Manasseh-the Exceptionist

by J.C. RADCLIFFE | Category: Pithy Points From The Lives Of Judah's Kings | Apr 1932

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the heathen, whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel.... And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed unto Him; and He was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah He was God" (2 Chronicles 33. 1, 2 ; 12, 13).

In three features Manasseh stands out unique amongst all the kings of Judah, as follows

1.The longest reign.

2.The only king apparently, since Saul, who amongst many other grievous sins, added to them this never-to-be forgotten sin, of turning to those who had familiar spirits.

3.The sole exception to the general rule of declension or failure towards the end; this king on the other hand, turned to Jehovah towards the close of his days, so that the end of his life was better than the beginning.

On account of these three things we have named him "the Exceptionist"; more especially on account of the third thing.

We are faced again with one of those problems met with often in the Bible namely, a bad son succeeding a good father. The problem here, however, does not appear to be nearly so difficult of solution as in the case of Ahaz for example, for it is obvious that the latter days of Hezekiah were not so bright as one might have expected. Hezekiah as shown in Scripture was undoubtedly a man of prayer. He fell sick unto death (see Isaiah 38. 1-8), and he prayed unto Jehovah, arid God added unto him fifteen years. But we read, "Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto Him ; for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him (2 Chronicles 32. 25). He stands out as one amongst many who fell through that insidious hydra-headed monster PRIDE (see 2 Chronicles 32. 31; and Isaiah 39.).

It seems evident that the atmosphere of the court of Hezekiah could not have been good for the boy Manasseh during those impressionable days of youth. What a grave warning here ; for parents in a specific sense, and for all of us generally.

It is highly probable that the chief reason for Hezekiah imploring God for a lengthening of his life was that he could see no way whereby the Messianic line could be preserved unless he had a son and heir to the throne. If this be so he failed after the manner of his great forefather Abraham. We know full well the result of not waiting God's time and God's way in his case. Ishmael was born, the son of the flesh, a bane to humanity and a thorn in the side of God's people Israel ever since. It is not a little remarkable that Manasseh likewise became a curse, for we read, "Because Manasseh king of Judah bath done these abominations... therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle " (2 Kings 21. 11, 12).

Manasseh means "making to forget"; so possibly Hezekiah called his son by this name as a reminder to the large tribe of Manasseh, of whom some were left in the land, that past differences should be forgotten. It would be a compliment to them, and likely to strengthen still further the bonds of unity as regards the house of Jehovah and the service thereof; for many out of this tribe humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

At this time the Assyrian kingdom was a very great one, for Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, and the king of Assyria carried Israel away ; and Judah also was threatened, for only eight years after, Senaacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fenced cities of Judah and took them. At this time, Babylon was not a very great kingdom, but was growing in power, and the policy of Hezekiah was to be friendly with Merodach-baladan king of Babylon, who sent letters and a present to Hezekiah when he heard that he had been sick; and then, very foolishly, in the pride of his heart, Hezekiah hearkened unto the messengers of the king of Babylon and showed them all the house of his precious things. Perhaps there was suggested at this time a Babylonian-Israelitish league against Assyria. Then came the stern words of Isaiah the prophet, "hear the word of Jehovah. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Jehovah" (Read 2 Kings 20. 12-21).

We shall see from this, the evil surroundings into which the child Manasseh was brought in those days when the mind is so easily influenced for evil or for good.

Most will call to mind that we find a somewhat similar kind of thing in the case of Jehoshaphat and his son Jehoram, only that in the case of Jehoshaphat it was an affinity between those who were of Israel, whereas in this case it was between Israel the people of God, and Babylon. The results work out very much the same, however, in both eases; and were disastrous to the people of God. Little wonder, then, from the consideration of these circumstances, that Manasseh sinned more and more and made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.

What is said by Ezekiel in a later day is very much to the point here; "Thus saith the Lord God : This is Jerusalem: I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are round about her. And she hath rebelled against My judgments in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have rejected My judgments, and as for My statutes, they have not walked in them. Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because ye are turbulent more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in My statutes, neither have kept My judgments, neither have done after the ordinance of the nations that are round about you; therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against thee; and I will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations" (Ezekiel 5. 5-8). It would seem well nigh incredible that God's favoured people could have gone so far astray from Him that it would be possible to write such words concerning them; but we know that the Spirit of God makes no mistakes.

As in the collective sense, so with the individual; let the heart but be estranged from God, there is no sin too great, too outrageous to be impossible to man,

"But grace abused brings forth the foulest deeds,

As richest soil the most luxuriant weeds."-Cowper.

It appears that Manasseh was the first king after Saul who had recourse to "familiar spirits and to wizards." We pointed out elsewhere, that this accursed sin, which to-day is revived in what is called by the name of "spiritualism," has ever brought down the judgment of God upon those who have practised the evil. It brought about the end of Saul as far as this time-life is concerned. It would seem that God can never forget this sin. It brought about the end of the kingdom of Judah, for though God who is longsuffering and plenteous in mercy forgave Manasseh personally, he never forgot the character of the sin (see 2 Kings 21. 11, 12).

The closing words of our introductory scripture show what a longsuffering merciful God is ours. Of this we have the fullest proof in the fact that He spared not His only begotten Son but gave Him up for us all, including the vilest of the vile.

How often we have experienced the truth of the words- "It is of Jehovah's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not."

Jehovah had to bring Manasseh very low before he was humbled before Him. Just as in the case of the great Gentile monarch, the haughty, boastful, pompous Nebuchadnezzar, who was brought very low from all his magnificence, luxury and pomp, and driven from men to dwell with the beasts of the field, to eat grass as oxen; that he might know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men: and thus was brought into a condition to praise and honour and extol the King of heaven, and to acknowledge that those that walk in pride He is able to abase.

Someone has said, "Affliction is the Good Shepherd's dog to fetch in His stray Sheep." The Psalmist said- "Before I was afflicted I went astray"

(Psalm 119. 67).

We have before remarked that many of Judah's kings remind us of those balmy beautiful days of sunshine which so often, in this country, end in what are called by sailors "dirty sunsets." Manasseh's reign on the contrary is an exception to what is almost the general rule; and would remind us of one of those dark, gloomy, rainy days, brightening up towards the evening, the sun eventually breaking through in the Western horizon, its elongated rays tinging the dark grey receding clouds with almost all the colours of the rainbow. Manasseh is indeed in this respect "the Exceptionist."

Manasseh appears to have done his best to retrieve the terrible mischief he had done, but it was too late to achieve much.

His son Amon succeeded him, being twenty-two years old, and reigned for two years. It is recorded of him "And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah as did Manasseh his father... And he humbled not himself before Jehovah, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Anion trespassed more and more."

In all probability the name Amon was given to him when Manasseh was an idolator, before he turned to Jehovah-the name being that of an Egyptian god (see Jeremiah 46. 25). We might call him Amon, the Impenitent.

J.C. RADCLIFFE | Apr 1932
Pithy Points From The Lives Of Judah's Kings