars to Baal

v.3

The Hebrew noun ba‘al means ‘master’, ‘possessor’ or ‘husband’; but in general Baal is a proper name in the OT, and refers to a specific deity, Hadad, the W Semitic storm-god, the most important deity in the Canaanite pantheon. They say the Baal confronted at Mt Carmel (1 Ki. 18) was probably Melqart, the god of Tyre. But either way, it was general term in the Bible as false god master that was worshipped.

The Baal cults affected and challenged the worship of Jehovah throughout Israelite history. One of his consorts was *ASHTAROTH, another *ASHERAH; and Baal is called the son of *DAGON. The texts reveal him as a nature deity; myths describe him in conflict with death, infertility and flood waters, emerging victorious as ‘king’ of the gods.

D. F. Payne, “Baal,” ed. D. R. W. Wood et al., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 108.

3. Made groves

v.3

4. Built altars to false gods in the temple

v.4

5. Installed many altars worshipping the hosts of heaven in the Temple courtyards

v.5 - notice it says “all the hosts of heaven”

He worshipped and served them.

And if he worshipped and served them - so did the people.

By the way, never follow leadership blindly. That leads to cults, and pride in those leader’s lives.

But where leaders go - the ignorant will follow - for better or for worse.

A president leads his nation, a captain his team, a sergeant his squad, a boss or leader his office or shop; a pastor his church, for better or worse, most will follow.

But let me challenge you all with something here or now. You need to have track record of following God regardless of leadership.

I’m not saying disregard leadership that is doing right, but when it is going the wrong way, or in error, or is overburdened and making mistakes, or seems to be lacking not realizing what is the matter - you be faithful.

Support good leadership and follow.

Encourage and exhort strained or lacking leadership.

Lift up the arms of weak or weary leadership.

Pray for and challenge bad leadership.

6. Made his son pass through the fire

v.6

Likely to the false god of Molech which was not uncommon practice in the region. It is one thing for the world to do such wicked deeds, but oh the horror of when God’s children do it - and especially their leaders.

I’m reminded of Joyce Meyers recently getting two tattoos at like 70 years old for the glory of God.

7. He wrought much wickedness into Judah

vv.6-7 say that he observed times - likely astrology

He used enchantments, familiar spirits and wizards - stay away from that stuff - (oh, but they are good wizards — I say, Oh, but calls it an abomination).

He even put a graven image of a grove in the temple.

v.6 says he wrought much wickedness, but notice wha vs. 9 shows us:

2 Kings 21:9 (KJV)

...Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

B. The coming judgment

2 Kings 21:10-18.

Now, it is important that we take note of 2 Kings 21:17 because it tells something important.

2 Kings 21:17 KJV

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

Now I know that not everything is mentioned about the kings in any of the Chronicles, but a whole other important part of the story is there in 2 Chronicles 33.

It repeats much of what just happened in the early part of the chapter but we will jump to verse 11-

2 Chronicles 33:11 KJV

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.

Which in turn led to:

IV. The Repentance of Manasseh

God sent the Assyrians against Judah and Jerusalem.

And Manasseh does the unexpected.

2 Chronicles 33:12–13 KJV

And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 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.

I get the chills concerning this, but did you know that it is part of Jewish history that says Isaiah was sawn in half by order of Manesseh. That he has his own children slain, we have already read that he did so wickedly that he was worse that that nations that were around them.

2 Chronicles 33:9 KJV

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.

A. He strengthened the wall of Jerusalem

v.14

and he appointed captains in the fences cities of Jerusalem

B. He cleansed and repaired the temple

v.15

C. The cost of his years backslidden

2 Chronicles 33:17 KJV

Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

Oh the cost of our lack of faith.

Oh the harm in our backslidden condition.

Oh the legacy it often leads to in the lives of others.

But oh, the hope that God gives to us all when we repent and turn back to Him in faith and dedicate ourselves afresh to His service. We can still make a difference.

Young or old, not matter how far you have gotten away from God, get back to where you need to be today.