Open this Sermon in a “New Window”

4^th Pentecost Sunday

June 20, 2010

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church

Sioux Falls, SD

Rev. Norman F. Seeger

2 Chronicles 33:1-6,10-17

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. ² He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger…

¹⁰ The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ 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. ¹² In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³ 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.

¹⁴ Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.

¹⁵ He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. ¹⁶ Then he restored the altar of the LORD and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. ¹⁷ The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

2 Chronicles 33:1-6,10-17

"Forgiveness for Every Generation"

1. Manasseh ‘Reverses’ His Father Hezekiah’s ‘Reformation’

2. Led to Repent, Renouncing His Sin, Manasseh is Graciously Forgiven

Dear Children of God, our gracious, forgiving Father,

A heart-warming ‘Father’s Day’ scene sees a thankful son giving dad a tie or maybe a simple card expressing appreciation for his loving leadership. Manasseh warms no hearts, however, as he essentially slaps his dead father Hezekiah with the back of his hand. A faithful, God-fearing father; an ungrateful, God-defying son! Unfortunately, families still wrestle with this far-too-familiar conundrum. Why is a son or daughter, trained to follow the Lord, suddenly turning to walk away from God? Noting Manasseh’s age, some might say, ‘typical teenager’ -- might offer excuses we too often & too easily accept – might dismiss his evil actions as if it is ‘normal’ for teenagers to rebel for a time. In fact, it is not acceptable for any son at any age – no one is innately created -- to do the exact opposite of what dad orders. Only Satan invites sons to disobey. Sad to say, modern Manassehs too often listen to the devil rather than follow the Lord. Too many times, we not only disobey our earthly father, but we most critically dishonor & deny our heavenly Father.

“Becoming king in Jerusalem when he is twelve years old,” Manasseh sinfully ‘reverses’ his father Hezekiah’s reformation. To better understand what happens here, let’s set a simple stage. King Hezekiah, like a precursor of Martin Luther, reforms the southern kingdom of Judah; leads God’s stubborn, disobedient people to again listen to our Lord’s Word. Hezekiah tears down high places where people worshipped the idol Baal, purifies God’s temple; celebrates the Passover. Opening their Bible to listen to God’s Word & learn our Lord’s will, reformer king Hezekiah is used by the Holy Spirit to lead our Lord’s people back onto that path where we faithfully follow the Lord God who first powerfully created us & in time lovingly promises to save us.

Sad to say, God-pleasing changes king Hezekiah can put in place during his twenty-nine year rule do not last long. “When twelve-year old Manasseh becomes king in Jerusalem, he does evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of nations the Lord had driven out before Israel.” Ruining his father’s reformation – dismantling Hezekiah’s ‘corrections’ -- Manasseh’s fatal flaw is refusing to follow the Lord. Turning his back on God, he walks with the world. Instead of being unique – a godly ruler unlike any other ruler on earth -- Manasseh will imitate idol-worshippers God destroyed or dispossessed as he led his people into this land he promised to give their fathers Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.

Why would anybody walk in the footprints of people God destroyed? What positive results can people possibly expect? Yet, we sometimes mimic Manasseh whose sin of forsaking the Lord is not an ancient error, but is too regularly repeated in our world today. Will we live like saints – souls who are ‘set apart’ from this wicked world as the Holy Spirit gives us faith, as “God calls us out of darkness into his wonderful light;” calls us “to abstain from sinful desires; to live as aliens & strangers in this world?”[1 PT 2] Will co-workers call us ‘strange’ or ‘weird’ or worse because our attitudes & actions are obviously different from theirs? Will our friends & neighbors notice we are unique – special – we are ‘saints’? Or will we carefully try to blend in with the world around us? Will we people of God talk like everybody else? Will we walk arm-in-arm with wicked souls surrounding us on every side? Will we, like Manasseh, turn our back on God & “do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

His fatal flaw of forsaking God floods Manasseh’s life with evil actions just the way turning our back on the Lord will still defile us today. “He rebuilds high places his father Hezekiah had demolished. Manasseh erects altars to Baal; makes Asherah poles. He sets up other altars; sets up his own carved image in the temple of the Lord.” Today, do we encourage other souls to worship idols while labeling it ‘diversity’? Do we, right here in God’s house, dilute or corrupt our worship of the one true God while trying to incorporate possibly popular but ungodly practices from other faiths, calling it ‘inclusivity’?

Turning his back on God, Manasseh “bows down to all the starry hosts & worships them…practices sorcery, divination & witchcraft.” Do we worship the stars today? Do we consult our horoscope many mornings – do we subtly accept its universal advice even as we laugh at its unspecific simplicity? Do we practice any superstitions in our daily life while claiming to trust God’s complete control? Do we follow any variety of fortunetellers’ suggestions? Do we mistakenly place ‘black magic’ on a par with God’s power?

Appearing to walk as far away from God as possible, Manasseh ultimately “sacrifices his sons – or, makes his sons pass through fire – in the valley of Ben Hinnom,” an apparently special way of appeasing the Ammonite idol, Molech. This practice the Lord had specifically banned before his people ever entered their promised land – this blatant disregard for children God had given Manasseh -- seems too hideous for anyone to consider continuing today. But, as we turn our back on God, how many helpless little children are being abused today? How many unborn babies are aborted every month in America?

Wicked without a doubt, Manasseh intentionally attempts to ‘reverse’ his father’s reformation, walks away from God; “does evil in the eyes of the Lord.” It’s quite a conundrum: a faithful, God-fearing father; an ungrateful, God-defying son! Most amazingly – a critical truth I pray we take to heart – Manasseh cannot remove himself from the reach of God’s mercy. Reading ‘the rest of the story,’ we realize God’s forgiveness – forgiveness which would have been highlighted again in Hezekiah’s reformation – God’s forgiveness is for every generation. God’s forgiveness is for me! For you! For every sinner like Manasseh who is led to repent & to renounce his wicked ways!

First, God gets Manasseh’s attention, “bringing the army commanders of Assyria, who take Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bind him with bronze shackles & take him to Babylon.” King Manasseh & the people of Judah totally ignore the Lord as he speaks through his prophets -- turn a deaf ear to God’s written Word – but God will not turn away in anger. God chastises Manasseh. God inflicts a little pain. God forces Manasseh to realize he cannot take care of himself. God brings his king to his knees. Imprisoned in Babylon, “in his distress, Manasseh seeks the Lord’s favor; Manasseh humbles himself before the God of his fathers.” Amazingly, mercifully, “the Lord is moved by Manasseh’s entreaty; listens to his plea; brings him back to Jerusalem & to his kingdom.” Graciously – loving Manasseh just as he loves each of us ‘for no reason at all’ – God forgives Manasseh’s every sin the same way God fully & freely forgives our every sin. Instead of punishing this wicked king the way he deserves – instead of sending him away from God forever, instead of sentencing him to suffer in hell’s unending fires – our loving Lord will punish his own innocent Son as Manasseh’s substitute, on that very same cross where Jesus suffered the punishment our sins deserve. When he puts his Son to death in our place; when he raises Jesus from his grave, showing us his sacrifice for our sins was accepted, God justly declares us ‘forgiven’ – just as he declares Manasseh ‘forgiven.’

In addition to graciously forgiving Manasseh’s guilt, God also restores his throne in Jerusalem, where he will “reign for fifty-five years,” the longest any king ever exercised authority in Judah. Ending his rule much better than he began, king Manasseh offers us an excellent example of repenting & renouncing sins God so graciously forgives. Repenting, we will realize, is not simply saying, ‘I am sorry;’ then rejoicing in Jesus’ forgiveness. Repenting includes renouncing sin – turning away from wrong to do right – correcting whatever damage we have done, as far as we are able. Repenting & renouncing our sins, we not say to the Lord, ‘I am sorry’ – we also say, ‘I intend to sin no more,’ as our Lord instructs our forgiven souls.

Restored to his throne in Jerusalem -- turning away from his wickedness to now walk with God -- Manasseh “rebuilds the outer wall of the City of David, making it much higher.” Manasseh stations military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.” Exerting every effort to undo all the damage he had sinfully inflicted upon the temple of the Lord, Manasseh “gets rid of the foreign gods & removes his image from the temple. Throwing them out of the city, he restores the altar of the Lord; sacrifices fellowship & thank offerings on it.” Attempting to correct his most critical mistake, “Manasseh tells the people of Judah to serve the Lord.”

Sad to say, not everyone really listened. Not every soul was totally restored. Not every Word of God was practiced in people’s lives, for “people continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.” Judah’s misguided effort to merge the worship of idols with the worship of God would not please the Lord who demands our undivided devotion. Fortunately, God will be willing to forgive repentant, sin-renouncing souls in every generation. When Manasseh’s son, Amon, rejects his father’s final faithfulness – undoubtedly awakening sad memories in Manasseh’s heart – God would forgive. Unfortunately, Amon walks away from God’s forgiveness; forever rejects God’s gift of salvation. Amon will never humble himself before the Lord, will not repent, but only increases his guilt.

Fortunately, after Amon’s brief two-year reign ends in an assassination, God uses Josiah -- who becomes king at the age of eight – to effect another reformation even more effective than Hezekiah’s. “Josiah does what is right in the eyes of the Lord & walks in the ways of his father David.”

A forgiven, faithful father; a faithful, forgiven son -- a heart-warming picture of an earthly & also a heavenly relationship! May the Lord God who graciously forgives generation after generation place you & me into his picture as faithful sons of God who repent, renounce our sins & rejoice in Jesus salvation!

Amen.