II Kings 21: God Vs. Gods

The spiritual history of Israel can be viewed as a war for allegiance fought between the Lord God and the lesser idols that sometimes swayed the hearts of the people.  Manasseh, a king of Judah who ruled for 55 years, goes down in scripture as one of the worst kings for his misguided leadership in turning the nation to worship false gods.  In fact, the Bible lays the blame for Judah's destruction at his feet.

Here are some of the offenses that Manasseh is responsible for:

• He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down (vs. 3).

• He erected altars for Baal (vs. 3).

• He made a sacred pole (vs. 3).

• He worshiped and served the "host of heaven" (vs. 3).

• He built altars in the Temple (vs. 4 and 5).

• He offered his son, a prince of Judah, in child sacrifice to Molech (vs. 6).

• He practiced augury and soothsaying (vs. 6).

• He dealt wizards and mediums (vs. 6).

• He set up a carved image of Asherah in the Temple (vs. 7).

• He shed innocent blood, filling Jerusalem from one end to another (vs. 16).

The verdict on Manasseh is that he "misled them to do more evil than the nations had done that the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel" (vs. 9).

For Manasseh's sins, and for his leading the whole nation into sin, judgment is coming.  "The Lord said by his servants the prophets, 'Because King Manasseh of Judah has committed these abominations, has done things more wicked than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has caused Judah also to sin with his idols; therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle" (vs. 10-12).  The Lord then promises to bring upon the Israelites a cleansing like the wiping of a dish.  He reveals that He will cast off His remaining heritage and send the people into the hand of their enemies.

When will God's people learn that He isn't joking around about the importance of faithfulness and righteousness?