2Ch 33:10-20 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD doesn’t remain silent, and speaks to Manasseh through his prophets ( ; ; ). But Manasseh is not listening. Therefore the LORD has him captured by the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, whom He sends to Manasseh ( ). Heavily handcuffed he is taken to Babylon, which is still a vassal state of Assyria at the moment. Now by what has happened to him, Manasseh gets so distressed that he entreats the LORD his God ( ). There is a total change in his attitude toward God. That is conversion. First he does everything to provoke God to anger. Now he tries to appease God. The anger of God was brought upon him by all his atrocities. He cannot earn back God’s favor by doing some good deeds now, but only by humiliating himself deeply before Him. That’s what repentance is. Conversion and repentance belong together. Manasseh prays to God, and God is moved by his entreaty and hears ( ). That’s God. He listens to the supplications of a penitent sinner. For He has promised that He will listen if a man humbles himself ( ). Then Manasseh returns to Jerusalem, meaning the LORD brings him back there. What happens here with Manasseh will happen with Israel in the future. Israel returns to the land at their national conversion. Manasseh is not only spared and receives grace himself, but he is also enabled to restore much of what he has previously corrupted ( ). He is given the opportunity to show the fruits of his repentance (cf. ). He begins by restoring the defense of Jerusalem and the fortified cities of Judah ( ). He builds an outer wall around Jerusalem and put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. Then he cleanses the house of the LORD which he has so greatly desecrated ( ). What he placed in his rebellion against God in and near the house of the LORD of idols and idolaters, he removes in submission to God. He throws everything outside the city. After his breaking down of what promotes idolatry, there is room to restore what he in his rebellion against God has broken down from the house of the LORD ( ). He rebuilds the altar of the LORD. He then brings peace offerings and thank offerings, thereby testifying of his gratitude toward God. After showing that his conversion is real, he orders Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel ( ). You can only ask something of someone else if you have set a good example yourself. Manasseh must first prove that he serves the LORD. Now that this is the case, he can also call upon his people with authority to do the same. The Lord Jesus is always and in everything the perfect example. After He has washed the disciples’ feet, He instructs them to wash each other’s feet ( ). Manasseh has been able to undo much of what he introduced of idolatry before his conversion, but not everything ( ; ). We see this also in the history of Josiah who still breaks down a lot ( ). The people continue to value the high places in order to sacrifice there. It can be said that they sacrifice only to the LORD their God, but the desire for specially consecrated places remains. This is also evident in professing Christianity. There may be a desire to honor only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this is often linked to outer things, such as a church building, certain clothing, and candles. As a result, religion becomes more a service to sentiment, feeling, than to God. Today it is often more about how it feels than whether it is true.

‏ 2 Chronicles 33:10-20

Manasseh Humbles Himself

The LORD doesn’t remain silent, and speaks to Manasseh through his prophets (2Chr 33:10; 2Chr 33:18; 2Kgs 21:10-15). But Manasseh is not listening. Therefore the LORD has him captured by the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, whom He sends to Manasseh (2Chr 33:11). Heavily handcuffed he is taken to Babylon, which is still a vassal state of Assyria at the moment.

Now by what has happened to him, Manasseh gets so distressed that he entreats the LORD his God (2Chr 33:12). There is a total change in his attitude toward God. That is conversion. First he does everything to provoke God to anger. Now he tries to appease God. The anger of God was brought upon him by all his atrocities. He cannot earn back God’s favor by doing some good deeds now, but only by humiliating himself deeply before Him. That’s what repentance is. Conversion and repentance belong together.

Manasseh prays to God, and God is moved by his entreaty and hears (2Chr 33:13). That’s God. He listens to the supplications of a penitent sinner. For He has promised that He will listen if a man humbles himself (2Chr 7:14). Then Manasseh returns to Jerusalem, meaning the LORD brings him back there. What happens here with Manasseh will happen with Israel in the future. Israel returns to the land at their national conversion.

Manasseh is not only spared and receives grace himself, but he is also enabled to restore much of what he has previously corrupted (2Chr 33:14-16). He is given the opportunity to show the fruits of his repentance (cf. Lk 3:8-14). He begins by restoring the defense of Jerusalem and the fortified cities of Judah (2Chr 33:14). He builds an outer wall around Jerusalem and put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

Then he cleanses the house of the LORD which he has so greatly desecrated (2Chr 33:15). What he placed in his rebellion against God in and near the house of the LORD of idols and idolaters, he removes in submission to God. He throws everything outside the city.

After his breaking down of what promotes idolatry, there is room to restore what he in his rebellion against God has broken down from the house of the LORD (2Chr 33:16a). He rebuilds the altar of the LORD. He then brings peace offerings and thank offerings, thereby testifying of his gratitude toward God.

After showing that his conversion is real, he orders Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel (2Chr 33:16b). You can only ask something of someone else if you have set a good example yourself. Manasseh must first prove that he serves the LORD. Now that this is the case, he can also call upon his people with authority to do the same. The Lord Jesus is always and in everything the perfect example. After He has washed the disciples’ feet, He instructs them to wash each other’s feet (Jn 13:14-15).

Manasseh has been able to undo much of what he introduced of idolatry before his conversion, but not everything (2Chr 33:17; 2Chr 33:22b). We see this also in the history of Josiah who still breaks down a lot (2Chr 34:1-7). The people continue to value the high places in order to sacrifice there. It can be said that they sacrifice only to the LORD their God, but the desire for specially consecrated places remains.

This is also evident in professing Christianity. There may be a desire to honor only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but this is often linked to outer things, such as a church building, certain clothing, and candles. As a result, religion becomes more a service to sentiment, feeling, than to God. Today it is often more about how it feels than whether it is true.

The Death of Manasseh

As for the rest of Manasseh’s acts, the chronicler refers to other documents. The first document is ”the records of the kings of Israel”. It contains “his prayer to his God” (2Chr 33:18). It also contains “the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel”. The prayer of Manasseh to God and the words of God to Manasseh are recorded. These two, the prayer and the Word of God, form the life of a man in his relationship to God.

The second document is “the records of the Hozai” or “the records of the seers” (2Chr 33:19). It contains, as in the document mentioned above, “his prayer”. The fact that his prayer is mentioned twice – together with the mention in this chapter (2Chr 33:13) three times in total – shows how important God considers his prayer to be. This is underlined by the remark “[how God] was entreated by him”. It is not about the fact alone, that God was entreated by him, but it says how God was entreated by him. This indicates more the way Manasseh has prayed and God’s benevolent acceptance of his prayer.

However, the second document also contains “all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself”. Manasseh has set the pen of the historians in motion. There is a lot to tell about him, both for good and for evil.

What is so encouraging of the account we have of the conversion of Manasseh in holy Scripture is that no sinner needs to despair. Conversion is possible for the greatest sinner. At the same time, every sinner must be aware that a precise record is being made of all the deeds he has done. This also happens with all the words that people have spoken to him in the Name of the Lord to address him about his sins. If repentance does not come, all this will testify against him before the great white throne (Rev 20:11-15).

The final remark of the chronicler about Manasseh is about his death (2Chr 33:20). When he dies, he is buried in his house, which means in the garden of his house (2Kgs 21:18). It is not clear why he is not buried with his fathers. His son Amon succeeds him as king.