2 Chronicles 33:1-20 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

The reign of Manasseh.

I. ITS EARLY COMMENCEMENT . Manasseh, "One who forgets" (Gesenius)—an exceedingly appropriate name for one who in his lifetime forgat God and every good thing; in the inscriptions Minasi; perhaps so called "in allusion to the zeal with which the northern tribe had joined in Hezekiah's reforms" ( 2 Chronicles 30:11 ), or to the desire which prevailed in Hezekiah's reign for a union of the two kingdoms" (Stanley)—was twelve years old when he ascended his father's throne (verse 1). A wise child may be better than a foolish king ( Ecclesiastes 4:13 ); but, as a rule, "foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child" ( Proverbs 22:15 ), while wisdom is the ripe fruit of age and experience ( Job 32:7 ). The experiment of boy-kings—unless where these have been placed under regents or guided by wise counsellors, as were Joash ( 2 Chronicles 24:2 ) and Uzziah ( 2 Chronicles 26:5 )—has seldom been successful ( Ecclesiastes 10:16 ); though Manasseh's grandson, Josiah, must be pronounced an honourable and brilliant exception ( 2 Chronicles 34:2 ).

II. ITS EVIL CHARACTER . Manasseh "did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord" (verse 2).

1 . In imitation of the heathen. Whether he endeavoured to become acquainted with all the heathen religions he could find, and to introduce them into Judah, and "for this purpose sent into the most distant lands where there was any famous cultus, and grudged no pains for his one object" (Ewald, 'History of Israel,' 4:208)—which seems a pure conjecture on the part of the learned author who propounds it—it is undoubted that he resuscitated paganism and carried it to a higher degree of prevalence than it had ever before attained in Judah.

2 . In dishonour of his father. "He built again the high places his father Hezekiah had thrown down' (verse 3). Two things may have accounted for this sudden outbreak of paganism after Hezekiah's death.

3 . In defiance of Jehovah. Not content with re-establishing idolatry in general, he proceeded to put a special affront upon Jehovah.

III. ITS LONG CONTINUANCE . The worst king had the longest reign—fifty-five years. Perhaps:

1 . To discover the true character of the nation ' s sin, to reveal the essentially evil nature of idolatry, the inherent wickedness of such apostasy from Jehovah as Manasseh and his subjects had been guilty of. For this reason God bore long with the antediluvian world, and still at times permits wicked men to cumber the ground through long years, while good men, on the other hand, appear to be cut off before their time.

2 . To signalize the Divine forbearance, to make known to Manasseh and his subjects the Divine long-suffering, the desire on Jehovah's part that he and they should repent; as God still, for a like reason, exercises patience with wicked men ( 1 Timothy 1:16 ; 2 Peter 3:15 ), being unwilling that any should perish, but that all should turn unto him and live ( Ezekiel 18:23 , Ezekiel 18:32 ; Ezekiel 33:11 ; 1 Timothy 2:4 ; 2 Peter 3:9 ).

3 . To vindicate the Divine justice, in ease the threatened judgments against Judah and Jerusalem should come to be fulfilled. After such an exhibition of the hideous character and bitter fruits of idolatry as had been given by Judah's king and people, and after such a display of patient forbearance on the part of Jehovah, when the stroke of judgment fell upon the apostate land, it would be impossible to say that it was either undeserved or premature; that either Judah's cup of iniquity was not full, or everything had not been done to secure her recovery from the evil path upon which she had entered ( Isaiah 4:3 -7).

IV. ITS PEACEFUL CLOSE .

1 . The king was converted. "Manasseh humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers" (verse 12). "Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God" (verse 13; see next homily on verses 11-17).

2 . The people were reformed. In part at least a check was given to their idolatry. Though they continued to sacrifice on the high places, they did so "unto the Lord their God only" (verse 17).

Learn:

1 . That early promotion, except in grace, is frequently a grievous misfortune.

2 . That piety in parents is no guarantee of piety in children.

3 . That the alternation of good and evil rulers in the Church and in the state is not without its uses—on the one hand of comfort, on the other hand of trial.

4 . That "length of days is no true rule of God's favour" (Hall).

5 . That "we may not measure grace by means" (ibid.).

6 . That "that mischief may be done in a day which many ages cannot redress" (ibid.).

7 . That no degree of wickedness is beyond the reach of grace to forgive or remove.—W.