King David and King Solomon ruled over a United Kingdom (Israel). However, after Solomon’s death, the kingdom divided into Judah in the south (Jerusalem) and Israel in the north (Samaria). Manasseh was the king of Judah (southern kingdom) for fifty-five years from approximately 697 BC to 642 BC. The kings of Israel and Judah were classified as either “good” or “evil” depending on whether they followed the Lord or rebelled against Him.
King Hezekiah, Manasseh’s father – a good king
King Hezekiah of Judah, the father of Menasseh, was considered a king of righteousness who followed the commandments of the Lord (2 Kings 18:5-7). Yet, he harbored a profound weakness—pride (2 Chronicles 32:25).
When Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness, he fervently implored the Lord, who, in His mercy, granted him an extension of fifteen years. Tragically, Hezekiah failed to recognize the magnitude of this divine gift. During the additional years bestowed upon him, his pride intensified, leading him to reveal the vulnerabilities and secrets of Judah to the Babylonians.
Babylon would ultimately emerge as an adversary to Judah, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Hezekiah, acknowledging the grave consequences of his pride, earnestly prayed and humbled himself before the Lord. In response to the sincere supplications of Hezekiah and the entire nation of Judah, God chose to withhold the impending destruction of Judah during the duration of Hezekiah’s reign.
2 Chronicles 32:26 But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
King Manasseh – a VERY Evil King
Because Hezekiah’s son Manasseh was only twelve years old when he became king, he must have been born later in Hezekiah’s life — after his illness. The Bible tells us that Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord. We don’t know why Manasseh became so evil, whether his mother embraced evil practices, or whether his father just failed to teach him the ways of the Lord, but Manasseh’s legacy would be as an evil king.
Jewish tradition also holds that King Manasseh was responsible for the torture and murder of the prophet Isaiah, who was believed to have been sawn in two for his Testimony to the One True God (YHWH). (Hebrews 11:37-40)
2 Kings 21: Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil😈 in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
Baal and Ashtoreth worship, ancient AND modern
Manasseh rebuilt all the idolatrous worship places (high places) that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He erected altars for the false “gods” Baal and Asherah (Jezebel) and worshipped all the host of heaven (fallen angels) and served them. (occult). It is written that Manasseh shed MUCH innocent blood in Jerusalem. He sacrificed his own sons to Baal (the devil), and he even built altars for the fallen angels IN the house of the Lord! 😱
2 Kings 21:5: And he (Manasseh) built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers (witchcraft). He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.
It is written that Manasseh committed more wickedness than all the pagan nations that dwelled around Judah. Not only did King Manasseh perpetrate these sinful acts, but he also incited the whole nation of Judah to join him in his descent into sin! Evil leaders do not just lead; they actively propagate sin AND IDOLATRY.
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Any nation who knows God (YHWH/JESUS CHRIST), and then turns away from Him to worship “other gods” will find themselves under judgment. Judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17).
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God warned Judah that He would be “bringing upon Jerusalem such disaster that the “ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle… and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies“ (2 Kings 21:12, 14).
This is a pretty sad story of what happens when a nation is born with the knowledge of God, but then turns away from Him. Power, greed, lust, idolatry, drunkenness, perversions, and all sorts of fleshly temptations are designed to pull us away from the One True God and destroy what God has created. What was the result? Manasseh and the people did NOT heed the warnings and jerusalem WAS EVENTUALLY DESTROYED; its people sent into exile.
This issue of National Geographic was in the checkout isle of my grocery store this past week, right out there in the open for all to see….😱
‘We’re in the middle of a witch moment’: “Hip witchcraft” is on the rise in the US😱
Consequences of REBELLING against GOD
God ultimately lifted His Hand of protection and gave Manasseh over to his enemies. Manasseh was taken in chains to Babylon by the Assyrian army.
2 Chronicles 33:10: So the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
11 Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains, and led him to Babylon.
Manasseh’s father Hezekiah believed in the One True God, but Manasseh’s father was busy and prideful. Did he fail to teach his son God’s ways? What about Manasseh’s mother? Could she have been doubleminded, allowing the pagan practices of the surrounding nations to enter into their worship of YHWH? Child sacrifice, sexual perversions, witchcraft and the like became normalized in Judah’s society. This is what happens when people who worship God turn their back on Him. Satan WILL fill the void.
DOUBLE-MINDED CHRISTIANS
The same SIN and IDOLATRY that brought about Judah and Israel’s judgment are being NORMALIZED in today’s culture.…and not just by “pagan nations”. These values are being normalized in CHRISTIAN nations!!
What we are witnessing today is a large amount of CULTURAL Christians who claim the name of Christ while embracing sinful behaviors and worldly values. Cultural Christians do not subscribe to a Biblical worldview and have not taught their children Biblical values.
If Cultural Christians are double minded and distracted, what will become of the next generation?
“Only 6% of Christians have a biblical worldview as many Americans embrace syncretism, according to a new survey (2021). “Syncretism” is the term used to describe a customized blend of philosophies of life that a person pieces together for their own satisfaction,” the report explained.
“Syncretism is the result of people relying upon their emotions to appropriate elements of various recognized worldviews toward creating an idiosyncratic, personally pleasing understanding of and response to reality.”
Adherence to syncretism has increased since 2021, when the Cultural Research Center found that 88% of American adults subscribed to the worldview of syncretism.“
The report above was from 2020. In 2024, the report is even gloomier….
January 2, 2024
“Someone once remarked that Christianity in America is a mile wide and an inch deep. In other words, there are many people in the U.S. that attend church or claim Christianity as their faith, but unfortunately that widespread identification with the Christian faith does not translate into an identifiable walk with Christ that is consistent with key components of a biblical worldview.”
“Barna Research shows that a biblical worldview in America is at an all-time low!
This is not simply an anecdotal observation but confirmed by numerous research studies conducted by Dr. George Barna. His research over the past 30 years shows that a shockingly small percentage of Americans have a worldview that is consistent with the Bible and aligned with fundamental Christian beliefs.”“Barna’s most recent report titled Incidence of Biblical Worldview Shows Significant Change Since the Start of the Pandemic, was released on February 28, 2023, by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.
This report showed that only 4% of Americans hold to a biblical worldview. This was down from 6% from a similar report three years prior.“
“And not surprisingly, the younger a person is, the less likely they are to have a biblical worldview.
Barna’s research showed that only 1% of adults under 30 have a biblical worldview😱.
By contrast about 5% of those ages 50 to 64 have a biblical worldview.
We are observing an alarming trend of Gen-Z youth distancing themselves completely from BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY! This occurrence spans the globe, as secularism and “woke” values, alongside new age spiritualism, and syncretism are increasingly dominating our society. The religion of “Wicca” (witchcraft) is one of the largest growing religions in the US, while Biblical Christianity is on the decline. New Age practices have made their way into the Church.
The Danger of the Emergent Church Heresy – Life in a Dying World
There are consequences to rejecting a Biblical worldview, both now and into eternity. Here is a recent study that shows a strong correlation between having a non-Biblical world view and anxiety, depression, fear and worse…
CRC-Release-AWVI-5-Sept-24-2024.pdf (arizonachristian.edu)
Manasseh REMEMBERED the GOD of his fathers
There is good news and bad news in the story of Manasseh. If we were to read this account only in the book of 2nd Kings, we might think that captivity and death was the end of Manasseh’s story. But when we look at 2nd Chronicles, we discover some good news. When Manasseh was in MISERY, bound in chains in a Babylonian dungeon, he “humbled himself greatly” and cried out to the Lord in his distress, and the Lord heard his prayer. A humble and contrite heart, the Lord will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)
2 Chronicles 33:12: When he (Manasseh) was in distress, he appeased the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 When he prayed to Him, He (YHWH) was moved by him and heard his pleading, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom.
Then Manasseh knew that the Lord alone is God.
Misery and suffering have a way of causing us to gain a better perspective on what is really important. The Bible says that Manasseh humbled himself greatly before “the God of his fathers”. This means that he remembered what he had learned about God as a child, even though he had never followed the God of Israel himself. He remembered the Covenant that God had with his fathers.
Manasseh’s father King Hezekiah, a “good king”, must have taught his son SOMETHING about God. In his distress, Manasseh remembered the God of his fathers, he humbled himself before God and cried out for help. God heard his cry and rescued him from that dungeon, bringing him back to Jerusalem.
We see in 2nd Chronicles 33 that Manasseh was a changed man when he returned to his kingdom in Jerusalem. 🙂
2 Chronicles 33:15: He (Manasseh) also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.
16 He set up the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.
Now forgiven, King Manasseh made every effort to undo the damage he had done; but sadly, it was too late for Judah and for his son Amon. The people would not listen. They did not share Manasseh’s personal conversion experience.
2 Chronicles 33:17: However, the people still sacrificed on the high places, although only to the Lord their God.
Although Manasseh tried to undo the damage he had done, his legacy in the Bible is one as an “evil king”. This is because he did so much damage to Judah and Jerusalem spiritually that they refused to repent. The Lord forgave Manasseh, but the damage he had done to the nation and to his son did not reverse.
When Manasseh passed away, he was buried with his fathers. However, the same cannot be said for his son.
Manasseh had the blessing of being taught about the Lord by his father Hezekiah. However, it appears that Manasseh, who had been double minded and embraced idolatry and wickedness, did not bestow that blessing upon his son Amon. The above research shows that a person’s worldview is typically established by around age 13 and changes very little after that time.
“A person’s worldview drives every decision they make, every moment of every day,” Barna explained.
King Amon – An Evil King, did NOT remember the God of his fathers and did NOT repent.
Amon became king at 22 years old when Manasseh passed away. Amon did evil in the sight of the Lord as Manasseh had done. However, unlike his father Manasseh, Amon did not repent and was not buried with his fathers.
Amon reigned only two years in Jerusalem before he was murdered.
2 Chronicles 33:21: Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem.
22 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them.
23 Furthermore, he did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied his guilt.
24 Finally, his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house.
Lured away by the distractions of this world and the lies of the enemy, countless younger Christians have forgotten the lessons imparted by their parents and grandparents and have embraced syncretism over a Biblical worldview. In so doing, they have not taught THEIR children the truths of the Bible.
When challenging times inevitably arise, these double-minded Christians, much like Manasseh, will find themselves desperately seeking a solid foundation to lean upon. Jesus Christ as revealed in the Word of God IS that foundation.
Many will come to a heartfelt repentance for their wavering faith and fervently seek the Lord’s favor once again. – – They will be FORGIVEN!
But what about THEIR children who were never taught about the Bible? Will they end up like Amon, failing to repent and suffering the horrific consequences of full-on unbelief?? 😔
Luke 18:6: And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
A CALL for Christian Parents today to embrace and teach BIBLICAL Christianity to their children.
Christian parents need to understand that the culture is NOT neutral. Our children are being taught a belief system that directly contradicts the teachings of the Bible. If distracted parents neglect to instill a solid foundation of Biblical Christianity, their children are destined to endure immense struggles in adulthood. – Anxiety, depression, fear, and worse (a potential loss of salvation). 😔
Once our children grow into adulthood, they have to make their own choices from their own free will. We cannot choose for them. But as Christian parents it is our responsibility to guide them toward the Lord while they are young so that they choose RIGHT. The Bible instructs us, “Train a child in the way that they should go, and they will not depart from it when they are old” (Proverbs 22:6). If you have raised your children in the Christian Faith and they have strayed, fervently pray for their return. 🙏🏻 Manasseh returned, recalling the God of his fathers.
Even if you never instructed your children about Jesus and the Bible, and they have now fully dismissed a Biblical worldview as adults, it is NEVER too late to pray. Prayer has the power to effect major change. Manasseh humbled himself deeply before the Lord and earnestly sought His mercy. Despite Manasseh’s lifetime of sin, the Lord responded to his prayer!
“Based on extensive national research, Barna outlines a biblical approach to raising children with the “Seven Cornerstones of a Biblical Worldview.” (available on Amazon)
“In Raising Spiritual Champions, renowned researcher and bestselling author George Barna reveals that who your child will be as an adult is essentially determined by the age of 13―their core beliefs, morals, values, desires, and lifestyle”.
Raising your child is an exciting opportunity to influence a life, but it is also a daunting assignment. Parents have the God-given responsibility―and privilege―to guide the development of their children, a responsibility that cannot be delegated to schools, churches, media, or community organizations. “
If your children are still young, then it would be a good idea to begin sharing your own Christian faith with them now. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to share your faith with them.
- Find a Bible believing Church with a good Children’s program.
- Purchase an Adventure or youth Bible for your children and learn together.
- Invest in Christian children’s books such as the “Brave” series by Kirk Cameron.
- Closely monitor your children’s tv programs, video games, movies, etc. A word of warning, Disney is no longer considered “Christian friendly”.
Great Christian Games and Community for Kids (lightgliders.com)
There is purpose in our pain
Now we must confront the reality of suffering. Pretty much nobody likes to suffer or watch their loved ones suffer. I certainly don’t. But there is purpose in our pain. Suffering and adversity tend to cultivate humility and soften the human heart. Manasseh endured extreme suffering when he was forcibly taken to a dungeon in Babylon, bound in bronze chains. He likely faced dehydration, starvation, torture, and a complete absence of sunlight and human dignity. However, this period of anguish compelled Manasseh to turn from his evil ways, humble himself and cry out to the Lord (YHWH/JESUS), the ONLY GOD who can SAVE. The Lord heard his desperate cry.
God did not cause Manasseh’s suffering, but He used it to soften his heart, bring him to repentance, and mold him into something more like the man he was created to be. Ultimately, the pain that Manasseh experienced helped draw him closer to God and created a space for him turn from evil and be saved.
In stark contrast, Amon, who was born into privilege and appeared to escape hardship, never repented and ultimately perished in his sin.
The sad reality is that most of us need to be humbled before we can truly appreciate the majesty and authority of God. Humiliation paves the way for humility.
Consider the allegory of the frog in the pot: if a frog is placed in a pot of water with gradually increasing heat, it will remain comfortable and boil to death. However, should the temperature rise abruptly, the frog will instinctively react and jump out of the pot. This serves as an analogy for humanity and the trials we endure; God sometimes rapidly cranks up the heat to save us.
When we experience suffering or correction, it is a testament to God’s love for us—a love profound enough to urge us toward repentance and the pursuit of His divine presence, leading us toward eternal life. Without such intervention, we run the risk of perishing in our complacency.
Hebrews 12:5: And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
We discipline our own children in order that they might come back to a place of obedience. We do this because we love them. Our goal as Christian parents is to lovingly discipline our children so that they don’t grow up laden with sin and hard hearts, unruly, unloving, and undisciplined. God is the perfect parent.
It was prophesied in 2nd Timothy that much of the youth growing up in the last days would embrace evil....Is this because they have rejected a Biblical worldview?
2 Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
Young people are being indoctrinated by the evil “god of this world’ who now dominates our education system, social media, entertainment, music, television, movies, and video games. At the same time, many Christian parents are distracted by worldly pursuits and have not focused on teaching their children Biblical values. Is it any wonder that we see the really negative character traits listed in 2nd Timothy 3 increasing in our youth at an alarming rate?
Jesus is calling people BACK to BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY!
It is time for parents to WAKE UP! The clock is ticking!!⌛
We must discern the signs of the times and recognize that our young people ARE being INDOCTRINATED by evil antichrist ideology! We need to INTENTIONALLY and PROACTIVELY combat this antichrist culture with BIBLICAL TRUTH!
If Christian parents remain complacent, they may just wake up a few years from now and discover that their now adult children do NOT believe in the God of the Bible at all. Like Amon, this will jeopardize their children’s eternity, and no Christian parent can bear that weight!
Jesus: “Child come on back, you’ve been gone too long, Let Me lead you back where you belong…Right next to Me”
Good “coffee” or swill? The Luke-warm Church of Laodicea – Life in a Dying World
In the book of ACTS Chapters 19-22, the Apostle Paul preached against Syncretism, the mixing of religions, superstitions, or worldviews.
