21:1-2 Hezekiah's son inherits the thrown at the age of twelve and he is a horrible person. In the books of I and II Kings, men who have inherited (or stolen) the throne are frequently described as not doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. If that is not bad enough, Manasseh is described as doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord.
21:3-6 Manasseh lives and reigns directly opposite of righteous; he restores corruption to the kingdom. Manasseh rebuilds the high places Hezekiah had removed, reestablishing places for idol worship to take deeper root than ever before. Manasseh participates in human sacrifice, worships false gods and adopts the corrupt culture of the evil nations around him.
21:7-9 The House of the Lord was dreamed of by David and built by Solomon. It became a representation of God's steadfast presence with the tribes of Israel. It was intended as a symbol of an everlasting covenant, a promise from God that He would protect the land and ensure it always belonged to those faithful of him. But countless kings and now Manasseh have perverted the use of the House of the Lord. Manasseh has dedicated it to corruption, an outright dismissal of God's covenant:
“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.”
But they paid no attention, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.This should cause us to ask ourselves: What am I giving my attention to? In Proverbs 2:1-11, the value of paying attention to God's wisdom is expressed to us:
My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
Who rejoice in doing evil,
The tribes of Judah and Israel have not paid attention to God's counsel and therefore they are now fully entrenched in dark paths.
21:10-15 It becomes time for God to discipline, an essential element in God's compassionate and magnanimous rescue plan. God will allow Judah to live the life it has created for itself: tumult and destruction. God promises the cleansing with be thorough and precise. The tribes of Israel and Judah have chosen to live outside of God's sphere of peace and protection. They have withdrawn from God and will now experience the reality and vulnerability of that choice.
21:16 We can understand why God is so anger: Manasseh has attacked and killed a multitude of innocents. It is a gross and wasteful misuse of his power and position.
21:17-18 Manasseh dies; his temporary sojourn on earth is over and he has nothing to show for his time here except destruction. Our God is a natural creator and He has given us the capacity to create as well - to create joy, friendships, opportunities, light. We waste our time on earth when we choose to oppose creation and serve destruction.
21:19-21 Amon becomes king at tweny two and reigns two years. He is the son of a Manasseh and Meshullemeth. He is another evil king and false-god worshiper.
21:20-24 Amon is conspired against and ousted, killed in his own house. Amon's killers are executed by the people of Judah who then place Amon's son, Josiah, as king.
21:25-26 Amon is buried in the garden of Uzza. Even though God is upset with Judah, he ensures that David's line remains in the kingship.
