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.
- What sort of person was Manasseh?
- What sort of person was Josiah?
- How did Josiah do when he found the Law?
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