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An Evil King is Restored - The Book of 2 Kings · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he did that which was evil
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  Speaker 1: in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did.
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  Speaker 1: 2 Kings 21.20 Heavenly Father, I stand before you as
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  Speaker 1: a conduit to those who are lost in wicked thoughts, actions,
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  Speaker 1: and behaviors. As you did with Manasseh, I pray you
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  Speaker 1: will do with all those who are desiring to harm
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  Speaker 1: and inflict torment, on those around me. Because you are
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  Speaker 1: a forgiving God and a good God, I pray for
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  Speaker 1: the hearts of all those whose faith has grown cold
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  Speaker 1: to be turned around so they can behold and experience
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  Speaker 1: your goodness again. I come against every lie that would
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  Speaker 1: tell them that you are mad at them and that
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  Speaker 1: you have abandoned them. Instead, use me as a vessel
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  Speaker 1: to spread your love so that your truth can shine
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  Speaker 1: through the darkest of hearts. As you forgave me and
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  Speaker 1: gave me a new life, I know that you will
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  Speaker 1: do the same for them. Through the power of your
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, I know that nothing is impossible. So I
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  Speaker 1: thank you in advance that souls are being saved and
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  Speaker 1: lives are being restored back to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
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  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: An evil king is restored. In our last story, King
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  Speaker 2: Hezekiah is saved from the clutches of death and spared
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  Speaker 2: for another 15 years. In this time, Hezekiah became friends
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  Speaker 2: with the leaders of Babylon. In an attempt to impress them,
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  Speaker 2: he showcased all of Judah's wealth. This would prove to
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  Speaker 2: be a fatal mistake for the righteous king, since Babylon
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  Speaker 2: was an evil nation rising slowly to overtake the world.
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  Speaker 2: Now we see the evil reign of Hezekiah's son, Manasseh.
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  Speaker 2: His cruelty and wickedness was unmatched by any king before him.
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  Speaker 2: He made his dwelling place in darkness. However, all darkness
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  Speaker 2: needs is a little bit of light. Inspired by the
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  Speaker 2: book of 2 Kings.
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  Speaker 3: Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast. This is Jack Graham. In our last episode,
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  Speaker 3: we heard how God spared Hezekiah from death and gave
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  Speaker 3: him 15 more years of life. We also learned that
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  Speaker 3: in his eagerness to impress the nation of Babylon, Hezekiah
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  Speaker 3: foolishly opened his gates to show a rising enemy all
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  Speaker 3: that Judah had to offer and ultimately to plunder. It
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  Speaker 3: was a naive and selfish decision and a costly lapse
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  Speaker 3: in judgment and discernment. Today we'll learn of the reign
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  Speaker 3: of his son Manasseh, a stark contrast to his father's
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  Speaker 3: reign of righteousness. Manasseh proves to be an evil king
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  Speaker 3: far from God. But as we will be reminded today,
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  Speaker 3: God is able always to drive out the darkness with
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  Speaker 3: His perfect light. Let's listen now to the Word of God.
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  Speaker 2: Where does evil begin in a man's life? Does circumstance
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  Speaker 2: cause bitterness to turn into hatred, and hatred to turn
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  Speaker 2: into evil? Is evil conceived through one's broken childhood? Or
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  Speaker 2: does evil creep its way into someone's nature without warning
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  Speaker 2: or cause? These answers may never be fully known. However,
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  Speaker 2: for King Manasseh, evil was just as much a part
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  Speaker 2: of him as his beating heart. Manasseh, the son of
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  Speaker 2: the righteous King Hezekiah, began his rule in Judah at
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  Speaker 2: the young age of twelve. Even as a child, death
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  Speaker 2: and cruelty enticed him. He was drawn by the exotic
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  Speaker 2: idols of ancient cities. Manasseh devoted himself to the gods
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  Speaker 2: of mountains and forests. He erected altars in the city
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  Speaker 2: to Baal and Aseroth. As Manasseh grew older and more powerful,
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  Speaker 2: his capability for evil increased. He would lure children and
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  Speaker 2: young women into the forest to offer them up as sacrifices.
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  Speaker 2: He even burned his own sons as an offering to
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  Speaker 2: the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. Manasseh laughed and
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  Speaker 2: cried as his sons' burning corpses turned to ash. His
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  Speaker 2: worship of exotic gods muddied his mind like a swamp.
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  Speaker 2: He was never satisfied. He was continually looking for new
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  Speaker 2: and creative ways to sin. He delved into omens and sorcery,
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  Speaker 2: studying the ways of witchcraft and human sacrifice. He developed
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  Speaker 2: a curiosity for necromancers and speaking to the dead. Manasseh's
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  Speaker 2: mind and heart were completely covered in darkness, and he
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  Speaker 2: loved it. He enjoyed the dark recesses of wickedness. He
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  Speaker 2: made his home there. He did not sin ignorantly as
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  Speaker 2: other kings had. No, Manasseh was much more shrewd than that.
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  Speaker 2: He saw his vile ways as an act against God.
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  Speaker 2: He challenged him. He challenged his goodness, his righteousness, and
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  Speaker 2: his power. King Manasseh thought himself equal to God, a
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  Speaker 2: mistake many men had made before him. One evening, Manasseh
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  Speaker 2: sat at the edge of the forest in Jerusalem. He
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  Speaker 2: sat praying and speaking to the evil spirits he had
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  Speaker 2: bound his soul to. In the dead of night, he
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  Speaker 2: chanted and sang to the false gods of ancient Canaanites.
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  Speaker 2: The forest rested on a small hill, and Manasseh could
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  Speaker 2: see the temple at the bottom in the middle of
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  Speaker 2: the city. He smiled a wicked smile and began to
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  Speaker 2: walk into the city with his servants. Manasseh stood in
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  Speaker 2: front of the vast temple. The ivory pillars and beams
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  Speaker 2: of cedar were illuminated by torchlight. It was a truly
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  Speaker 2: beautiful sight, especially after his father had restored it. Manasseh
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  Speaker 2: remembered his father's obsession over the temple. It bored him
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  Speaker 2: as a child, but as an adult it vexed him.
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  Speaker 2: His father, King Hezekiah the Righteous, was a pitiful man
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  Speaker 2: to him. Manasseh spat on the temple floor and gestured
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  Speaker 2: for his servants to break open its doors. Together they
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  Speaker 2: erected large idols to the Canaanite gods. The temple, the
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  Speaker 2: dwelling place of God, had been defiled with Manasseh's worthless idols.
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  Speaker 2: Manasseh burst into laughter as he remembered the words of
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  Speaker 2: the Lord. In Jerusalem shall my name be forever. The
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  Speaker 2: evil king lay in his bed, pleased with his work.
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  Speaker 2: He enjoyed provoking God to anger. It was a pleasant
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  Speaker 2: game for him, and he loved every minute of it.
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  Speaker 2: As the weeks went by, Manasseh's depraved practices seeped into
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  Speaker 2: the daily lives of Judeans. They entered the temple to
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  Speaker 2: pay homage to false gods and and mediums were consulted
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  Speaker 2: by many in the city of Jerusalem. Manasseh was pleased
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  Speaker 2: with his influence on Judah's culture, but God was not
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  Speaker 2: playing Manasseh's games. He would not allow for him to
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  Speaker 2: corrupt his children. The Lord sent messengers regularly, imploring of
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  Speaker 2: Manasseh to repent and turn from his ways. Every messenger
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  Speaker 2: was either rejected or killed for sport. The Lord tugged
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  Speaker 2: on the king's heart with his spirit, but his soul
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  Speaker 2: had been sealed shut by years of calloused rebellion. The
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  Speaker 2: Lord had given Manasseh many chances to turn from his ways.
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  Speaker 2: Now it was time for God to remove his protection
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  Speaker 2: from the king. Manasseh awoke in the dead of night
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  Speaker 2: to screams. He looked out his window to see flames
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  Speaker 2: near the palace. He could see shadows of Assyrian soldiers
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  Speaker 2: raiding nearby homes. They were not harming anyone. No, they
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  Speaker 2: were looking for someone. They were looking for the king. Panicked,
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  Speaker 2: the king began to move his furniture in front of
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  Speaker 2: his doors. He ignored the pleas for help on the
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  Speaker 2: other side of the door and continued to fortify his chambers.
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  Speaker 2: Smoke began to creep in through the window and King
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  Speaker 2: Manasseh could barely breathe. He could hear violent banging on
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  Speaker 2: the other side of the fortified door. The banging grew
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  Speaker 2: louder and more violent. Manasseh watched helplessly as the furniture
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  Speaker 2: began to move and the door cracked open. The Assyrians
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  Speaker 2: burst through the door after several minutes of banging. Manasseh
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  Speaker 2: lifted his sword to fight but was quickly struck down
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  Speaker 2: onto the floor. He could barely see the Assyrians' faces
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  Speaker 2: because of the smoke. However, he could see the large
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  Speaker 2: metal hook dangling on a chain in one of their hands.
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  Speaker 2: The man drew closer with the hook. Manasseh tried to
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  Speaker 2: crawl away but was kicked in the ribs immediately. Manasseh
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  Speaker 2: held his side and watched as the man bent down,
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  Speaker 2: and drove the metal hook into his shoulder. The hook
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  Speaker 2: attached to a chain of bronze was driven deep into
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  Speaker 2: the king's right shoulder. He screamed in agony as the
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  Speaker 2: man tugged on the chain, forcing Manasseh to his feet.
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  Speaker 2: Manasseh was then led away, out of Jerusalem, captive to
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  Speaker 2: the Assyrian army. Manasseh was dragged out of the country
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  Speaker 2: of Judah towards Babylon. He was beaten and bound in
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  Speaker 2: bronze chains. Food and water were scarce, and the evil
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  Speaker 2: king began to break down. As the Assyrians were camping,
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  Speaker 2: Manasseh lay in the cold, bound in chains, with the
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  Speaker 2: hook still driven securely in his shoulder. He looked up
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  Speaker 2: to the stars and began to weep. He did not
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  Speaker 2: pray to the dead that night. He did not seek
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  Speaker 2: the comfort of Baal or the shrine of Asherah. In
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  Speaker 2: the cold and in pain, Manasseh wept before God. He
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  Speaker 2: asked for the Lord's favor and forgiveness. For the first
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  Speaker 2: time in the king's life, he had a true connection
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  Speaker 2: with his God. Early the next morning, the Assyrians released
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  Speaker 2: the king and sent him back to Jerusalem. He returned
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  Speaker 2: to his home with a damaged ego and a humbled heart.
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  Speaker 2: No longer did Manasseh spite God. He knew that he
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  Speaker 2: was the Lord of heaven and earth. He knew that
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  Speaker 2: he was not only powerful, but merciful. Although Manasseh did
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  Speaker 2: not deserve mercy from God, he received it. As the
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  Speaker 2: sun breaks the morning fog, Manasseh's mind began to clear.
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  Speaker 2: He saw his nation with new eyes. He fortified the
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  Speaker 2: cities to protect his people from harm. He stripped away
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  Speaker 2: the idols in the streets and temple. He restored the
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  Speaker 2: temple that had been desecrated and became a devoted worshiper
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  Speaker 2: until the end of his days. After Manasseh died, his
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  Speaker 2: son Amon was made king. Amon did not share the
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  Speaker 2: story of his father. He devoted himself to evil and
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  Speaker 2: conspired against the Lord. He led many people astray and
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  Speaker 2: was selfish in everything he did. He abused those who
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  Speaker 2: served him and worshipped himself as a god. Because he
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  Speaker 2: refused to humble himself, his servants assassinated him in his
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  Speaker 2: own home. His son Josiah was then made king after him.
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  Speaker 3: In today's scripture passage, Hezekiah has been succeeded by his
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  Speaker 3: son Manasseh. Still a child when he became king, Manasseh
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  Speaker 3: did not follow the righteous footsteps of his father or
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  Speaker 3: live in the wonderful legacy that he had been given.
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  Speaker 3: In fact, he went the exact opposite direction. Hezekiah had
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  Speaker 3: torn down the idolatrous altars and even the high places
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  Speaker 3: where evil gods were worshipped in Judah. But as Manasseh grew,
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  Speaker 3: his evil heart could not get enough of the evil
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  Speaker 3: deities of the foreigners. He erected altars and Asherah poles
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  Speaker 3: in the city. He defiled God's house and sacrificed his
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  Speaker 3: own sons to false gods. As much as Hezekiah found
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  Speaker 3: great joy in serving the Lord, his son Manasseh seemed
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  Speaker 3: to take joy in blaspheming and insulting God, making a
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  Speaker 3: mockery of his holiness and doing all kinds of evil things.
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  Speaker 3: But as we have seen time and time again, as
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  Speaker 3: the king went, so did the people. They soon turned
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  Speaker 3: their back on God, and went back to their old ways,
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  Speaker 3: chasing after the exotic gods and empty promises of those
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  Speaker 3: false deities. Here's what we read in 2 Kings 21
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  Speaker 3: verses 11 and 12. Because Manasseh king of Judah has
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  Speaker 3: done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the
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  Speaker 3: Amorites who did go before him, and has also made
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  Speaker 3: Judah sin with his idols, therefore thus the Lord says,
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  Speaker 3: the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing such calamity
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  Speaker 3: on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both
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  Speaker 3: his ears will tingle. Yes, God is a God of love.
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  Speaker 3: He is full of mercy and grace towards his children.
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  Speaker 3: But there is a time when God sends judgment. Manasseh
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  Speaker 3: and the people of Judah deserve this judgment, to be annihilated,
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  Speaker 3: wiped out because of their mockery of God. The Bible says,
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  Speaker 3: Remember this, whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
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  Speaker 3: The people were sowing their own judgment, and they reaped it.
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  Speaker 3: But even in his judgment, we see God's immeasurable mercy.
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  Speaker 3: He sent Assyrians to capture the king. They drove hooks
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  Speaker 3: into his shoulders and led him in chains through the forest,
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  Speaker 3: likely some of the very land where Manasseh had murdered
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  Speaker 3: his own children in the fire, and then they took
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  Speaker 3: him out of Judah. Imagine this king. who so pridefully
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  Speaker 3: mocked God, defied God, and engaged in so many vile acts,
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  Speaker 3: now he is brought down, chained like a slave of
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  Speaker 3: the enemy. It is a visual depiction of his inner state.
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  Speaker 3: He has been enslaved to sin and wickedness for years.
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  Speaker 3: The hooks in his flesh were strong, but not nearly
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  Speaker 3: as powerful as the grip that sin had on his
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  Speaker 3: heart and mind. So Manasseh was led out of the land.
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  Speaker 3: In chains, Under the control of the sworn enemies of
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  Speaker 3: God's people, Manasseh's heart broke. He cried out to God,
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  Speaker 3: the only one who could rescue him. And though he
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  Speaker 3: didn't deserve it, God heard his cry. He forgave the
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  Speaker 3: king because God could see there was genuine repentance, heart change.
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  Speaker 3: Was this all just desperation and fear? Well, certainly that.
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  Speaker 3: But it does not make it any less genuine if
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  Speaker 3: God chooses to forgive. A contrite heart, a repentant heart,
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  Speaker 3: is what God seeks from all of us, and that's
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  Speaker 3: what Manasseh offered to the Lord. So amazingly, the Assyrians
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  Speaker 3: released the king and he returned, humbled and restored to Judah.
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  Speaker 3: He tore down the altars and restored God's temple and
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  Speaker 3: lived out his days in humility, serving the Lord. This
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  Speaker 3: is a wonderful story of salvation that comes through repentance
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  Speaker 3: and deliverance from God. His son Ammon sadly did not
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  Speaker 3: follow him and persisted in evil until he was killed
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  Speaker 3: by his own servants. But Ammon's son, Josiah, would lead
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  Speaker 3: Judah into another area of reform, revival, and return to
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  Speaker 3: the Lord. We'll hear his great story the next time
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  Speaker 3: we're together. Dear God, thank you for your word always
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  Speaker 3: that reminds us that you will judge sin. But when
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  Speaker 3: we genuinely cry out to you and seek you and
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  Speaker 3: return to you, in your grace and mercy, because of
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  Speaker 3: your cross and resurrection, that we can come back to
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  Speaker 3: you and that you will receive us like prodigal children
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  Speaker 3: into your family. And we pray this with deep gratitude
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  Speaker 3: in our hearts for your grace and mercy. Amen. Thank
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  Speaker 3: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app
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  Speaker 3: and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
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  Speaker 3: And if you enjoy this podcast, please let as many
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  Speaker 3: people know as possible. And also, if you would like
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  Speaker 3: to know more about Christ, know more about the Christian life,
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  Speaker 3: know more about what the Bible says, visit me at jackgraham.org.
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  Speaker 3: That's jackgraham.org because we have many resources there available to you.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you.