“When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:13
At the beginning of Chapter 33, we’re introduced to King Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh. We read that he “was twelve years old when he became king, and he…did evil in the sight of the Lord”. Now you would have expected this if he had King Ahaz for a father. But he didn’t. His father Hezekiah is known as one of the Great Kings in Judah’s History and he would follow in his grandfather’s footsteps instead!
But the Story doesn’t end there. As Paul Harvey used to say, “and now,…the rest of the story”. Today’s Verse tells us about his Prayer while in a Babylonian Prison. This part of King Manasseh’s life is not mentioned in 2nd Kings. Why? We don’t know, but I am thankful it is. The longest ruling of all the Kings, And, the Most Wicked, is carried off by Assyria to Babylon. While in prison, he cries out to God who answers and returns him to Jerusalem. Once home, he begins to undo all the evil he had done.
Today’s Lesson? It is Never too late to Repent and turn to God. NEVER! May God use Manasseh’s story in both us, and those Prodigals that we love!