2 Chronicles 33

It’s kind of hard to believe that—after seeing such a wonderful example of a king in his father, Hezekiah—Manasseh could be so wicked. He virtually reversed every good thing his father had done during his reign. However, maybe that’s what happens when a twelve-year-old becomes a king! Can you imagine putting a teenager in charge of a country? Mercy!

The first part of 2 Chronicles 33 describes a young king who is out of control. He rebuilt all the places where Israel worshiped false gods. He built altars to Baal and bowed down to the stars. He practiced witchcraft and consulted mediums. He even burned his own children alive in the fire—sacrificing them in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. How sad.

God was neither ignorant of the situation nor passive. Verse 10 says, "The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention." Doesn’t this remind you of those parents and out-of-control children you see in the stores? The kids are running around causing havoc, and every once in a while, Mom will reprimand one or all of the kids. But it never does any good. They ignore her and keep on doing what they’re doing. (You see, they have learned well that Mom is all talk and no walk, so they know that Mom’s warning will go by the wayside without anything to back it up.)

I’m so pleased to say that God is not that kind of parent.

When the speaking didn’t work, God moved on to Plan B: "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." (vs 11) Aha! If Manasseh didn’t want to listen, that was just fine. God had some other ways of getting his attention.

And it certainly got his attention: "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; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." (vs 12-13)

So God put Manasseh in a world of hurt, and it greatly distressed him. So much so that he woke up to the foolishness of his ways and begged God for help. And, of course, God immediately responded. You see, God has a purpose in humbling us. It’s not to get revenge because we haven’t obeyed. And it’s not to force us into submission. It’s to train us.

After Manasseh’s attention-getting episode, the Bible says that then he knew that the Lord is God. No longer did he burn his children in the fire to other gods. No longer did he visit the witches and the mediums. God’s plan worked; it turned Manasseh around and set him back on the road toward home.

God humbles us—sometimes He humbles us hard. But He does it because (1) He loves us and (2) it is best for us. You see, whenever I encounter an out-of-control child, I don’t get angry at the child. I get angry at the parent. The child needs discipline, but especially when he is immature, he can’t discipline himself. That is the job of the parent.

So, the next time you feel like God is humbling you—rejoice! God only disciplines the ones He really loves, and if you’re experiencing His correcting hand in your life, it means He really cares about you!