Tuesday, November 7, 2023

God Honors Repentance - 2 Chronicles 33-36

 2 Chronicles 33:18-20 (ESV)

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. And his prayer, and how God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and the images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers. So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house, and Amon his son reigned in his place.


Manasseh ended his life doing what was right before God.   However, it did not begin that way.   Note:


2 Chronicles 33:2 (ESV)

And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.


He was so corrupt that God had him taken away in captivity: 


2 Chronicles 33:11 (ESV)

Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.


But, that is when his heart began to turn to God and realize He needed to honor God in his life and his leadership:


2 Chronicles 33:12-13 (ESV)

And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.


God honors repentance.    He came to God with a hear full of repentance and God honored the prayer.   We can be far away and still know that God will honor our prayers.   The prodigal son woke up one day and saw he as living among pigs and repented.    This is the story of Manasseh.   He was humbled by his circumstances and his pride did not prevent him from coming back to God.   

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