The worst king of Judah repented

"When Manasseh was in distress, he begged the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him ; And he let himself be bent by him, and listened to his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem in his kingdom ; And Manasseh acknowledged that it is the LORD that is God." 2 Chronicles 33, 12, 13

Manasseh was the son of the pious king Hezekiah but was the worst king who reigned over Judah. It is true that he was born during the period of reprieve which had been granted to his father and during which the latter became proud (2 Chr. 32, 25). It is also true that at twelve years of age, when he ascended the throne, he could easily be the plaything of bad counselors.

He leads his people "to do evil more than the nations which the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Chr 3:33). He practices occultism, sacrifices his son, places an idol in the house of God. Besides these abominations, Manasseh commits atrocities. God warns him, but he does not pay attention. The Assyrians then took Manasseh and took him to Babylon. Is the righteousness of God exercised at last ?

There, in Babylon, bound in chains, in distress, he repents, humbles himself, prays and begs the Lord. Marvel of divine grace, God allows Himself to yield ! He hears his supplication and brings him back to Jerusalem at the head of his kingdom.

From then on, Manasseh applied himself to serve the Lord by destroying the idols he had made and restoring the sacrifices prescribed by God. In this deliverance the grace of God and his mercy towards Manasseh and his people are all the more evident as the sins committed were personal offenses against the Lord whose temple he had profaned.

Perhaps a reader thinks he is too great a sinner to be forgiven ; Or perhaps a believer keeps on his conscience a sin not confessed so grave in thinking that God can no longer accept it ; Perhaps, like Manasseh in his chains, he weeps because of the consequences of his faults. May this example of the grace of God encourage him to turn to God, to humble himself, to beg.

The story of Manasseh helps us to understand that God always welcomes a man who humbles himself before him. His mercy knows no bounds. The only thing that is impossible for God is to refuse to forgive a sinner who repents or not to listen to one of his children who comes back to him.

Source (To pleasing the Lord)