Manasseh

Early this morning as I struggled to bring my inadequately rested brain into today I happened upon the story of Manasseh.  As you will recall this King of Judah went a bit off and worshiped lots of Baals and the like.  He ended up being removed to Babylon and there he repented.  Returning he cleaned up his act and all was well.

Some authorities claim that he became King at twelve years of age, when a Hebrew becomes a man, and co-reigned with his father for ten years until his father dies in his mid fifties.  The Chronicles account does not mention this. However we do know that Manasseh did allow the introduction of Baals and other non gods into Judah, indeed even into the Temple itself!  Assyrian records indicate that the land had peace during this time and that Manasseh subjected himself to Assyria and allowed trade to flourish and the land to prosper.

To me this morning I looked at this man falling down before other gods and wondered why he had done this.  Baals and Asherah poles give a clear indication of the presence of a god in the midst of the city and I wondered if he required a sense of a god’s presence where the god could be touched?  Yahweh cannot be seen nor touched and the responsibilities of kingship can be onerous indeed, especially with Assyria as overlords.  Did fear make the King seek other gods?  Was the priesthood so poor nobody objected, or were those who did removed? Isiah dies near Manasseh’s accession and we can ask whether these two occasions were connected?  Powerful Kings and forceful prophets do not always lead to a moral state.  No prophet that we know off spoke to Manasseh although Chronicles tells us Yahweh had told him to change his ways and he was ignored.  Life was short for many at that time and the majority of the population would have little memory I guess of the Lords previous work in Jerusalem.

Frightened tyrants often become paranoid and much blood is let loose.  A nation with no moral guidance loses the sense of conscience and although prosperous the nation appears to be in turmoil.  Did fear reign perhaps?  I have as yet to check this out sufficiently so I will move to the thought that grabbed my attention.  Manasseh surrounded himself with gods he could see and lived a life that appeared good to him.  However the real God, Yahweh, is not seen. No image is to represent him, no pole, no carved representation, and many Christians react like Manasseh when their God appears not to be answering.  The Christian God does not require statues, not even crosses, just a book, the library known as ‘The Bible.’   This is not a book to worship but the God who breathed into the writers his words he is to be worshiped, and he is always with his people.  I wonder if the King was seeking reassurance from his gods, divination and witchcraft?  His mighty neighbours made his position very dangerous and while trade made them prosper all kings worry about those around them.

Manasseh was led into a dangerous place in Babylon before he repented and was restore.  How many of us wander in desert places because we do not realise Jesus is with us, even though he says nothing and cannot be seen.  Faith, not blind faith but trust in what he has said is required.  Wherever we are with him he is always there.  Possibly Manasseh was never taught this, certainly he knew in the end, may we also realise God is always there.

A young lad was told by his atheist teacher to read out the phrase ‘God is nowhere.’  The lad stood up and read out ‘God is now here!’  Let’s not forget this.

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

« Grumbling