King Manasseh's Repentance

Manasseh was the fourteenth ruler of Judah. His 55-year reign was the longest of any of Judah’s kings — and arguably the worst. He rebuilt the “high places” of pagan worship and made altars to foreign gods, even in the temple of the Lord itself. He worshiped the sun, moon, and stars, practiced witchcraft, consulted mediums, and even practiced child sacrifice. He filled Jerusalem with the blood of innocent people. God’s verdict was that Manasseh had made Judah more wicked than the nations that God had driven out of Canaan centuries before (see 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33).

God punished Manasseh by allowing him to be carried off in disgrace by the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 33:11). Held captive in Babylon, the king humbled himself and prayed to God. The Lord restored Manasseh to his kingdom, and he began the work of setting things right. He fortified Judah’s cities, removed the altars and idols, and commanded the people to serve the Lord.

Manasseh is a memorable example of God’s mercy on those who repent. Praise God that He will forgive us even after we have done so much evil! As the Lord later said through Ezekiel:

But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him (Ezekiel 18:21-22).

However, while Manasseh’s repentance brought forgiveness in his own life, there was some damage that could not be undone. His repentance didn’t restore the innocent lives he had taken. The children who had perished in the flames of idol worship, the victims of Manasseh’s persecution, all were still dead. No amount of tears could bring them back.

Manasseh’s repentance didn’t salvage his influence on his family. Most scholars believe the king’s change of heart came very late in life — too late, it seems, to prevent his own son from following his early example of ungodliness. When Manasseh died and Amon took the throne, he “multiplied guilt” (2 Chronicles 33:23).

Manasseh’s repentance didn’t erase the stain he had left on the nation. His reforms never fully changed the hearts of the people; idolatry and wickedness still festered in one form or another (2 Chronicles 33:17). Nearly 30 years after his death, God’s temple was still in disrepair, the book of the Law missing (2 Kings 22:8). Furthermore, Manasseh could not avert the judgment that God promised to bring on Judah because of his evil (2 Kings 21:14; Jeremiah 15:4).

There’s a lesson in all this that we sorely need to learn: God’s forgiveness erases sin’s damnation, but not necessarily all of its damage. Even when we’re done with sin, it may not be done with us! It can have lasting effects on our bodies, our minds, our finances, our relationships. It can affect one life or many. As God warned Israel, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

This highlights a huge defect in modern thinking: we think being forgiven of sin should mean being exempt from any consequences whatsoever. God does not promise that! He forgives sexual immorality, but that doesn’t un-break a broken home or make an unwanted pregnancy or disease disappear (cf. Proverbs 6:27-29). God forgives drunkenness, but that doesn’t restore a diseased liver or resurrect a victim of drunk driving (cf. Proverbs 23:31f). God forgives malicious strife, but that may not wipe away the mistrust and ruined influence left behind. God forgives divorce, but that doesn’t mean one is free to remarry (Mark 10:11-12; Matthew 19:9f). God forgives laziness or neglect, but the opportunities missed cannot be regained.

God is not obligated to forgive our sins, but He has promised that He will if we repent. God is not obligated to remove all the misery that sin leaves behind, either — and He hasn’t promised to! Let Manasseh’s example encourage us to rejoice in God’s forgiveness. But let it also give us one more reason to keep from sin, knowing that “the way of the transgressor is hard” (Proverbs 13:15).