Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” - Judges 16:28
The Assyrian Empire had risen from relative obscurity into a world power within a short period of time. It would fall almost as quickly. Following the reign of Hezekiah in Judah and throughout most of the 7th century BC, the dominance of Assyria began its decline. During these years, the prophet Nahum wrote his oracle concerning the upcoming fall of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. Nahum is never mentioned in either Kings or Chronicles. Nevertheless, he is the 7th of the minor prophets chronologically.
In this morning’s message, we will focus on the kingships of Manasseh and Amon in the southern kingdom. As we will discover, neither one of them was a godly king like Hezekiah. After today’s sermon, there will only be 3 left in this series. We are almost there!
I. MANASSEH’S EVIL DEEDS (2 Kings 21:1-9; 2 Chronicles 33:1-9)
Manasseh was a 12 year old boy when he became the king of Judah. He reigned for 55 years, longer than any of Judah’s other kings. He was the son of Hezekiah and Hephzibah. He was an evil king who practiced all sorts of abominations. He rebuilt the high places and pagan altars that his father had destroyed. He worshiped Baal, Asherah, and the sun, moon, and stars. Manasseh was a terribly idolatrous leader, reminiscent of Ahab and Jezebel in Israel years earlier, and is widely regarded as the most destructive king in Judah’s history - in part because of his long tenure.
He built altars for false gods in the temple and in its courtyard. He made his sons pass through the fire, interpreted signs, practiced divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. Manasseh did great evil in the sight of the LORD and continuously provoked Him to anger. He even erected an Asherah in the temple, profaning and defiling the house of the LORD. Manasseh encouraged the people of Judah to act very wickedly, even more than the Canaanites who had been driven out centuries earlier.
II. THE LORD REBUKES MANASSEH (2 Kings 21:10-15)
Throughout his long reign, the LORD rebuked Manasseh through the words of His prophets. God declared that, because of Manasseh’s great sin which eclipsed even that of the Amorites, He intended to bring judgment upon the people of Jerusalem and Judah. He would extend the destruction of Samaria to the southern kingdom and wipe it clean like a bowl. The LORD said that He would abandon the remnant of His people, referring to Judah, and allow their enemies to plunder them due to their many years of disobedience and sin.
III. MANASSEH’S REPENTANCE AND DEATH (2 Kings 21:16-18; 2 Chronicles 33:10-20)
Despite numerous prophetic warnings and calls to repentance, Manasseh and the people of Judah chose to disregard the voice of God. Near the end of his reign, the LORD allowed the Assyrian commanders to come up, capture Manasseh, and lead him away in chains to Babylon. While confined there, Manasseh was in great distress, and finally humbled himself before the LORD. God heard his prayer, and brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem. Manasseh had been transformed by the power of almighty God and became a true believer.
In his final years, Manasseh had work done on Jerusalem’s outer wall. He stationed military commanders in the fortified cities throughout Judah. He tore down and discarded all of the foreign gods, idols, and altars he had built in and around the temple. Instead, he sacrificed peace and thanksgiving offerings on the altar of the LORD and ordered all of Judah to worship the true, living God of Israel. Some citizens still worshiped at the high places, but at least they were worshiping the LORD.
Sadly, during the overwhelming majority of his reign, Manasseh led the people of Judah away from God and was ultimately responsible for shedding much innocent blood. When he died, Manasseh was buried in the garden of his own house, which was called the garden of Uzza. It is noteworthy that he was not buried with the other kings. Following his death and burial, his son Amon became the new king.
IV. AMON REIGNS IN JUDAH (2 Kings 21:19-26; 2 Chronicles 33:21-25)
Amon was 22 years old when he became king and he reigned for only 2 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth. He was an evil, unrighteous king just as father Manasseh had been for almost all of his reign. He served and worshiped idols and completely abandoned faithful allegiance to the LORD. He was so bad that a few of his own servants conspired against him and killed him. The people of Judah had Amon’s assassins executed for their crime. They buried Amon in the garden of Uzza, where Manasseh’s body had been laid to rest - again, not in the tomb of the kings. Amon’s young son Josiah took his place.
CONCLUSION
For about 50 years Manasseh led Judah deep into idolatry and wickedness, ignoring the urges of the prophets to repent and turn to the LORD. As such, he caused immeasurable damage and provoked the judgment of God upon the southern kingdom. He wasted most of his life mired in sin and transgression. But, by God’s grace, near the end of his life, while being held in Babylon, Manasseh finally bowed his heart to the LORD and acknowledged Him as the true, living God. He spent the final few years of his reign trying to undo some of the catastrophic things that he’d done previously.
Manasseh is a prime example of someone who spent most of his life far from God. He was a vile sinner who committed all sorts of rebellious acts against the LORD. However, in the end, he sought forgiveness and found salvation. There are many others like him in the Bible. Samson was an arrogant, self-dependent, ladies’ man with an inflated ego. But in the end, he humbly prayed for strength to wipe out God’s enemies. The thief on the cross spent his life as a hoodlum and criminal, but acknowledged Christ as Lord in his final hours. Even the Apostle Paul was a heinous and feared persecutor of Christians before encountering Jesus on the Damascus Road.
What about you? Have you spent years wandering in the darkness, rebelling against God, and practicing all types of sin? Have you caused all sorts of damage in the lives of others, and even in your own life? If so, friend, let me tell you that you’re not alone. Countless people have done and are doing the same thing. But, I’ve got good news for you…
Jesus can and will forgive and redeem any and everyone who turns to Him in genuine, wholehearted repentance. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, no matter how egregious you think it is… the almighty blood of Christ can cover it all. So quit squandering your life in rebellion and submit yourself to the LORD. Then someday you’ll be able to speak with Manasseh in Heaven about how Jesus radically changed your life. Remember beloved, it's not how you start that matters, but how you finish.
The Assyrian Empire had risen from relative obscurity into a world power within a short period of time. It would fall almost as quickly. Following the reign of Hezekiah in Judah and throughout most of the 7th century BC, the dominance of Assyria began its decline. During these years, the prophet Nahum wrote his oracle concerning the upcoming fall of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. Nahum is never mentioned in either Kings or Chronicles. Nevertheless, he is the 7th of the minor prophets chronologically.
In this morning’s message, we will focus on the kingships of Manasseh and Amon in the southern kingdom. As we will discover, neither one of them was a godly king like Hezekiah. After today’s sermon, there will only be 3 left in this series. We are almost there!
I. MANASSEH’S EVIL DEEDS (2 Kings 21:1-9; 2 Chronicles 33:1-9)
Manasseh was a 12 year old boy when he became the king of Judah. He reigned for 55 years, longer than any of Judah’s other kings. He was the son of Hezekiah and Hephzibah. He was an evil king who practiced all sorts of abominations. He rebuilt the high places and pagan altars that his father had destroyed. He worshiped Baal, Asherah, and the sun, moon, and stars. Manasseh was a terribly idolatrous leader, reminiscent of Ahab and Jezebel in Israel years earlier, and is widely regarded as the most destructive king in Judah’s history - in part because of his long tenure.
He built altars for false gods in the temple and in its courtyard. He made his sons pass through the fire, interpreted signs, practiced divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. Manasseh did great evil in the sight of the LORD and continuously provoked Him to anger. He even erected an Asherah in the temple, profaning and defiling the house of the LORD. Manasseh encouraged the people of Judah to act very wickedly, even more than the Canaanites who had been driven out centuries earlier.
II. THE LORD REBUKES MANASSEH (2 Kings 21:10-15)
Throughout his long reign, the LORD rebuked Manasseh through the words of His prophets. God declared that, because of Manasseh’s great sin which eclipsed even that of the Amorites, He intended to bring judgment upon the people of Jerusalem and Judah. He would extend the destruction of Samaria to the southern kingdom and wipe it clean like a bowl. The LORD said that He would abandon the remnant of His people, referring to Judah, and allow their enemies to plunder them due to their many years of disobedience and sin.
III. MANASSEH’S REPENTANCE AND DEATH (2 Kings 21:16-18; 2 Chronicles 33:10-20)
Despite numerous prophetic warnings and calls to repentance, Manasseh and the people of Judah chose to disregard the voice of God. Near the end of his reign, the LORD allowed the Assyrian commanders to come up, capture Manasseh, and lead him away in chains to Babylon. While confined there, Manasseh was in great distress, and finally humbled himself before the LORD. God heard his prayer, and brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem. Manasseh had been transformed by the power of almighty God and became a true believer.
In his final years, Manasseh had work done on Jerusalem’s outer wall. He stationed military commanders in the fortified cities throughout Judah. He tore down and discarded all of the foreign gods, idols, and altars he had built in and around the temple. Instead, he sacrificed peace and thanksgiving offerings on the altar of the LORD and ordered all of Judah to worship the true, living God of Israel. Some citizens still worshiped at the high places, but at least they were worshiping the LORD.
Sadly, during the overwhelming majority of his reign, Manasseh led the people of Judah away from God and was ultimately responsible for shedding much innocent blood. When he died, Manasseh was buried in the garden of his own house, which was called the garden of Uzza. It is noteworthy that he was not buried with the other kings. Following his death and burial, his son Amon became the new king.
IV. AMON REIGNS IN JUDAH (2 Kings 21:19-26; 2 Chronicles 33:21-25)
Amon was 22 years old when he became king and he reigned for only 2 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth. He was an evil, unrighteous king just as father Manasseh had been for almost all of his reign. He served and worshiped idols and completely abandoned faithful allegiance to the LORD. He was so bad that a few of his own servants conspired against him and killed him. The people of Judah had Amon’s assassins executed for their crime. They buried Amon in the garden of Uzza, where Manasseh’s body had been laid to rest - again, not in the tomb of the kings. Amon’s young son Josiah took his place.
CONCLUSION
For about 50 years Manasseh led Judah deep into idolatry and wickedness, ignoring the urges of the prophets to repent and turn to the LORD. As such, he caused immeasurable damage and provoked the judgment of God upon the southern kingdom. He wasted most of his life mired in sin and transgression. But, by God’s grace, near the end of his life, while being held in Babylon, Manasseh finally bowed his heart to the LORD and acknowledged Him as the true, living God. He spent the final few years of his reign trying to undo some of the catastrophic things that he’d done previously.
Manasseh is a prime example of someone who spent most of his life far from God. He was a vile sinner who committed all sorts of rebellious acts against the LORD. However, in the end, he sought forgiveness and found salvation. There are many others like him in the Bible. Samson was an arrogant, self-dependent, ladies’ man with an inflated ego. But in the end, he humbly prayed for strength to wipe out God’s enemies. The thief on the cross spent his life as a hoodlum and criminal, but acknowledged Christ as Lord in his final hours. Even the Apostle Paul was a heinous and feared persecutor of Christians before encountering Jesus on the Damascus Road.
What about you? Have you spent years wandering in the darkness, rebelling against God, and practicing all types of sin? Have you caused all sorts of damage in the lives of others, and even in your own life? If so, friend, let me tell you that you’re not alone. Countless people have done and are doing the same thing. But, I’ve got good news for you…
Jesus can and will forgive and redeem any and everyone who turns to Him in genuine, wholehearted repentance. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, no matter how egregious you think it is… the almighty blood of Christ can cover it all. So quit squandering your life in rebellion and submit yourself to the LORD. Then someday you’ll be able to speak with Manasseh in Heaven about how Jesus radically changed your life. Remember beloved, it's not how you start that matters, but how you finish.