Manasseh, the King of Judah

AS and A Level Religious Studies & Philosophy

I am sure that many of us have done things in life that we would like to be able to forget; and memories that from time to time come back to haunt us. I know that I do. Many things in my past make me feel guilty, defiled, and unacceptable. Time and again I have turned to the scriptures to find a sense of penance for my past. There I have discovered that there is encouragement and instruction which sets me free. The story of Manasseh has ministered to me in many ways and I would like to share some of the things the Lord has taught me from the life of this character, King Manasseh, the prodigal king, who reigned for fifty-five years.

Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah, who was one of the few kings in David’s line, the kings of Judah, called righteous. While the remainder of the kings were evil, Hezekiah was responsible for a spiritual revival during his reign that swept the entire nation. He did away with the idolatry that his father, Ahaz, had established, and in addition, Manasseh purged the nation of apostasy. We know that the prophetic ministry of Isaiah and Micah helped him in his reign, and it is their writings that are preserved for us in the scriptures. There were a couple of invasions of Judah during this time by Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. On each of these occasions the Lord used Hezekiah and Isaiah to protect Jerusalem. Although almost all of the land of Judah was devastated by the Assyrians, the capital city was preserved. Isaiah said that “Jerusalem looked like a caretaker’s hut in the midst of a cucumber field”; all of the fortified cities had been destroyed but Jerusalem. It was Hezekiah’s wise leadership that made possible the preservation of the city and its people. He was a powerful spiritual force in Judah.

Manasseh came to throne when he was twelve years old. He reigned for about ten years as co-regent with his father. When Manasseh was twenty-two his father died and he took over the reins of government. It is helpful to keep in our mind something of the heritage that this young man enjoyed. He had a godly father and lived in a time of spiritual vitality and prosperity. He had the words of the prophet Isaiah and Micah ringing in his ears. He had seen the Lord deliver Jerusalem in a very miraculous way when it was under siege by ...

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He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

The nations referred to here are the Canaanite nations that were expelled by Joshua and the twelve tribes when they first entered the land. The Canaanites worshiped sex. It has been said that this civilization was shot through with venereal disease, and even the children were infected. This explains in some measure, the wars of extermination. The scriptures say that Manasseh outdid the Canaanite nations in his wickedness. Note verses 2Kings:21:9-11(New Living Translation):

But the people refused to listen, and Manasseh led them to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land. Then the Lord said through his servants the prophets: King Manasseh of Judah has done many detestable things. He is even more wicked than the Amorites who lived in this land before Israel. He has caused the people of Judah to sin with his idols.

The father of Hezekiah was Ahaz. Ahaz had built these high places, groves on the tops of hills throughout Judah where idols were worshiped. Hezekiah had destroyed them all. Manasseh built them again. He built altars to foreign gods in the temple itself, and in the holy place where the priest worshiped. Manasseh took all of the phallic symbols, the monuments he had built in honor of the goddess of sex, and he put them in the Holy of Holies, in the place where the Spirit of God dwelt. It was because of the sins that Manasseh committed that the nation of Judah was taken captive. Only fifty years after Manasseh’s death the nation went into the Babylonian captivity.

There are a couple of additional things I would like for you to note. First, Manasseh obviously was a wicked man. He was perhaps the most wicked king that ever reigned in Judah. Manasseh did things which no other king had ever done before. He also led Judah into doing things which no nation had ever done before. Secondly, observe the procedure that the Lord undertakes in order to reclaim his man. God loved Manasseh, and because he loved him he would not let him continue to live in rebellion. God first spoke very quietly to Manasseh, and as Manasseh began to indulge in the idolatrous practices; God said, “Manasseh, Jerusalem is where my name is placed.” That is, “Jerusalem is My possession. You have no right to set up any other gods there.” Manasseh continued to disobey the Lord. Manasseh was reminded time and time again of the promises the Lord made to him, both positive and negative. Eventually, Manasseh became a prisoner for twelve long years in a Babylonian dungeon. Manasseh had finally become a slave to his own passions and desires.

It was then that Manasseh prayed to the Lord, 2 Chronicles 33:13(New Living Translation):

And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized the Lord alone is God!

Manasseh had finally learned that even though he had done much evil in the eyes of the Lord, the Lord still loved him. The steps that Manasseh took are the marks of true repentance. If one is truly repentant of the sins he has committed he will do these things. He will recognize that there are areas in which he is weak, the areas in which he has fallen before, and he will rebuild those areas and strengthen them. Ultimately, he will deal with every vestige of idolatry in his life.

God gave Manasseh twenty more years to rule; ten years were with his father, thirteen years of wickedness, twelve years in the dungeon, and twenty years of righteous ruling. He became one of the mightiest kings of Judah. There are a number of things which speak to me from this biography. First, we all can identify with Manasseh because God could write “Manasseh” over each of our lives. We all have sinned, in our own way, as he sinned. Second, we can see something of the process that God uses to bring us to repentance. First he speaks to us quietly, then with greater and greater intensity. Finally, he disciplines us in order to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we will turn to him. But most important, these passages speak of the completeness of the forgiveness of God.

I remember when I started researching for my paper and read the passages pertaining to Manasseh. I thought, “That’s strange! Here is a man who thumbed his nose at God for sixty-seven years and died at a ripe old age, in his own bed in peace; the most wicked King in Judah’s history, and God did nothing! Isn’t that strange? He reigned longer than any other king in the history of Israel or Judah. Didn’t you see, God? Weren’t you aware of what was going on? Can a person really live that way and get away with it?”

Manasseh was notorious in Israel. He was an evil, wicked man. And yet God reestablished him on his throne. He was fully forgiven. He lived in power and authority throughout the rest of his years. Do you know what Manasseh’s name means in Hebrew? “Forgotten.” That is the name that God writes over you sordid past. Your sins are forgotten. Every time your past comes back to haunt you, and you say to God, “There, Lord, I have done it again,” do you know what the Lord says to you? He says, “You’ve done what? I do not even remember!” He has forgotten. You can read God’s word in Hebrews 10:16-18(New Living Translation):

“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” The he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

I thank you for the complete forgiveness, Lord, and for the freedom to serve you because we know that we are at peace with you.

Works Cited

The Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation, Second Edition. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2004

“Manasseh: King of Judah.” BibleHistory.net 2004 ,