King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 5 notes
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzi-bah.
2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
3For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
4And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.
5And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
And the Lord watched on as the two courts of his house were desecrated; meanwhile HE had killed people for less.
It seemed God was just allowing all this because he was bent on destroying the people. Their sins had reached a peak that would merit almost total annihilation, leaving a remnant. He had given them more than enough time and chances to repent.
Needless to say, the program of the law was failing and had to be brought to an end, to introduce a much better program. These were the last days of the law and the Old Testament, the beginning of the end.
Soon enough the New Testament was to be introduced — soon, though, meant another several centuries.
6And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
7And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:
8Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.
9But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.
God is the creator of the universe. He brings down 👇 one nation and lifts up the other.
He routed out the Canaanites because of their evil ways and brought in 🇮🇱 Israel.
Now Israel 🇮🇱, though having a covenant, was also replaced because of evil 😈 — though a remnant was left them.
This is a call to the nations of the world 🗺. God, who is no respecter of persons, will punish sin and judge wrongdoing.
It is therefore our responsibility, whiles there is time, to tell the world the truth of the gospel...
We must speak the truth and watch our lives and doctrine closely.
10And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,
11Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:
Manasseh was the longest reigning king of Judah.
Why God did not cut him off, and caused him to live so long, makes me think 🤔. Could it not be a deliberate act to cut the nation off into exile and begin something new with a remnant?
Why should Manasseh even thrive for so long?
12Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
13And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.
14And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
15Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.
16Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
17Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
18And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
19Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
20And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.
21And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:
22And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.
23And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.
Manasseh escaped such fate, but this abomination in the land had to end.
Manasseh escaped this fate. He should have died to curtail his abominations, such wickedness, and he was the long-reigning king of Judah. It hurts me that God allowed him to have such a record for such a long time.
I think in the Chronicles account he repented somehow later, but it was all too little and insignificant and too late.
24And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
25Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
26And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.