MANASSEH THE EVIL KING, THE SON OF HEZEKIAH Hezekiah was a good man, who cleansed the temple of all the pagan abominations. But after his death, his son Manasseh, who sat on the throne when he was 12 years of age; was the most evil of the kings, spread idolworship, and abominations, together with violence and blood shedding; and the people came to be more evil than the nations (2-9). Here it shows how serious it would be when the leader’s heart is so defiled to defile his people; so that prayers without sound repentance would be rejected, even if they are raised by Moses, Samuel, or Jeremiah. God’s wrath would dwell upon the congregation corrupted by the evil leadership. The prophet Isaiah talks about the era of Manasseh, the king who shed so much innocent blood (21; 2 Chronicles 33), that “The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness” (Isaiah 57: 1, 2). This more obviously applies in the days of the antichrist, when the man of sin reigns in the temple of the Lord, and persecutes the church” (2 Thessalonians 2: 4 etc.); to be said: “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13: 4); “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation; … Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13: 7, 10); Before such evil, it is said: “From the face of evil, the righteous is taken away”; as the righteous are destroyed, persecuted, or killed. The life of Manasseh reveals to us the personal responsibility of every man in his own relationship with God. King Manasseh, being evil, he did his best to corrupt every reform that was done by his father the good king; … The good Josiah, was the son of the evil Manasseh; the son of the righteous Hezekiah, the son of the evil Ahaz.. God allowed for Manasseh to reign for 55 years, namely more than any king of the two kingdoms; probably to chastise the people who did not care for the reforms done by the good king Hezekiah, but they formally received them during his life; and once he died, they soon revealed their inner corruption, and their opposition of the worship of the true God. The believer may wonder: What is my role, being someone with no authority in my society? … It is befitting of every believer to pray for the sake of the kings, the rulers, and those with authority (1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8), for the Lord’s sake. 1- Manasseh seduced his people to do more evil than the nations whom God had cast out before the children of Israel 1 - 9 2- God threatens chastisements 10 - 18 3- Amon, the son of Manasseh walked in his father’s evil ways 19 - 22 4- Amon assassinated, and his brother Josiah reigns in his place. 23 - 26 1- MANASSEH SEDUCED HIS PEOPLE TO DO MORE EVIL THAN THE NATIONS WHOM GOD HAD CAST OUT BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.” (1) Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah reigned for 55 years (697-642), the longest reign of the divided kingdom. In his time the kingdom reached the climax of evil, although there was peace between Assyria and Judah, in the days of Esarhaddon(681-668 BC), and of Assurbanipal (668-626 BC).. Although Manasseh was not a good king, yet God intended to reveal His own faithfulness (God’s) toward His people, despite the unfaithfulness of the king, the leaders and the people. Because Hezekiah, the good king, has been short-sighted in his care for the nation as a whole, and for his own family in particular, his son was raised, not taking after his good father, but after his evil grandfather Ahaz. He adopted the practices of the evil Babylonians and Canaanites, whom God had cast out before the children of Israel, and given the later the promised land.. Manasseh, not listening to the warnings of the prophet, led his people to sin.(2 Chronicles 33). The righteous Joseph gave the name Manasseh to his firstborn son; saying: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (Genesis 41: 51).. And Hezekiah probably did the same because God healed him of his illness, and gave him seed after he feared to die childless, and therefore made him forget all his toil. When Manasseh was born, his father was 42 years old, three years after he was healed of his illness. “Hephzibah”, the name means (My pleasure is in her) (Isaiah 62: 4). “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel” (2). Because of his young age, Manasseh boasted being a king, and counted himself wiser than his father; lived according to his own evil desires, till he became enslaved by them. But when God allowed for him to fall into captivity, he repented and returned to his kingdom (2 Chronicles 33: 12). Although the reform done by king Hezekiah brought joy to the people (2 Chronicles 29: 36), yet temporarily and not from the heart, And once Manasseh reigned when he was only 12 years old, the leaders seduced him to return to idol-worship. Besides, it so seemed that the prophet Isaiah, who was the counselor of his father and grandfather, died.. That was the first time God allowed for the extension of the reign of such an evil king all that time, But probably because many of the leaders and the people pretended to be religious all the days of his good father; and had no fear of the Lord in their hearts, God intended to expose those evil men before their own eyes, in the hope that they might repent and return to Him. And on another aspect, God probably allowed it, so that when the evil king is captivated to Babylon, he would eventually show remorse, repent, be forgiven by the Lord, and be brought back to his throne. By that God would reveal His longsuffering with the wicked, in anticipation of their repentance. + Manasseh was evil to a great extent (2 kings 21: 2-7). He sawed and tore the flesh of the prophet Isaiah, was defiled with all the abominations of idol-worship, and covered Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent. But when he fell into captivity, he used his experience and knowledge to resort to repentance as a healing tool. According to the Holy Book, when he got very humble before the Lord , and prayed fervently to Him, God responded to his supplication and brought him back to his kingdom. … If therefore, repentance saved someone who has sawn, and torn a prophet, will it not save you, who did not commit such a great evil? + I did not seek it from Him; but He carried me on His shoulder and brought me into His fold; By my own free will, I was defeated, and my sins made me go astray. But, once I showed remorse, repented, and came back, Will He not open the door before me, lest I am devoured by the wolves? In spite of having His hands nailed, He did not forsake me; for I am His beloved, although my sins alienated me from Him; Now, being humiliated by sin, I came back; Will He receive me as a rejected branch? O my Judge!... my Evil would never surpass Your compassion! No My Lord, I shall not say that my evil is too great to be forgiven! Repentance, O Compassionate, often reversed Your judgments; Having already issued Your decision to destroy Nineveh, Her great sins did not make You reject her, once she repented. … You never rejected a repentant.. The law-Giver said: “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” (Matthew 15: 26); but repentance say: [Yes, but it is good for the little dogs to feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables] Hasten, O repentant soul, toward repentance, and live…. Behold, you hear your Lord vows: “I have no pleasure in the death of the sinner” (Ezekiel 33: 11). Do not seek to remain in your sins, lest you die;… Return to Him as Sarah returned to Abraham; Have no pleasure in the world, as Sarah did not prefer the king’s banquet to her intimate relationship with Abraham; If you do return, He will spread His arms, receive you, carries you, and introduce you to His Father, who will also rejoice in you, love you, and say to You: [Behold, our lost image is found; Behold, our kidnapped daughter has returned; Behold, Our possessions robbed by strangers, returned to us. There will be joy in heaven, for the angels will be glad to receive you, will rejoice in your repentance, and will praise the Father who received you; the Son; and the Holy Spirit who brought you back. To the Holy Trinity, the glory, the praise, and the greatness, forever, Amen. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) + Indeed, the wise man hastens to repent; whereas the foolish man finds pleasure to remain in them; “The righteous accuses himself” (Proverb 18: 17); whereas the wicked defends himself. The righteous begins his talk by revealing his sin; whereas the other counters the accusation by more talk, in an attempt to cover them up. (St. Ambrose) “For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them” (3) Baal; The Phoenician god, in whose worship Israel fell since the era of the judges (Judges 2: 130. Manasseh set an idol of Baal in the temple of the living God (3, 5, 7) Worshipping all the hosts of heaven”; probably goes back to the time of Ahaz (33; 12); taken after the Assyrians and the Chaldeans, whose Astrologists claimed to know the future by watching the movements of the stars, and that these movements have their effect upon running the issues of the world. The stars are called “the hosts of heaven” on account of their multitude and system. … Here, according to some, it does not refer to the angels and the heavenly hosts, but to those hosts of heavens who have previously fallen. Although worshipping the hosts of heaven was utterly forbidden by the law of God (Deuteronomy 4: 19; 17: 2-7); and attacked by the prophets (Isaiah 47: 13; Amos 5: 26); yet Manasseh listened, neither to the law of God, nor to the prophets (7, 8; 2 Chronicles 33: 2-10).. “He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” (4) Manasseh not only built altars for the Baal, and made wooden images in the house of the Lord,. but his people committed adultery, there, under the pretence of dedication to the Lord. The house of the Lord had two courts: an inner court (1 kings 6: 36), or ‘the court of the priests’ (2 Chronicles 4: 9); and an outer bigger court (1 kings 7: 8), that included the king’s palace (1 kings 7: 9; 2 Chronicles 4: 9); and all the buildings of the temple, etc. … Manasseh, not only built altars of Baal in outer places the way king Solomon did, but set them in the same place where God put His name “And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD” (5). Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger” (6) The Israelites worshipped the god ‘Molech’ after they entered the promised land; even king Solomon built a temple for him on the Mount of Olives (1 Kings 11: 70; and Manasseh made his son pass through the fire , to honor him. The statute of that god was made of bronze, with two hands stretched forward to receive the child offered to him as a sacrifice. They used to set fire inside the bronze statute until it becomes red-hot, then put the child on the stretched hands amid the sound of drums and dancing around; until the child burns completely. According to some, that was done to honor the star ‘Saturn’, god of agriculture of the Romans; while others count it as an honor to the sun, and still others refer it to the star ‘Atared (in Arabic)’ (god of commerce, eloquence, craftiness, and robbery, for the Romans); and according to some it was to honor the star ‘Venus’, god of love and beauty of the Romans, etc.. “He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever” (7) The carved image of Asherah probably made according to a design taken from Assyria; was in the form of a pillar adorned with horns of rams; and on its top, an image of a palm tree, and a metal net with images of palm trees, pomegranates, and pine, all around; and signs that referred to fertility and sexual organs, to stir evil desires up. “and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” (8) “But they paid no attention, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel” (9). After parading a list of the transgressions of Manasseh, from ugly practices of the abominations of the nations, to defiling the house of the Lord, by some way or another, the book said that Manasseh “seduced his people to do more evil than the nations that God had cast out before the children of Israel”…. They came to be more evil than those nations, on account of that, although they knew the true God, had the law, and have the prophets; yet they worshipped many and diverse gods; whereas the nations, on the other hand, each worshipped her own god. The Lord Christ says: “That servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself, or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few; For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12: 47, 48) + The servant who knows his master’s will, disregard it and does not do according to it, as a commitment he has to obey, being counted in obvious reproach, will be beaten with many stripes. … But why does he who does not know it, be beaten? …….Because if he would care to know it, he could.. It is a strict judgment under which those who know fall; as shown by the disciple of the Lord Christ, who says: “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3: 1). The spiritual gifts are abundant for the rulers of the people; according to the words written by the apostle Paul to his blessed disciple Timothy, saying: “May the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 2: 7); and, “I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1: 6).. From this it is clear that, from those whom the Savior of all gives more, He will require more. What are the virtues He requires from us? … To be steadfast in faith and in the sound teaching, to be well established in hope, in unshakable perseverance, in unconquerable spiritual power; and in courage in every good progress. By that we come to be role models for others in the evangelic life. Living like that we would be worthy of the crown Christ prepares for us. By, and with whom, be the praise, and dominion to the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever, Amen. (St. Cyril the Great) + Notice how He seriously and clearly distinguishes between, sinning while knowing, and sinning without. ……….Nevertheless, we should not seek refuge under the claim of ignorance; for there is difference between being ignorant, and not willing to know. … “He has ceased to be wise, and to do good” (Psalm 36: 3); has the wrong will, and no right to excuse himself by ignorance…. Yet even ignorance does not justify man, nor save him from the eternal fire; but may make he punishment less severe; for he rightly says: “taking vengeance on those who do not know God” (2 Thessalonian 1: 8). (St. Augustine) + What excuse do we have, who entered the royal palace, counted worthy to enter into the divine temple; and came to be partners in the enjoyment of the holy sacraments -- the forgivers of the sins; and yet we walk in evil more than the Greeks (the Gentiles), who did not partake of those privileges. (St. John Chrysostom) 2- GOD THREATENS CHASTISEMENT: “And the LORD spoke by His servants the prophets, saying,…” (10) “Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), (11) God sent to them His servants the prophets: Hosea, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Isaiah, to provide them with the counsels and instructions of God; and in case they do not listen, to provide them with prophetical warnings. God’s talk through His prophet here, came in the form of a statement of accusation against the king and his whole kingdoms; according to which the verdict would be issued against them, if they do not return to the Lord with repentance. By the ‘Amorites’ here, he refers to all the Canaanites (1 kings 21: 26; Amos 2: 9, 10). When the king sins, he who is seen by his people as a role model, they follow his example. Hence, when Manasseh worshipped the idols, all the kingdom of Judah followed suit; even though a few remnant remained faithful to the Lord. “ Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle” (12) To proclaim the seriousness of His chastisement, God proclaims: “Whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle”, an expression that came in (1 Samuel 3: 11), when God told Samuel, the little prophet, about what will dwell upon the house of Eli the priest, that would be forever destroyed, that no sacrifice nor offering would atone.; ………..Also came in (2 kings 21: 12) when He talked about the evil that will dwell upon Jerusalem and Judah because of the abominations done by king Manasseh, who shed innocent blood, so plentiful to fill Jerusalem;…………. And used by the prophet Jeremiah against the priests and the kings, with all the people, who followed their suit. This expression refers to committing a great evil that makes whoever hears it tremble; and it usually reveals what would follow the threats of great bitterness. In Jeremiah, it came: “Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that whoever hears it, his ears will tingle” (Jeremiah 19: 3). … Yet, speaking about the chastisement that will dwell upon them, even though God is the Lord of the heavenly hosts; he delivers His people, as though in weakness, for the sake of their eternal salvation. If God chooses to take revenge against the wicked, whatever great is his wickedness, Hw would not resort to threats, but would allow for the chastisements to dwell without warning. But now, He threatens, to provoke Manasseh and those with him to repent, to lift those chastisements from them; which was confirmed by St. John Chrysostom in many situations. “And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down” (13). This parable God presents as a strong warning. If the people of Judah were terrified for what happened to Israel of bitterness; what came upon the kingdom of Israel, will also come upon the kingdom of Judah; for there is no partiality with God. The desolation of Samaria was great, it lost everything, as one wipes a dish, leaves no traces of food in it, and turns it upside down. …. In a similar way the measuring line and the plummet are used for building, as well as for demolition. “As one wipes a dish”, namely, nothing will be left in Jerusalem of her glory and riches. This expression implies some kind of despite; to liken Jerusalem to a dish, and her inhabitants to dirt that should be wiped out. The Lord says through Isaiah: “I will make justice the measuring line , and righteousness the plummet” (Isaiah 28: 17); And “David measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive” (1 Samuel 8: 2).. “So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies” (14) By saying: “I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance”, God does not mean to annul His covenant with David (Psalm 89: 30-37); but He means to say that Judah that was counted as a remnant of the inheritance of the kingdom of God, will not be exempted from being chastised on her sins. God’s inheritance is His people whom He cherishes. Yet, when the kingdom of Israel dissented and rejected the Levite priesthood, of the seed of Aaron, and also rejected David’s house; the Lord rejected that part of His inheritance; and counted the kingdom of Judah the remnant of His inheritance, and so it remained for as long as 140 years, until it also fell into captivity. “because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day” (15) The Holy Book (the Old Testament), is not a record of God’s wrath upon His people, as much as it is a record of His longsuffering on them along history, since He brought them out of Egypt on the hand of the prophet Moses, anticipating from them to bear fruit; but they, instead, bore rebellion, stubbornness, and oppression against the divine Truth. “They have done evil in My sight”. On the roofs of their houses they worshipped all the hosts of heaven; they poured drinks to other gods (Jeremiah 19: 13); they made cakes for the queen of heaven in the streets of Jerusalem; they built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the sons of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire (Jeremiah 7: 31). And, in the house of the Lord, there were booths of the perverted persons, where the women wove hangings for the wooden images (2 kings 23: 7). The rulers were like roaring lions, the judges like vicious wolves, the prophets were insolent and treacherous; and the priests have polluted the sanctuary, and done violence to the law (Zephaniah 3: 3-4). In the city there were plunder, violence, strife, contention, and perverse judgment (Habakkuk 1: 3-4) “Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD” (16) The believers faithful to the Lord, were subject, not only to afflictions, but also to blood-shedding (Joel 3: 19); which probably refers to the innocent children who were offered, against their will, by their own fathers as human burnt offerings to the idols, In the tradition it came that, in the midst of the collective slaughters done by Manasseh, He sawed the prophet Isaiah into two halves, when he attempted to hide in a hollow lump of wood (Hebrew 11: 37-38); and he probably killed other prophets in that time, as well. It is clear that many of those who held fast to the worship of the living God, and rejected the idol-worship were martyred, and their blood covered the streets of Jerusalem.. “ Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh—all that he did, and the sin that he committed—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?” (17) Not caring for the warnings given to him by the men of God -- the prophets, Manasseh ended up being led a prisoner by the king of Assyria; and once in captivity he returned to God; About it him it is written: “When he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God , and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and God received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then, Manasseh knew that the Lord was God” (2 Chronicles 33: 12-13) + You heard, O beloved children, how the Lord punished Manasseh for some time, for being addicted to idol-worship, and for killing a multitude of innocent people; But, once he repented, God received him, forgave his iniquities, and restored to him his kingdom. …….. God, not only forgives the repentant, but restores to them their previous honors (2 Chronicles 33: 12-13). (The by-laws of the saintly apostles) + Although Manasseh committed uncountable iniquities; stretched his hand to the saints, brought abominations into the house of the Lord, filled the city with blood; and did many things beyond imagination; Yet, after doing all that great evil for an extended time, he had his soul utterly cleansed through searching himself, and by repentance.. … There is no sin that does not come under the power of repentance, nor does not open the way before it; but, rather, by the grace of Christ, if we intend to change, He will help us to do. … If you intend to be good, nothing can stand in your way, except for the devil, who has no authority, if you choose what is best for yourself, and draw God to help you. (St. John Chrysostom) + If Manasseh chose to meditate in his evil deeds, he would, most probably have despaired in reform and repentance, and would have lost everything he gained later on; But meditating, instead in the limitless compassion of God, he could break up the shackles of the devil, and wrestle against him. “So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza. Then his son Amon reigned in his place” (18). The garden of Uzza”, It is obvious that he was not buried in the tombs of the kings of Judah; but, according to some, the garden of Uzza was a sacred sanctuary of an imaginary god.. Fifteen kings of Judah were buried in the city of David; while Manasseh and his son Amon were buried in the garden of Uzza; and out of four others, one was buried in Egypt, two in Babylon, and one ‘Jehoiakim was not buried. 3- AMON, THE SON OF MANASSEH WALKED IN HIS FATHER’S WAY: “Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah” (19) That evil king followed the lead of his evil father; as did Ahaziah who followed that of his evil father Ahab (1 Kings 22: 51-53). It so seems that some of the people who did not approve of idol-worship, killed Amon, to reign his eight years son, Josiah, in his lace, in an attempt to return to the worship of the living God. They surrounded him since his childhood with every way to help him bind with the faith in God. Jotbah; probably the same Jotbathah mentioned in the Book of Numbers (33: 33). “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done” (20). “So he walked in all the ways that his father had walked; and he served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them” (21). + No sin is more serious than idol-worship; for it is a rebellion against God; and yet even this sin could be forgiven by true repentance. … But, in case someone takes an adversary position, and does not care for God’s punishment, saying: “I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart” (Deuteronomy 29: 19); such a man will not be forgiven;; he would be like Amon the son of Manasseh … ; who, to justify his disobedience, he said in his heart: [Like my father who was very disobedient, then he repented in his old age; I shall also walk according to my heart’s desire, then will eventually return to God, when I grow old].. He, accordingly did evil in the sight of God more so than all his predecessors, God utterly destroyed him, denied him his good land, his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house, after reigning only for two years. (By-lawas of the saintly apostles) 4- AMMON ASSASINATED, AND HIS SON JOSIAH REIGNED IN HIS PLACE: “He forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD” (22). “Then the servants of Amon conspired against him, and killed the king in his own house” (23). The book did not refer to the reason behind his assassination, whether because of his evil, or for some political reasons, including his relationship with Assyria. “ But the people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King Amon. Then the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his place”.(24) “ Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?” (25) “And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. Then Josiah his son reigned in his place” (26). ------------------------------------ AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 KINGS 21 LET YOUR WORD SHINE ITS LIGHT IN MY HEART AND LET YOUR HOLY SPIRIT WORKS IN MY LIFE + How could king Manasseh justify his corruption? He was raised in the house of his godly father; And You sent to him prophets who uttered Your Word; And, with longsuffering, You endured him. + O my God! You sent to me, not an angel, an archangel, or a prophet for my salvation; But You Yourself came down to me, and carried my reproach on the cross; You opened the gate of paradise before me; And let me in need of nothing, but the abundance of Your love and grace. + Let Your word shine its light in my heart So that darkness would never crawl into my depths; Let Your Holy Spirit work in my life; For Your Word will shed light on my way Your Spirit will carry me, and I will fly up in air; + Make sin bitter in my mouth, so as not to desire it; Reveal to me the secrets of Your love; So that I throw myself in Your bosoms, returning to You; You are the whole love and mercy; HEZEKIAH THE GOOD KING AND MANASSEH HIS EVIL SON HEZEKIAH THE GOOD KING MANASSEH, HIS EVIL SON 1- He trusted in the Lord God, so that none was like him among all the kings (2 kings 18: 5) 1- He did evil in the sight of the Lord (33: 1) 2- He cared for the house of the Lord, and for the worship in it (2 Chronicles 29) 2- He rebuilt the high places which were broken down by his father 3- He celebrated again the Feast of Passover, and called to partake of it, the people from both kingdoms; and their prayers reached heaven 3- He seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to follow the lead of the Gentiles 4- He exhorted the people to obey the Lord. 4- He and his people did not head the Word of the Lord. 5-The angel of the Lord saved him and his people from Assyria. Hezekiah had an abundance of riches and honor, and prospered in everything he did 5- He was led captive to Babylon shackled in bronze chains.
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