But I Murdered My Sons And Walked With Demons

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But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.

2 Kings 21:9

This morning in my quiet time with the Lord I was reading in the book of 2 Chronicles about Manasseh. Manasseh is the son of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a mostly good King of Judah, but he went through a time of being too big for his britches and unfortunately the pride he walked in during his old age greatly influenced his son Manasseh.

Manasseh began to reign as king when he was only twelve years old. He was more wicked than any king that ever sat on the throne of Judah. He rebuilt all the altars of idol worship that Hezekiah had torn down and added new ones. He even built altars INSIDE the temple of the Lord that Solomon had built to honor his father, King David, and to honor the One True Living God. Manasseh sacrificed his own sons to demons and practiced witchcraft and divination and dealt with mediums and spiritists (2 Kings 21:6).

Basically, if God was for it, then Manasseh was against it. Manasseh murdered his sons and walked with demons and was proud of it. He was so proud of it that he encouraged an entire nation to do the same. One man with the influence of darkness and deception through the power of seduction was able to turn the hearts of thousands away from the God who had faithfully delivered, redeemed, and provided for them over and over again.

Surely God was done. Surely these sins that Manasseh had committed were unforgivable, Surely there was nothing but wrath left for this king of Judah that walked in such abominable wickedness. After all, the Lord had tried. He had spoken to Manasseh over and over again, yet was ignored. For Manasseh nor the people paid any attention to the Word of God (2 Chronicles 33:10).

That is until the Lord sent the Assyrians. Manasseh was taken captive with hooks and bound with bronze chains and was brought to Babylon. Here Manasseh’s pride was humbled. Here Manasseh cried out with all his heart to the God of his father. The God that he had rejected, ignored, and abhorred was the only one who could deliverer him from his chains.

(There is something about visible chains that helps us realize the invisible chains that held us all along but we were too deceived to see.)

Do you know what the crazy thing is? God heard him! This one that murdered his sons and walked with demons and encouraged an entire nation to follow in his ways, God heard him. God heard him and God forgave him.

When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

2 Chronicles 33:13

From that moment on Manasseh set out to destroy all the idols he had built and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord. He turned his heart fully to God and tried to encourage the nation to do the same. I can imagine the tear filled prayers of Manasseh as he entreated the Lord to protect his sons from his mistakes. I imagine this was his prayer because of what I see in the Word of God after his death.

After Manasseh’s death his son Amon became king. Amon was going to lead the people right back down the path of destruction. The Lord gave Amon two years to repent and return. When he continued to refuse, then the Lord allowed him to be removed from the throne. This is when Josiah, at eight years old, would become king and the greatest revival that Israel has ever known would begin (2 Kings 23:21-22). God would honor the prayers of the humbled heart of Manasseh through his grandson.

So beloved what does this recorded information mean for us?

  • There is no sin too great that God’s grace cannot reach. So never write anyone off! Keep praying.

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:20-21

  •  Our choices come with consequences but God’s is able to redeem our consequences for His glory. Keep praying!

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Titus 2:11-14

  • It doesn’t matter how bad the situation seems, how lost the nation appears to be, nothing is impossible with our God. Keep praying!

They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Mark 10:26-27

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