Topical Bible: Idolatry: Zeal Against: Manasseh

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Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, reigned as king of Judah and is often remembered for his initial promotion of idolatry, which marked a significant departure from the religious reforms of his father. However, his later life demonstrated a remarkable transformation and zeal against idolatry, which is a testament to the power of repentance and divine grace.

Background and Initial Idolatry

Manasseh ascended to the throne at the tender age of twelve and reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 21:1). His early reign was characterized by a stark return to idolatrous practices, which included the construction of high places, altars for Baal, and the Asherah pole, as well as the worship of celestial bodies (2 Kings 21:3-5). He even desecrated the temple of the LORD by placing altars within its courts (2 Kings 21:4-5). Manasseh's actions provoked the LORD to anger, as he led Judah into greater sin than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites (2 Kings 21:9).

Repentance and Zeal Against Idolatry

Despite his grievous sins, Manasseh's account took a dramatic turn when he was captured by the Assyrians and taken to Babylon. In his distress, Manasseh sought the LORD, humbling himself greatly before the God of his fathers (2 Chronicles 33:12). The LORD was moved by his entreaty and brought him back to Jerusalem, where Manasseh recognized the LORD as God (2 Chronicles 33:13).

Upon his return, Manasseh demonstrated a fervent zeal against idolatry. He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, casting them outside the city (2 Chronicles 33:15). He restored the altar of the LORD and offered peace and thank offerings on it, commanding Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel (2 Chronicles 33:16).

Legacy and Impact

Manasseh's transformation and subsequent actions against idolatry highlight the profound impact of genuine repentance. His efforts to eradicate idolatry and restore true worship, although not entirely successful in reversing the spiritual decline of Judah, set a precedent for future reforms. His life serves as a powerful reminder of God's mercy and the possibility of redemption, even for those who have strayed far from His commandments.

Manasseh's zeal against idolatry, following his repentance, underscores the importance of turning back to God and the potential for renewal and restoration in the life of a believer. His account is a testament to the enduring truth that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace and forgiveness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 33:15
And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
... Manasseh's repentance was more recent still; and the ... Even after years of activity
against idolatry, in the ... of temper, in the midst of zeal, resoluteness, and ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vii josiah a pattern.htm

Hezekiah
... The solemn warnings against idolatry, spoken through Moses in the ... the enemy, because
they have sinned against Thee, and ... In his zeal to make the temple services ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

The Book of the Law
... these things that thou hast done against the altar ... But the zeal of Josiah, acceptable
though it was to ... many who stubbornly refused to turn from idolatry to the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 33 the book of.htm

Nineveh.
... They came back full of zeal, and destroyed many of ... undo the evil he had done by bringing
in idolatry. ... The Babylonians and Medes revolted against it, and it was ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ix nineveh.htm

Numbers
... sin was only stayed by the zeal of Phinehas ... Footnote 1: Moabite idolatry, and
intermarriage ... war of extermination was successfully undertaken against Midian (xxxi ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/numbers.htm

The Introduction.
... in assisting the Romans against them, and ... that superstructure of corruption and idolatry
which afterwards ... monasteries; the same superstitious zeal seized the ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the introduction.htm

They Shall be Called the Children of God
... Paul saw the people of Athens given to idolatry his spirit was ... (ii) Out of flaming
zeal to the ... God; when their hearts stood out as garrisons against him, the ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/19 they shall be called.htm

Blessed are they that Mourn
... They mourned for their idolatry. ... Jehu says Come, see my zeal for the Lord', but it
was zeal for the throne (2 Kings 10 ... This sin is a flying roll against England ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/6 blessed are they that.htm

The Prophecies
... The devil troubled the zeal of the Jews before Jesus ... The kings will arm themselves
against Him. ... That then idolatry would be overthrown; that this Messiah would ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section xi the prophecies.htm

In Jud??a and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and ...
... the disciples of John, in their sore zeal for the ... largely increased by apostates
and rebels against the order ... brought their peculiar forms of idolatry with them ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vii in judaea and.htm