Mercy for a Manasseh

Tuesday 30 January
READ: 2 Chronicles 33: 1 – 20 
MORE LESSON: Psalm 89: 30 - 37    

Manasseh was one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history. He led Israel astray into idol worship and, of all the kings before him, did evil beyond measure. He went as far as building altars for idols and placing them in the Holy of Holies of the temple of Jehovah. He thereby turned the tabernacle of God to a shrine for idols. Manasseh burned his sons as offerings to devils and gathered sorcerers and magicians as his court advisers. Manasseh is believed to be responsible for the death of Prophet Isaiah and many other men of God during his time. This king of Israel actually killed prophets as he was out to abolish the memorial of Jehovah from Israel. Manasseh was a man that can be rightly termed a stout enemy of God. The Lord spoke to him many times but his heart was hardened like Pharaoh’s.

God then sent Assyrian troops to conquer Israel. Manasseh was bound with chains and carried as a slave to Babylon. In the anguish and pain of slavery in the dungeon of Babylon, Manasseh pleaded with Jehovah for mercy. 2 Chron 33:12-13 records, And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And 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 the LORD he was God. When Manasseh prayed to God in affliction, the Lord did not only forgive him but took him out of the prison of Babylon, returned him to Israel and set him back on the throne as king. In fact, the prayer of Manasseh is one of the Apocryphal books that is recorded in some Jewish texts. This means that the prayer of repentance that the evil king prayed was documented and read as scripture.

The story of Manasseh is a testament of the depth of the mercy of God. There are 'Manassehs' in our world today and the Lord has not given up on them and neither should we. No matter the evil a man has done, he can obtain mercy and acceptance from God. If God can forgive and restore Manasseh, then there is no person that cannot find mercy. The mercy of God turns the vilest sinner to the greatest saint.

Another thing the Lord must have considered in restoring Manasseh was His covenant with David. God had promised David that even if his children go astray, He will punish them but He will not take the throne entirely from the seed of David. Manasseh was a seed of David, so he obtained mercy. This is a lesson; we should start sowing seeds of covenant with God that will give a harvest of mercy to our children when we are gone.      

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for His mercy for any sinner in your family (nuclear and extended).
* Ask that by God’s mercy, your long standing problems will give way.
* Ask that by God’s grace and mercy, every long standing judgement on you be averted.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thou everlasting God, as long as You remain on the throne, my place cannot be empty in destiny, in the name of Jesus.