Manasseh's Mess

Take the time to read II Chronicles 33

Consider the life of Manasseh after he became king at the ripe young age of 12.  "He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger." (v. 6)  He sacrificed his own sons, built altars to the stars in the temple and rebuilt the pagan altars that his father Hezekiah had destroyed.  As a king Manasseh's actions also "led the nation of Israel astray."  What a mess!

Then came the hook.  After being warned by God, Manasseh is led away by the Assyrians with a hook in his nose.  Talk about hitting rock bottom.  Getting dragged off to Assyria with a hook through your nose would definitely give some time for thought and reflection on your mistakes.  Consider that most of Manasseh's actions were about elevating everyone's view of himself and then he is led away in humiliating fashion.  Make sure to take the time to consider verses 12 and 13.

"In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.  And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.  Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God."

Take some time to think about the practical implications of these verses.

This is a message about transformation and the mercy of God.  Manasseh deserved to be punished for his evil actions.  Yet, God answered his humble cry and allowed him to return so he could right the wrongs of his past.  Not all of us get this chance but when we do we must take full advantage of the time we are given.

What an amazing story of transformation.  There are also some hard lessons to be learned from this story.  Notice that Manasseh's son, Amon served as king and did evil in the eyes of the Lord.  Children watch and sometimes they make the choice to follow our mistakes and ignore the changes that have been made.  Foolishness says that our decisions don't impact others.  Wisdom reminds us that eyes are always watching and our present choices will impact their future choices.

While Manasseh created quite a mess he demonstrates the possibility of change and the noble example of trying to clean up and restore the mess he had made.  Maybe you think you've made too much of a mess for God to handle.  Take courage in the story of Manasseh, humble yourself greatly before the Lord and allow him to shower your mess with His mercy.