King Manasseh
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13
Judging belongs solely to the Lord because He is the only One who can know the motives of the heart. He does not compare us to others because the Bible says that we have all fallen short of His perfection (Romans 3:23). But God has certainly given us 66 books of the Bible to teach us about our fallen human nature and what happens when we defy Holy God.
Manasseh, king of Judah, was certainly a cruel tyrant. His story is told in 2 Chronicles 33. He was an idolater who turned against God and worshipped every kind of pagan deity. Manasseh was guilty of immorality, he practised every conceivable evil and perversion, devoted himself to witchcraft and was a murderer; even sacrificing his sons to a pagan god.
God's judgement fell on Manasseh. He was bound in chains and taken away to Babylon. But that is not the end of his story. While the wicked king was confined in a prison cell he had time to think, and Manasseh began to pray. This man, who deserved Hell, in prayer cried out to God for forgiveness (v 13), and God answered and forgave him his sins.
God's mercy is so vast and beyond our comprehension because He always responds to repentant hearts. Not everyone is thrown in prison for their disobedience to God. In Manasseh's case, imprisonment was turned into a blessing because he found the Lord. We dare not neglect God's warning to repent today, because everyone will not have a prison conversion. In Hebrews 3:15, the Bible says: “If you hear His voice calling you to repentance today, harden not your heart.”
Bible Reading
2 Chronicles 33:11-17.
Prayer
Lord God, Thank You that you are merciful and forgiving. Amen.
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