May 9th
2 Kings,
21
Manasseh
King of Judah
1: Manasseh was twelve years old when he
began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's
name was Hephzi-bah. 2: And he did that which was evil in the sight of the
LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the
children of Israel. 3: For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his
father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as
did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served
them. 4: And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said,
In Jerusalem will I put my name. 5: And he built altars for all the host of
heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6: And he made his son pass
through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar
spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to
provoke him to anger. 7: And he set a graven image of the grove that he had
made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In
this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel,
will I put my name for ever: 8: Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any
more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to
do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law
that my servant Moses commanded them. 9: But they hearkened not: and Manasseh
seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed
before the children of Israel. 10: And the LORD spake by his servants the
prophets, saying, 11: Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these
abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which
were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: 12: Therefore
thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon
Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
13: And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of
the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it,
and turning it upside down. 14: And I will forsake the remnant of mine
inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall
become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; 15: Because they have done that
which was evil in my sight,and have provoked me to anger, since the day their
fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day. 16: Moreover Manasseh shed
innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another;
beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in
the sight of the LORD. 17: Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that
he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Judah? 18: And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and
was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his
son reigned in his stead.
Amon
King of Judah
19: Amon was twenty and two years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name
was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20: And he did that which
was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did. 21: And he
walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his
father served, and worshipped them: 22: And he forsook the LORD God of his
fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD. 23: And the servants of Amon
conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house. 24: And the people
of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people
of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. 25: Now the rest of the acts
of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Judah? 26: And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza:
and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.
2 Kings,
22
Josiah
King of Judah
1: Josiah was eight years old when he began
to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's
name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. 2: And he did that which
was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his
father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
A
scroll of the Law is found
3:
And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent
Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of
the LORD, saying, 4: Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the
silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the
door have gathered of the people: 5: And let them deliver it into the hand of
the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and
let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to
repair the breaches of the house, 6: Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons,
and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7: Howbeit there was no
reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand,
because they dealt faithfully. 8: And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan
the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9: And Shaphan the scribe
came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have
gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the
hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the
LORD. 10: And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest
hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 11: And it came
to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent
his clothes. 12: And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son
of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah
a servant of the king's, saying, 13: Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for
the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found:
for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our
fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto
all that which is written concerning us. 14: So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam,
and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife
of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now
she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. 15: And she
said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you
to me, 16: Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and
upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of
Judah hath read: 17: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense
unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their
hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be
quenched. 18: But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the LORD,
thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the
words which thou hast heard; 19: Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast
humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this
place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a
desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also
have heard thee, saith the LORD. 20: Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto
thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes
shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought
the king word again.
In today’s reading we find Manasseh the evil
king of Judah Amon his son and Josiah Then we read of the reforms of Josiah and
of his conversion and the promise of deliverance. Manasseh was only 12 yrs when
he came to the throne of Judah and he reigned for 55 yrs. His mother had the beautiful name Hephzi-bah
(The daughter that l delight in) But Manasseh was a thoroughly bad king in
every way. He did evil in Gods sight like the heathen nations all around. Then
the scribe lists his abominations.
He built up again the high places which
Hezekiah his father had destroyed
He reared up altars for Baal, and made a
grove, as did Ahab king of Israel
He worshipped all the host of heaven, and
served them.
He built altars in the house of the LORD, of
which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.
He built altars for all the host of heaven in
the two courts of the house of the LORD.
He made his son pass through the fire, and
observed times,
He used enchantments, and dealt with familiar
spirits and wizards:
In summary…
He wrought much wickedness in the sight of
the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
PS He set a graven image of the grove in the
house of the LORD.
This was a man inspired of the evil one to
lead Judah into horrendous abominations. They committed more evil that the
nations that Judah had come to bring the judgment of God in the beginning. The
Lord sent prophets to warn them of their evils saying that he would destroy
them like a man wiping a dish with a dishcloth. Manasseh also killed innocent
people filling Jerusalem with state sponsored murder. Manasseh died and his son
Amon took the throne. He was 22 yrs old when he became king and reigned for
just 2 years. He was bad like his father and was murdered by his own servants.
Next we come to Josiah who began when he was 8 yrs old and reigned for 31 yrs.
He was a good king – he lived as David did serving the Lord with a good heart.
After ruling for 8yrs (he was only 16 yrs old) he sent his scribe to the house
of the Lord to count the money and put the house in a good state of repair. He
hired workmen with money in hand and repaired the temple. During the building
work the scribe found a copy of the Torah and brought it to Josiah. The book
was taken and read before the people but when Josiah heard the word of the LORD
he was struck by it and fell into conviction of sin. He tore his clothes in
distress and wept before the Lord. Then they sought for a prophet and found a
prophetess who told then the word of the Lord. The message of the LORD was that
he was going to bring evil on Judah but because Josiah had repented and feared
the Lord and wept and humbled himself before the LORD then these things would
not happen until after he died.
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