Manasseh

Manasseh had two notable things that characterised his rule as outlined in II Kings 21.

1) He ascended the throne as a teenager and went on to become Israel's longest serving king.

2) He turned out to be one of the vilest individuals in the chronology of Israel's godless leaders.

Manasseh desecrated the temple and led the nation in worshipping Molech who required child sacrifice, Ashera the fertility god whose veneration comprised disgusting sexual perversions and dabbled in astrology among other forbidden things.
In addition he committed murder at a scale never seen before and had spiritists, mediums and sorcerers as advisors.

As a result of his sins with which he led the nation astray, God determined to destroy the Jewish nation. Eventually they were exiled to Babylon.

Manasseh himself was captured by Assyrian commanders who tortured and humiliated him by dragging him into exile with hooks pierced through his nose.
Here was a man condemned to pain and death for heinous crimes against man and God.

However there is an interesting twist to this sad story.

The Bible records in 2 Chronicles 33:12

_In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers._

Now if there is anything that confounds 👀friend and foe in God's circles, it's His (and I say this with hands covering my face) *weakness* towards the wicked man who humbles himself before Him. Remember wicked  king Ahab and the Naboth saga in 1 Kings 21?

And so in a surprising turn of events, it is recorded that...
_...And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God_. 2 Chronicles 33:13

What do you make of this?

For me, it evokes memories of an old hymn;🎶

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,🎵
To every believer, the promise of God;
🎶🎵
*The vilest offender who truly believes,*
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

—Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915)