February 15-19, 2010

But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. II Chronicles 33:12




We begin our journey this week with bewilderment and a sigh. How could it be that one king could live so righteously and then have a son go in such an opposite direction? It’s a phenomenon that is not only reserved for Bible times. How many good Christian leaders have walked a righteous life all their lives, only to have children that choose to wallow in the world’s ways and live by its standards? Once again we are reminded that a walk of righteousness is a personal choice and not an inherited path. Even though he had co-reigned with his father for 10 years, it did not guarantee that he held his father’s values!

A couple of weeks ago, we heard God speak to Hezekiah, Manasseh’s father, and tell him that God would pour out his judgment for his pride on his son and not do it in his lifetime. We questioned how Hezekiah could be so unaffected by the message. What’s even more puzzling at first glance is why God would punish the son for the father’s pride? That seems totally contrary to God’s Law. Obviously, both God and Hezekiah saw Manasseh’s heart. God knew Manasseh’s the truth about his idolatrous heart and prophesied his downfall.

But just as Hezekiah’s story didn’t end with his faithfulness, Manasseh’s doesn’t end with his unfaithfulness. We are told that YHWH spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. It was only when Manasseh found himself in “deep distress” and chains that the message was finally able to get through! The Hebrew word “mesar,” translated “deep distress,” speaks of anything that is narrowing or confining. Places that are too small are described by this word. When the people refused to hear Isaiah’s message, he tells his disciples to “Bind up (mesar) the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples” (Isiaha 8:16). The Theological Wordbook also tells us that it also refers “to the strong emotional response that one experiences when pressed externally by enemies or internally by wrong decisions or passions.” Obviously Manasseh experienced the same thing that I have (and do) when God has put me in those places of pressure that have narrowed my options and my view. It is in times like these that all you can do is focus on is what’s at hand! You can’t get away from the problem and without God’s intervention, the problem isn’t going to leave you! When all your options have been restricted to nothing, all you can do is sincerely humble your heart and pray!

The good news is that YHWH was listening. It amazes me that God says while we are in our sin, He will not hear our prayer, but the moment the cry of repentance comes to His ears, His heart is moved and His ears are open! What comfort and encouragement!!!

There is an interesting verse at the end of Manasseh’s life’s story.

The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, his prayer to God, and the words the seers spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel. Manasseh’s prayer, the account of the way God answered him and an account of all his sins and unfaithfulness are recorded in The Record of the Seers. It includes a list of the locations where he built pagan shrines and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself and repented. II Chronicles 33:18-19

It is my firm belief that there is a correlation between these verses and Revelation 20:11-12 and 20:15:

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Did you notice that the book of life determines whether or not we have eternal life, while the other books are opened so our deeds can be judged? The events of Manasseh’s life were carefully documented. His “righteous” deeds were recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel, while his unfaithful ways were kept in The Record of the Seers. Perhaps, if we caught a glimpse of these books and realized that someday we will give and account of our lives and answer for our deeds, we might be a bit more care of the things we say and do.

The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned. Matthew 12:35-37

The word “condemned” in this verse refers to our words acting as proof of our wrong actions and not eternal damnation. Manasseh’s record is there for all to see. What do you think we would find if we looked into our own personal database?

As we continue our journey this week, we are introduced to the prophet Jeremiah. At our first encounter with this mighty man of God, we learn that he is a prophet who came from Anathoth that is in the territory of Benjamin. His ministry begins in the 13th year of Josiah, the grandson of Manasseh. Unlike the other prophets we’ve met, Jeremiah give us keen insight of not only his message, but the emotional trauma of delivering that message. Isaiah had some pretty harsh things to declare, but he also had the comfort of informing the hearers that the fulfillment of the message was not coming in their lifetime. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was going against the tide. While the accepted prophets were crying out peace and safety, Jeremiah was pronouncing God’s judgment on that generation! God was not waiting any longer. This generation would be the generation that would experience God’s fury. Words like these will not win you popularity contests.

Jeremiah’s call and commission did not come from the insight of a previous prophet or an insightful priest. Before he was ever conceived, God had ordained him to carry His message to His people. For nearly 40 years, Jeremiah declared God’s message. Jeremiah sees that all Judah’s times of repentance were temporary. She is “like a thief” who only knows shame when she gets caught! This kind of repentance is not a change of heart and brings short-lived results.

I pray that we will hear and perceive the words of this weeping prophet, and that our hearts will be touched by the pain and persistence of his life. And may we heed its warnings for our sinful generation!