The book of Kings began with the building of the temple and ends with its destruction. How sad! A nation broken and destroyed to near extinction as we watch a people forsake the One True God. A journey from true worship to the necessary destruction of apostasy. Throughout the journey, God remained patient, merciful, holding fast to the covenant promises. In every stage there were the few, the remnant who trusted in Him. Those who sought after Him with all their heart. No, these were not perfect. For the best of men, were men at best. The same is true of women. Sin lures the hearts of humanity to believe the lies. Somehow believing that whatever the heart desires will bring peace. Yet, throughout all of history we find, human desires only lead to more destruction. As we can see today. Now. In the world we live in.
Each day, a part of me cries out much like Jeremiah the prophet concerning Judah during the last days before their captivity. I look around and I weep. Yet this I do know! God is in control. He is Sovereign! Does He weep also? Yes, but He also rejoices for those who know Him. His creation-People forsake Him the One True God in search for their own Utopia that cannot exist without Him. He knows the futility. Yet, He waits for one more to be saved. One day, He will say, “Today sound the trumpets, call home the bride for final preparation of their wedding.” That will begin the end times. Many more will be saved during the tribulation, but they will be the martyrs. The bride will have left and will return with Him for the Millennial reign of Christ. How sad for all those who forsake the one true God.
How Sad
We left off last week with Hezekiah establishing worship once more in Judah. When he died his son Manasseh became king.
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother[a] was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the sight of[b] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations[c] whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky[d] and worshiped[e] them. 4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my home.”[f] 5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. 6 He passed his son[g] through the fire[h] and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it.[i] He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.[j]
7 He put an idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.[k] 8 I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,[l] provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law my servant Moses ordered them to obey.” 9 But they did not obey,[m] and Manasseh misled them so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed from before the Israelites. 2 Kings 21 ESV
People forsake the One True God
Society tends to follow its leaders rather than to stand up themselves. Why? Some for fear. Others just march along like blind sheep heading straight to slaughter.
10 So the Lord announced through[n] his servants the prophets: 11 “King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins.[o] He has sinned more than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by worshiping his disgusting idols.[p] 12 So this is what the Lord God of Israel has said, ‘I am about to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah. The news will reverberate in the ears of those who hear about it.[q] 13 I will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of Ahab.[r] I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a plate on both sides.[s] 14 I will abandon this last remaining tribe among my people[t] and hand them over to their enemies; they will be plundered and robbed by all their enemies,[u] 15 because they have done evil in my sight[v] and have angered me from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!’”
16 Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained Jerusalem with their blood from end to end,[w] in addition to encouraging Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the Lord.[x] 2 Kings 21 ESV
Were It Not For the Mercy of the One True God
That should have been it. Done. Why keep extending mercy to such stubborn and stiffnecked people who continuously turn away from the one true God to chase after pleasures and idol worship. Had they not seen? Did they not hear? Ah but God even extended mercy to King Manasseh.
10 And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not [d]listen. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with [e]hooks, bound him with [f]bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. 16 He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the [g]high places, but only to the Lord their God. 2 Chronicles 33 ESV
Heading Toward Destruction, How Sad, But God
Despite his humbling himself and returning to God, his son Amon had not learned from his father. He did evil in the sight of God. So much so, that his own servants rose up and killed him. The people continuing to forsake the one true God, then killed the servants. So, Josiah, Manasseh’s other son became King at the age of 8.
He did what the Lord approved[a] and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps;[b] he did not deviate to the right or the left.
3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor[c] David. In his twelfth year he began ridding[d] Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images. 4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down,[e] and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols, and images, crushed them, and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests[f] on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins[g] around them, 7 he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 3 ESV
The King’s heart broke.
How Sad he was watching the people forsake the one true God. As he did all this, he began the restoration of the temple where the law was found. When the law was read to him, he felt the weight of sorrow upon him. He knew all that he had done was not enough. When he recognized the truth of God’s righteousness, justice, and magnificent glory, he recognized his own unworthiness. The more I know of Him, the less I think of me as well. I see the depth of darkness lurking in the edges of my heart and am humbled at how He could love me so.
11 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant…13 “Go, seek an oracle from[l] the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.” 2 Kings 22. ESV
A Message of Grace
The priests as sent forth by King Josiah to seek the Lord’s message went to a prophetess who returned these words to him.
“This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the things in the scroll that the king of Judah has read. 17 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices[q] to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made.[r] My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 18 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have heard:
19 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit[s] and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an accursed people.[t] You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 20 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.[u] You will not have to witness[v] all the disaster I will bring on this place.’’ Then they reported back to the king. 2Kings 22 ESV
One Last Revival to the One True God
Josiah re-instituted the Passover and supplied all the lambs and bulls needed for the people. This was a great time. But in the end, there were some who believed and others who just followed the procedures; yet, in their hearts they still forsake the One True God. Why do I say that? Well, so quickly upon his death, all hell broke out again.
After Josiah, his son returned along with the people to doing every evil act imaginable. That is until Judah was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He ransacked and destroyed the temple which had been once filled with God’s presence. Still God did not give up on the remnant of believers. He still one day sent His Son to earth to die on a cruel cross for such people as we are. His grace and patience have continued to hold back the ultimate of evil that humans are capable of. Allowing those moments in which all can glimpse His miraculous glorious love, righteousness and justice on display.
How Sad the Heart of Habakkuk Until He Understood
Habakkuk was very frustrated as a prophet. First, he wanted God to do something to just fix it with a snap of His hand. However, God said that would not be the way. Instead, the Babylonians would take the people captive. Only then would the nation be cleansed to begin again with the remnant. At first Habakkuk resisted this plan. Then he realized the depth of God’s grace as God revealed it to him. He concluded with this.
I heard and my whole inner self trembled;
My lips quivered at the sound.
Decay and rottenness enter my bones,
And I tremble in my place.
Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,
For the people to arise who will invade and attack us.
17
Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there is no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive fails
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
And there are no cattle in the stalls,
18
Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;
I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
19
The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army];
He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet
And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my [e]high places [of challenge and responsibility]. Habakkuk 3 (AMP)
Concluding Thoughts
How Sad. We watch the world mostly forsake the One True God. At moments we feel hopeless, helpless. But we are not. WE may feel as did Habakkuk. Our spirits may tremble. And our lips quiver. However, even if everything around us falls apart. Regardless of famine, sorrow, death, we can choose to rejoice in the Lord because He is the One True God and His promises are forever true. For all who know Him as savior we can shout in exultation in the victorious God of our salvation. He is our strength, our courage, and our invincible army.
Just as God told King Jehoshaphat Years Before
Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. … 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, …
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 20 (NET)
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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