2 Chronicles 32-33

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Chronicles 32-33&version=ESV

In 2 Chronicles 33 we we return to another bad king. Manasseh.

Manasseh was very wicked, let's read of some of his evil doings:

^"And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asherahs, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall my name be forever." And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. " (2 Chronicles 32:2-6)

How wicked is that? Burning your own sons as an offering. Many of y'all maybe saying, yeah, yeah, another wicked king, we have read this before. But let's read on.

"The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He 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." (2 Chronicles 32:10-13)

Manasseh knew what he did was wrong. He pleaded to the Lord, and the Lord heard his cry. Friends, the story gets better - let's read on:

"And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. He also restored the altar of the LORD and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God." (2 Chronicles 32:15-17)

Friends, this is an example of true biblical repentance. Repentance is a gift from God.

2 Timothy 2:25 says, "....God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth"

When Manasseh repented, first it says he knew the Lord was God. God led him to a knowledge of truth. Then as a result of a changed mind towards God, there was a change in the heart which leads to changed life.

This is what repentance means. To turn from our sin and to turn to God. To stop walking in our sin and to strive to walk in obedience.

I hear so many people say, "I sinned and I repented, and I am OK with God now." Really? Has your repentance led you to forsake the behavior or act that caused you to sin in the first place? If not, one really needs to look and see if it is a false repentance.

I heard one pastor say, if 5 birds are on a pole and three decided to fly off it, well there are still five birds on the pole."

What that means is, action must follow when some one says they have repented. Yes, repentance means a changed mind. But a truly changed mind will cause us to reflect on how we are living, and thus will cause us to change the patterns of our lives that are not pleasing to God when we repent to Him.

Thank God to day for repentance. Ask Him to give you true repentance. Live a repentant, obedient, and faithful life in Christ!!

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:14)

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.