King Manasseh
2 Chronicles 33:1-20

Manasseh Rules in Judah

2 Chronicles 33:1-20

• Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and reigned in Jerusalem for 55 years (the longest reign of any of Judah's kings). (v. 1)
• Manasseh did what was evil in the Lord's sight. He reinstituted much of the idol worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. (v. 2-6)
• Note that in 2 Kings 23:26, the fall of Judah is attributed to Manasseh. Manasseh is one of the worst kings in Judah's history.
• The Chronicler goes to great lengths to compare Manasseh unfavorably with David and Solomon. (v. 7-9)
• The Lord warrned Manasseh and his people, but they ignored Him and God allowed them to be captured by the Assyrian armies and deported to Babylon. (v. 10-11)
• Manasseh turned to God in his time of trouble and God allowed Manasseh to return to Jerusalem. (v. 12-13)
• A lesson from Manasseh's life: God is quick and willing to forgive anyone who earnestly seeks Him. Manasseh was a terrible, terrible king. Yet, when he saught God's forgiveness, God granted it freely.
• After Manasseh returned to Judah, he rebuilt the outer wall of Jerusalem and removed the vestiges of idol worship he had previously put up. (v. 14-16)
• However, the people still sacrificed at the pagen shrines, but they sacrificed to God. (v. 17)
• Remember that God had prescribed certain places for worship and sacrifice. By sacrificing to God at the pagan shrines, the people risked allowing pagen influences to enter their lives. We must be vigilant to keep secular influences from distorting our worship practices.
• Manasseh was buried at the palace. (v. 20)