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2 Chronicles 33:13

13He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.


Manasseh would probably win the distinction of being the wickedest king of Israel. He was born to Hezekiah during those added years of life. As soon as he became king, he undid everything his father had accomplished. He restored idolatry to a new level of depravity. He defiled the temple. He burned his sons as offerings to idols. He used fortune-tellers, sorcerers, mediums, and necromancers. The depravity of Judah was worse than the nations that God expelled from the land.

Babylon came and conquered the land and took Manasseh captive. That is what it took to wake him up and turn him back to the God of his fathers. That was when he finally prayed. It must have been a prayer of deep repentance. You can never be too bad for God. The mercy of God is there for anyone who will turn. Manasseh had led God's people into the darkest depravity, yet even then, God was willing to hear his prayer of repentance.

Babylon let him return to his position as king. Now Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. He immediately showed that his repentance was genuine by destroying all the idols and their altars and restoring the worship of God in the temple. His previous sins would have consequences for the nation, but his heart had been changed.

No matter how far you have fallen, remember that God is a God of mercy. Those who genuinely repent and turn to Him will be received. They will show their repentance is genuine by cleaning up their life. The sins of the past will be abhorrent to them. Though we may face the consequences of our sins, we will know the LORD is God, that He hears our prayers, and that we have been made right in His eyes.

Consider: The person you think would never turn to God can't be as bad as Manasseh. God brings people to places of desperation so they will know He is the LORD.