The life of King Manasseh is recorded in the Scriptures in two places: 2 Kings 21 and a more complete account in 2 Chronicles 33. Of all the kings of Judah, there was perhaps none more evil than Manasseh. Tradition tells us that He was most likely the one who gave the gruesome order to have Isaiah the prophet sawn in two (Heb. 11:37). Apart from the fact that Hezekiah was his father, there is very little evidence to indicate that he was even linked with God’s people. And yet he was.
Raised in royalty, Manasseh had the benefit of a godly parent in Hezekiah, king of Judah. It was Hezekiah who had accomplished great things for God during his prosperous reign. Under his leadership, Hezekiah rebuffed Assyrian attempts to subjugate Judah. He successfully fended off two sieges by another Assyrian king named Sennacherib, who was defeated in a glorious victory in the latter campaign through the intercession of Isaiah. Domestically, he instituted spiritual reform in government, which led to a sweeping revival across the land under his righteous rule. So great was the reverence for this godly king Hezekiah that “all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death” (2 Chron. 32:33), a rare instance in the history of Judah. This was Manasseh’s heritage as he ascended to the throne at the age of twelve.
But rather than following in the ways of his father as might have been expected, a different type of ruler came to power. We read that Manasseh “did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel” (2 Chron. 33:2). Further, he rebuilt the idolatrous altars that his father had so diligently worked to eradicate from the land. He worshiped the host of heaven (v. 3), brazenly setting carved images in Solomon’s temple which should have remained wholly dedicated to God’s glory. So evil was Manasseh that he even practiced child sacrifice, witchcraft, and sorcery, which further provoked the anger of the Lord. Under his wicked reign, the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem were enticed to sin greatly, even more than the vile and godless nations that surrounded them.
What caused Manasseh to so flagrantly disregard the ways of his father? Modern psychologists would tell us that a bad child is usually the result of a bad childhood, or insufficient education. But that was not the case with Manasseh. From an economic standpoint, he had the best education and childhood upbringing a person could want. And it is doubtful that his father, Hezekiah, who evidenced such spiritual acumen throughout his entire reign, would neglect to purge the royal household of items that would contribute to the spiritual ruin of his son. And yet we see Manasseh spiralling downward in his life, testimony to the fact that he chose to go his own way.
The Bible teaches that “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child,” and regardless of his privileged upbringing, Manasseh was no exception to this truth. We should take note of these clear lessons: spirituality is never inherited. God desires a personal, vital relationship with Him and holds everyone individually accountable for his actions, regardless of the excuses that are often compiled to appease conscience. No doubt Manasseh gave ear to the alluring voices of the world around him as he came into power at such an early age. With an open field before him, he ran recklessly into the snare of sin and became its servant.
More than a dozen times in the first seven verses we read of Manasseh’s deliberate, godless actions: “he did evil…” (v. 2); “he rebuilt the high places…” (v. 3); “he built altars…” (v. 5); “he used witchcraft…” (v. 6); “he set a carved image…” (v. 7); the summary effect being noted in verse 9–“So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do worse than the heathen.” Romans 6:16 states, “Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?” Manasseh had made a deliberate choice to disregard the ways of his father and it became evident in his life as he became a slave to sin. This is the downhill course. What begins perhaps with small choices, soon leads to blatant compromise, and ultimately to full-fledged servitude. Tragically, his slavery to sin filtered down to the common people.
But God was not silent during this time of spiritual declension. God’s voice can be heard unless His people are repeatedly resistant to His Word. “And the Lord spoke by His servants the prophets” (2 Ki. 21:10), but they were so anesthetized by their sin that they would not listen. Disobedience and self-deception of that magnitude can only be corrected by the hand of God.
As a judgment for sin, the Lord brought the nation of Assyria upon Judah. Now Assyria had their opportunity to penetrate the sin-distracted nation and avenge previous defeats. The prize capture naturally was Manasseh, who was led away in humiliation with hooks through his nose, bound with fetters as he was carried off to Babylon. What a striking picture of the ultimate consequence and destructiveness of sin! Here is the king of the most powerful nation on earth at the time, being led about like a barnyard animal. How deceptive sin can be! Little did Manasseh realize when he started out in his wayward life, that he would come to this.
But such are the ways of God. Sin is allowed to have its way so that we might clearly see our actions for what they really are–selfish rebellion against God. It is the necessary avenue for some to see the horror of the situation and recognize our utter dependence on Almighty God. Just as the prodigal son had “bottomed out,” wishing to eat the very food that the swine ate, so Manasseh came to his senses, “being in much affliction” (v. 12). At the nadir of his pitiful condition, he humbled himself greatly, praying and beseeching God for mercy and grace. It was his point of conversion. “Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God” (v. 13).
Up to this point, all that he had heard regarding God and His Word fell to the ground without any personal interest and application. He had no relationship with the Living God. But when his eyes were opened and he was aware of his need, God heard his prayer and forgave him all his sin. Just how deep is God’s forgiveness? Deep enough to forgive the worst. The corridors of history are filled with those whose testimonies speak of the love and forgiveness of God. Charles Wesley said it well, “His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me!” I wonder if the words of martyred Isaiah echoed even more clearly to the heart of Manasseh: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy that it cannot hear…” (Isa. 59:1). How true it was in his life, and how true it has proven to be in the lives of a countless multitude who have been redeemed by God.
A forgiven and cleansed life like this does not forget the debt it owes. With the same intensity of his former life, but in a whole new direction, Manasseh set out to make good for all the evil He had previously committed. First, he built the wall outside the City of David (v. 14), then “he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord” (v. 15). “He also repaired the altar of the Lord…and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel” (v. 16). Though the record indicates that there were residual remains from his former actions, he made every attempt possible to undo his wicked past. For the most part he was successful, though he was buried “in his own house” (v. 20) and not with the same honors as his father. Yet to the glory of God, he died a forgiven man.
King Manasseh will go down in biblical history as a shining example of the power of God to forgive. His is a life that gives encouragement to the worst of sinners as well as to those who are praying for them. It shows just how far God will reach to save someone. There is no one that is unimportant to Him. The same willingness and power to forgive that evidenced itself in the life of Manasseh is available to anyone who comes humbly in the same manner through faith in Christ and His mighty work on the cross.