“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” 2 Kings 21:1-4
“The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 NIV
Lord God,
Twelve years old and his mother was Hephzibah. Hephzibar the wife of Hezekiah, a righteous king of Judah and mother of Manasseh the most wicked king of Judah? Did her heart ache watching her son destroy every righteous reform his father had made? And Hezekiah had had to make the righteous reforms after King Ahab his father. There was no consistency and the people just went with whatever?
A good father does not always mean a good son and a bad father does not always mean a bad son. And do we say Manasseh was worse than Ahab? When we are weighing up how bad people are do we try to count their sins? How many have they murdered or how much have they stolen or how many people did they mistreat. But You God see sin as sin. The first sin is the one that separates us from Y0u. Though some have more consequences than others and these are what make them seem worse.
We will never know what the thief on the cross next to Jesus had stolen. Perhaps a loaf of bread for his family or perhaps livestock or money. But You forgave him. You did not condemn, criticize, belittle or lecture him. John tells us, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4). Sin can be an attitude, action, neglect or intent. It cannot be avoided how ever hard we try. But You changed Manasseh and You can change me. And in Jesus we know how to be changed. There is still much work to do in me Holy Spirit.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Tuesday 5th August 2025
This is such a simple song and yet it so clearly reflects 2 Corinthians 2:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
FROM glory to glory He’s changing me,
Changing me, changing me,
His likeness and image to perfect in me,
The love of God shown to the world.
For He’s changing, changing me,
From earthly things to the heavenly,
His likeness and image to perfect in me,
The love of God shown to the world.
Lyrics: Alan Hall (Written in the 1970’s?)