Thoughts

A Very Evil King

In chapter 33, we read about Manasseh, a very evil king who ruled for fifty-five years. This tells us that just because something lasts a long time does not mean that God’s blessing is on it. 

The chapter very clearly outlines the sins of Manasseh, and the judgement that he and the nation suffered because of their sins. 

I want to focus for a brief moment on what happened as a result of God’s judgement. 

Warning

First, notice that God gave a warning to Manasseh that if he did not repent and correct his evil doings, there would be a steep price to pay. God did not have to warn him. He had already said many times throughout the history of the nation what blessings there would be if they followed God’s statutes and commandments, and what curses would be theirs if they did not. But in God’s mercy, He gave Manasseh one last chance. But true to his character, and the character of the people, God was ignored.

So God allowed the king of Assyria to defeat them, and Manasseh was taken into captivity, where he suffered greatly.

The Aftermath

Now here is the interesting part. Manasseh finally repented. And he did so wholeheartedly. God knows the hearts of men, and God saw that Manasseh was truly sincere in his repentance. 

So what did God do? He brought Manasseh back into Jerusalem, and He restored him. And Manasseh set about making things right by rebuilding that which needed rebuilding, and tearing down that which needed to be torn down.

Takeaway

Beloved, this is a marvelous account of God’s mercy, and how the forgiven one should act upon receiving God’s mercy. When God forgives, He forgives. But that doesn’t mean that the forgiven should not do all he or she can to make restitution. It isn’t required, it isn’t a condition of forgiveness, but making restitution is an evidence of a changed heart. 

We should not take God’s mercy for granted. Too often, God brings us to the realization that we have done wrong; sometimes by suffering His judgement, sometimes by being caught or some other way. And in our realization, we ask for God’s forgiveness, which we should do. It is good to seek His forgiveness when we fail Him. But then our life does not show any change. If we have wronged someone, we don’t make amends. 

A Costly Gift

Beloved, we should not cheapen God’s grace by making light of it. Grace comes to us at a very high price. Jesus shed His blood for it. It is not an inconsequential thing. We don’t deserve it. We don’t earn it. We can’t repay it. But we can honor it and show by our actions that we are sorry for what we did to need it. 

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 33 NIV, Ch. 34-35 ESV, Ch. 36 NLT

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