King Manasseh of Judah had a reputation and it wasn’t a good one. You can read his full story in both 2 Chronicles 33 and 2 Kings 21, but let me just hit a few highlights–
- He built altars to false gods.
- He practiced sorcery and consulted fortune tellers and mediums.
- He burned his own sons as an offering.
Manasseh’s reign is summed up in this defining statement: “He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.” In fact, scripture specifically states that Manasseh was more evil than any previous king.
God was rightfully, righteously angry at Manasseh and the people of Judah, yet He still gave them another opportunity to follow Him.
“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.” (2 Chronicles 33:10)
What a heart-breaking sentence. Because what happened next was God’s declaration of righteous judgement.
“Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster…and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish…and I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies…”
God turned away from Judah and indeed disaster came. The Assyrians invaded, captured Manasseh with hooks and chains and drug him to Babylon. Manasseh was suffering the consequences of his disobedience to God. He was completely defeated, at the mercy of his enemies…when at long last He turned to God and prayed for deliverance.
“…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.”
I admit as I read these verses, I thought, Wait. He didn’t deserve to be forgiven. How could God forgive him for the horrific sins he had committed? After all the chances He gave him to do the right thing? Had I been writing the story, this is the part where “justice would prevail” and the villain would get what was coming to him.
But God wrote Manasseh’s story.
As he wrote mine.
And yours.
And the moment I thought “He didn’t deserve to be forgiven,” the Holy Spirit reminded me that I didn’t deserve it either.
Manasseh’s story is our story and is exactly what James was talking about in James 4:6, “But He gives more grace. Therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Manasseh humbled himself and repented. And God forgave him.
Just like He forgave me. No, I haven’t practiced witchcraft or sacrificed my children to false gods. But I’ve disobeyed God in thousands of other ways.
And yet He gives more grace.
Instead of questioning God’s forgiveness of Manasseh, I should praise Him for delivering and saving someone described as the worst sinner in Judah’s history. I should praise Him and thank Him for saving a sinner like me. The more I understand and am deeply grateful for how much I have been forgiven the more I will forgive and extend grace to others. No, maybe they don’t deserve it, but neither do I.
Justice = Getting What We Deserve
Mercy = Not Getting What We Deserve
Grace = Getting What We Do Not Deserve