2 Chronicles 33: 12-13 “In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea.” [NIV]
Are there people you see as being so corrupt and godless that they stand outside the circle of any hope? I must confess…I do. But reading the story of Manasseh makes me think again.
Manasseh reigns as one the worst kings to ever rule over Judah. He built altars to Baal and sacred poles to Asherah. He established the worship of pagan gods right in the temple of the Lord, and sacrificed his sons in homage to them. He “practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists” (verse 5). Manasseh was bad. Really, really bad.
As a result of his apostasy, God allowed Assyrian troops to invade the nation. They captured Manasseh and with a hook in his nose, drug him off to Babylon. At this point in the story, I’m cheering, “Yay God! You are bringing down on this bastion of evil exactly what he deserves!” Ah, but that’s not the way God saw it.
From his dank, dark prison, Manasseh cried out to God. He had reached the bottom and the bottom caused him to look up. His humility touched the heart of God. Manasseh was released from captivity and returned to Jerusalem. There he bore fruit in keeping with his repentance. In his remaining years, he sought to repair all the damage he had done and restore Judah to the worship of the God of a thousand redemptions.
If that’s not a reversal, I don’t know what is! It makes me want to throw away all my judgments and repent of my lack of faith. I don’t want to box anyone in. No matter how scarlet their sins (Isaiah 1:18). No matter whether they live in my sphere or strut on the national stage. If Manasseh can turn around, maybe all those folks I deem hopeless can too.
Friend, if there are people in your life whom you feel could never come to the truth, take heart. Don’t stop praying for their redemption. Maybe they might someday, like Manasseh, humble themselves greatly before God. You never know when another great reversal is on the way!