THE KING’S BUSINESS
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which God Had most sternly condemned in the law given through Moses. He went even so far as to adopt the hideous rite of causing his children to pass through the fire to the false god (v. 6 . cf. Lev. 18:21; 20:2; Deut. 12:31; 18:10; 2 Kings 21:6; Ezek. 23:37-39). There are many pro fessed Christians today who are sacrificing their children to the false gods of wealth and fashion and pleasure. Added to the other abominations, he practiced augury (v. 6 , R. V.) which was sternly condemned by the Mosaic law (Lev. 19:26, R. V .; Deut. 18:10-14). The practices here men tioned are closely akin to palmistry, for tune telling, crystal gazing, etc., in which many professed Christians today indulge, and which are sometimes countenanced even in “church fairs.” Furthermore, Manasseh practiced sorcery and “dealt with them that had familiar spirits” (v. 6 ). What we call modern spiritualism or occult ism is simply a resurrection of these ancient heathen practices. Many think that spirit ualism was first known through the Fox sisters in the nineteenth "century, but it is as old as the time of Moses, and older. It was most sternly condemned in the Mosaic law (Lev. 20:6; Deut. 10:14). It was these practices above all else that led the Lord to drive out the Canaanites and to visit them with the .sorest punishment. It was this same practice which brought destruction upon- King Saul (1 Chron. 10:13). Mannasseh was not content to do all manner of abominations himself, even worse than that, he “made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err" No darker record than that can be written of any one. It is bad enough to err oneself, but to become the seducer of others is the summit of villainy. But no man ever really errs alone. If a man sins he is quite sure to drag others into sin. The father who sins brings his whole family into sin, the Sunday School teacher who sins drags down his class, the preacher who sins con taminates his whole flock. The sins that Manasseh introduced were the culmination of the evil that began in the days of Sol
omon. The tide was resisted at times under good kings like Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, but now it swept in like a flood and led to Judah’s complete overthrow (2 Kings 21:10-15; 24:1-4).' Even Manas- seh’s repentance and Josiah’s godly reign could not aVert the ruin that Manasseh wrought by his folly and iniquity (2 Kings 23:24-26). I n . spite of all his accumula tion » f wickedness, Jehovah in wondrous grace “spake to Manasseh.” That was an act of great mercy on God’s part but even the mercy was despised and brought heav ier judgment. Neither Manasseh nor his people would hearken. These are solemn words in verse 10: “They would not hearken,” or as they are rendered in the Revised Version, “They gave no heed.” If man will not hearken to God’s word, He at last will give them up as He did Manas seh and the people, tQ. stern judgment (2 Chron. 36:16, 17; Neh. 9:30; 2 Peter 3:9, 10 ). v. 11. “Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king o f 'Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns (in chains'), and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Baby lon." God’s longsuffering waited long. He let disobedience after disobedience and insult after insult go unpunished, but the longsuffering of God will not wait forever, and at last the stroke of judgment fell. God’s word of pardon' would not be accepted so God’s word of judgment and punishment was fulAiled. The wicked king is dragged from his throne, bound with fetters and carried in chains to Babylon, v. 12, 13. “And when he w a s,in afflic tion (distress), he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly ■before the God of his fathers. And prayed him: (;) and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.” Blessed be affliction. It brought repent ance even to so hopeless a case as Manas seh, It has brought many another to
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