The Life Of A Wicked King (King Manasseh)

He is certainly considered to be the most wicked king of Judah.

His grandfather, Ahaz, was a wicked king, but his father, King Hezekiah is considered to be the most godly king of Judah.

It's hard to imagine that someone as righteous as Hezekiah could have a son as evil as Manasseh. This wicked monarch reigned longer than any other king in Judah.

Hezekiah was one of the few kings in David's line, the kings of Judah, called "good." Most of them were evil,

Hezekiah was responsible for a spiritual revival during his reign that swept the entire nation. He did away with the idolatry that his father, Ahaz, had established, and purged the nation of apostasy.

It was Hezekiah's wise leadership that made him a powerful spiritual force in Judah.

But 2 Kings 21 begins by telling us that the great King Hezekiah had died.

Manasseh came to the throne when he was only twelve years of age. He co-reigned with his father for about ten years.

What a wonderful opportunity he had for his life.

• He had the wonderful example of his father to follow

• He was exposed to the ministry of Isaiah and Micah

• He had personally seen the Lord deliver Jerusalem in a very miraculous way, when it was under siege by the Assyrians

Yet note what he did once he had power as king when he took over. Look at verse 2, we read, “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.”

It seems once his father died, he wasted no time turning to evil. We learn two things from the life of King Manasseh, such as:

(1) King Manasseh is the perfect example of a man throwing his life away to sin

(2) King Manasseh is the perfect example of a wicked man returning back to the God he once knew

Perhaps there are some here today who feel that your sins are so gross, that God could never save you from those sins.

If you are thinking this way, let me assure you God’s grace is sufficient to save the most wicked among us.

Let’s look at the life of King Manasseh. What do we see? We see-

I. HE WAS A CORRUPTED KING

Look at 2 Kings 21:1-7, we read, “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah. 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. 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. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 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. 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.”

The Bible does not just say that King Manasseh was a wicked King, the Word of God describes his wickedness in great detail. Such as:

A. HIS WICKEDNESS AFFECTED HIS SPIRITUAL STANDING WITH GOD

Look at verse 2, we read, “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.”

B. HIS WICKEDNESS AFFECTED HIS FATHER’S LEGACY

He restored the altars of Baal that his godly father Hezekiah had removed.

Look at verses 3-5, we read, “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. heaven, and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.”