2 Kings: Ear Tingling Disaster

Introduction

Open if you are willing this evening to 2 Kings 21: 2 Kings 21 and we will look at verse 1 - 12.

So far we have seen that God has restrained the evil in Judah

Isreal, the 10 northern tribes have all ready been carried away in captivity and they will never return

The Lord leaves Judah to there own devices and they follow Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah.

Probably reined with Hezekiah for 10 years at co-regent [1]

“Manasseh” the most wicked king

RC Sproul comments. “Manasseh presides over the worst period of infidelity in Judah’s history. The reforms instituted by Hezekiah are reversed by his son. Manasseh also introduces pagan elements into Judean worship that have no precedent in the history of monarchy before him” [2]

“Manasseh” was a young man of 5 or 6 when the the healing of Hezekiah took place

He had seen the LORD’s Power

The regenerate mind has trouble grasping the depravity the is int he heart of man

We know our own depravity but we are subjective creatures and we view that depravity as alien to us

It is easier for the elect to identify with stories like Ezra being broken over the sin of Israel, the we will get to 2 weeks from now, then It is for us to grasp the depth of the depravity Manasseh.

That is because we can truly see, we are not dead in sin any more.

God being rich in mercy to us as made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV).

Let’s Read

2 Kings 21:1–12 ESV

1 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. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 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. 10 And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.

May God bless the reading of His Holy and Infallible Word

Let’s Pray

Transition

The regenerate heart naturally desires to please the Lord

Its seems ludicrous to a Child of God to see the power of God, know the protection of God, and not have a desire to please God

However, that is because God has regenerated a heart to know him

The result of non-regeneration is what we see in verse 1 - 9 this evening.

The wickedness of Manasseh

2 Kings 21:1–9 ESV

1 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. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 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.

“reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem”

Remember how I pointed out that the trend within Judah as the God would remove Wicked King early.

“according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel”

There are a lot of Kings that did Evil, but only a few that get this epitaph

" worshiped all the host of heaven and served them”

If you would like you can turn to Leviticus 19:26 we will be reading there in just a moment keep your finger in 2 Kings 21 we will be back there.

Not worship that is just lip service, but being giving to serving them.

he built altars

burned his son as an offering

fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers

“26 “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. 27 You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD. 29 “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity. 30 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. 31 “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God. 32 .... Jump to 20:1

Punishment for Child Sacrifice

20 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. … Jump to verse 5

5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. 6 “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.” (Le 19:26–20:7, ESV)

Transition

The Lord is a God of His word, he already made it clear in Leviticus 19 that he would cut them off for this behavior. Again we have the old question, how can both be true, how can David have a king on the thrown forever and God destroy the wicked. This paradox is always resolved what we consider Christ. The Lord does exactly as he said he would, look at verses 10-12

The Judgement of God

2 Kings 21:10–12 ESV

10 And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.

“ Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.”

The picture is getting your ears boxed

There were only 2 to 4 million people in Judah at this time.

There are millions in america practicing the same Idolatresses today.

Transition

Remember what said before that this rebellion by Manasseh marks the removal of God’s hand of restraint. Turn a few page to Chapter 23. We will look at verse 26-28.

Turn to 2 Kings 23 and we will loom at verse 26 - 27. That’s 2 Kings 23 verse 26-27.

enance Cannot Undue Guilt

A little context before we read.

“Josiah” was the grandson of “Manasseh”

“Josiah” was 8

Incredible story of God saving his life and make him King.

Even in judgement and impending doom God saves and strengthens his people.

“Josiah” wholly follow the LORD

“Josiah” remove all told worship

“Josiah” reconstituted the passover (Again)

“Josiah” get the highest praise given any King after David

“Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him. (2 Ki 23:25, ESV)

R. C. Sproul Comments “The writer commends several kings of Judah—Asa (1 Kin. 15:11), Jehoshaphat (1 Kin. 22:43), Joash (2 Kin. 12:2), Amaziah (14:3), Azariah (15:3), Jotham (15:34), and Hezekiah (18:3)—but he gives Josiah the highest praise (23:25). Josiah institutes the most thoroughgoing reforms of any king (23:1–24). The prophet Jeremiah also speaks well of Josiah’s reign (Jer. 22:15, 16).” [3]

But the LORD said

2 Kings 23:26–27 ESV

26 Still the Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 And the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.”

The Sin is commited and the reforms wont change that

The RC doctrine of penance is nonsense.

If you were to have to pay for eve one of your sin you would have to spend an eternity in hell for just 1.

There is only one that can put away sin and it is He, Christ Jesus, that pays the price for Josiah’s sins, your sins, my sins.

Conclusion

He is the one that make peace with God, and the Children of God have that peace even whent he wickedness of the word is being judged.

Benediction

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Nu 6:24–26, ESV).

References

[1] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 579.

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid, 581.

Bibliography

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.