Why did Manasseh practice witchcraft and divination in 2 Kings 21:6? Text in Focus 2 Kings 21:6 : “He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.” Chronological Setting • Ussher places Manasseh’s reign at 697-642 BC, beginning as coregent with Hezekiah at age 12 (2 Kings 21:1). • His 55-year rule makes him the longest-reigning monarch of Judah, spanning the height of Neo-Assyrian dominance under Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal. Political Pressures and Assyrian Patrons Assyrian royal inscriptions (e.g., Esarhaddon Prism B, col. iii, lines 15-25; Ashurbanipal’s Rassam Cylinder, col. ii, line 50) list “Menas̱e of Judah” among vassal kings who sent tribute. Pagan divination and astral cults flourished in Assyria; aligning with them signaled loyalty, secured trade routes, and reduced military threat. Manasseh’s adoption of Assyro-Babylonian occult rites thus served realpolitik. Theological Rebellion and Covenant Breach Deuteronomy 18:10-12 explicitly bans child sacrifice, divination, sorcery, and necromancy, labeling them “abominations.” Manasseh’s acts were conscious repudiations of the Sinai covenant, erasing his father Hezekiah’s reforms (2 Kings 18). The goal: re-establish syncretistic worship that appeared to guarantee fertility, victory, and political security. Early Accession and Court Influence Ascending the throne as a pre-teen, Manasseh was shaped by elder courtiers who had prospered under Ahaz’s earlier paganism (2 Chron 28). With Hezekiah gravely ill (Isaiah 38) and Jerusalem recovering from Assyria’s 701 BC invasion, voices counseling appeasement through religious compromise gained sway. Psychological and Behavioral Drivers Behavioral studies on power consolidation show rulers in threat contexts gravitate to control-granting rituals. Ancient Near-Eastern divination—extispicy, astrology, necromancy—promised foresight. For a youthful monarch, the illusion of omniscience was intoxicating. Spiritual rebellion married to fear produced a cocktail of witchcraft, human sacrifice, and temple desecration (2 Kings 21:4-7). Syncretism’s Allure: The Host of Heaven Archaeology at Tel Arad and Lachish has uncovered incense altars and astral symbols from the 8th-7th centuries BC. These corroborate the biblical report (2 Kings 23:4-5) that Judah flirted with celestial worship. The Assyrian cult of Sîn (moon-god) and Šamaš (sun-god) promised cosmic blessing; Manasseh installed their altars “in the two courts of the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 21:5). Spiritual Warfare Perspective Scripture depicts occult practice as communion with deceiving spirits (Leviticus 17:7; 1 Corinthians 10:20). Manasseh’s sin thus represents not merely cultural borrowing but active participation in demonic rebellion against Yahweh. Isaiah, who likely prophesied into Manasseh’s early reign (cf. Hebrews 11:37’s tradition of Isaiah’s martyrdom), was silenced, removing prophetic restraint. Prophetic Warning and Impending Judgment 2 Kings 21:10-15 records that prophets announced Judah’s future exile “because Manasseh… has filled Jerusalem with innocent blood.” The Babylonian captivity (586 BC) later fulfilled this word, underscoring the covenant principle that occultism invites national calamity (cf. Micah 5:12). Captivity, Repentance, and Restoration 2 Chronicles 33:11-16 expands the narrative: Assyrian forces took Manasseh in “hooks” to Babylon. Affliction humbled him; he “humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,” prayed, and was returned. His late reforms—fortifying Jerusalem, removing idols, restoring altar worship—prove divine grace even for occult practitioners who repent. Archaeological Echoes of Deportation Assyrian records document transporting rebellious kings in chains (e.g., the annals of Ashurbanipal on Elamite King Urtak). While Manasseh’s specific deportation isn’t named outside Scripture, the practice is consistent, lending historical plausibility to 2 Chron 33. Christological and Redemptive Trajectory Manasseh’s darkness contrasts with the promised “Son of David” who will reign in righteousness (Isaiah 9:6-7). His eventual repentance prefigures the gospel: even the vilest idolater can find mercy through heartfelt humility—fulfilled ultimately in Christ’s resurrection, which validates the promise of new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26; 1 Peter 1:3). Contemporary Application Modern fascination with tarot, astrology, and spiritism echoes Manasseh’s quest for control. Scripture’s verdict remains: occultism is rebellion, powerless to save, and invites judgment. Deliverance is found only in the risen Christ, whose authority over every spiritual power is demonstrated in the empty tomb (Colossians 2:15). Summary Answer Manasseh embraced witchcraft and divination because of political expediency under Assyrian pressure, youthful susceptibility to idolatrous counselors, psychological craving for control, and willful covenant rebellion. These factors converged in a spiritual war against Yahweh, provoking divine wrath. His later repentance affirms both the severity of occult sin and the boundless grace of God toward the contrite. |
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