2 Chronicles 33:12
“In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.”
2 Chronicles 33:12
“In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.”
Why do we sometimes have to hit rock bottom before we learn the lessons of life?
Reading the story of King Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:10–17 causes me to reflect on my own life. How often does God warn us about our disobedience, yet we continue on with our lives, ignoring His warnings, until we finally hit rock bottom?
King Manasseh was only twelve years old when he became king, and he did not obey the law of God. Scripture tells us that he did many detestable things in the eyes of the Lord. He built altars to other gods inside the temple of the Lord. He worshiped false gods, sacrificed his children in the fire, practiced divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. Scripture states repeatedly that he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking the Lord’s anger.
That was King Manasseh’s life and journey. But how do we relate to him? How do his choices reflect humanity today? What can we learn from his decision to disobey God and reject His commands? When we look honestly, is what Manasseh did truly any different from what humanity continues to choose today?
When humanity repeatedly disobeys God and seeks fulfillment, happiness, and completeness through other “gods,” God did not respond by sending another flood or calling down fire to destroy us. Instead, while we were still in our sins, and many still rejecting Him, God sent His only begotten Son to die for us, demonstrating the depth of His love (Romans 5:6–8).
God showed King Manasseh the same mercy He now offers us through Jesus Christ. In 2 Chronicles 33:10–11, Manasseh ignored God’s warnings, leaving God with no choice but to act. Scripture tells us that the Lord brought the Assyrian army against him, captured him, bound him, and took him to Babylon as a prisoner. It was there, in suffering and defeat, that King Manasseh remembered the Lord God Almighty. He sought the Lord’s favor and humbled himself greatly before God. The Lord heard his prayer, showed him mercy, set him free, and restored him to Jerusalem.
King Manasseh repented of his sins and returned to God’s decrees and laws. He destroyed the foreign gods and idols that had held him in bondage and blinded him from obedience. Scripture tells us that God was moved by Manasseh’s entreaty, meaning his earnest humility.
Just as God sent prophets to warn King Manasseh, He also sent prophets to warn humanity—and we ignored them. When humanity continued to reject God’s warnings about Satan and his demonic spirits, whose goal is to lead souls to hell with them (Revelation 12:12; Revelation 20:10–15), God sent us Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh and died for the whole world (John 3:16), even though God knew that many love darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
It is easy to read the Old Testament and distance ourselves from it, as if it has no relevance today. I see it differently. I believe these sacred truths were written as warnings for humanity—to show us what is coming. It is a lie from Satan to believe that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. Scripture is clear:
- Malachi 3:6 – “I, the Lord, do not change.”
- Numbers 23:19 – God is not human that He should lie or change His mind.
Scripture says the same of Jesus Christ:
- Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
- Revelation 1:8 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega… who was, and who is, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
King Manasseh was broken, and in his brokenness, he remembered the Lord. What will it take for you to heed God’s warning through Jesus Christ that the end is coming?
Spoiler alert: God is the same God of the Old Testament. The difference is that now we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14–16; Hebrews 7:25). He destroyed Satan’s plan through the cross and resurrection and is seated at the right hand of God, inviting all people to be reconciled to Him.
My friend, the choice is ours.
King Manasseh’s gods are no different from the gods humanity worships today. Instead of worshiping the one true Creator, Satan and his demonic spirits disguise themselves through anything and anyone willing to be a vessel. That is why the apostle Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 4:3–4:
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
My friends, what gods are you worshiping?
Money. Power. Material things. People. Fame. Greed. Status. False doctrine. Impurity. Family. Self-glory. Social media. Career. Religion.
The list is endless because Satan is the master of deception. Our temples, idols, and practices may look different from King Manasseh’s time, but spiritually, it is the same. Listen to Jesus’ warning in Revelation 21:8:
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
What is the difference between Jesus’ warnings for this age and the sins of King Manasseh? The answer is clear if we are honest with ourselves.
God did not wait for our cry. He heard it in advance and sent His Son to die for us, offering a way back to the New Jerusalem, the restored Garden of Eden, described in Revelation 21–22.
The question is this:
What will it take for us to humble ourselves before our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer before the final judgment comes?
Jesus is returning, as described in Revelation 19. The trumpet will sound. Whose bride will you be on that day? Whose army will you belong to, Jesus Christ or Satan?
My friends, today is the day to choose, before the day of no return comes.
