Day 215

More details of Hezekiah’s reign are provided in today’s reading. Yesterday, I had wondered what the rest of his reign was like, given what his successor did. God had increased his years, given him wealth, and delivered him from the hands of the Assyrians. But what would Hezekiah do? In 32:25 of today’s passage, we are told that Hezekiah was proud and did not respond to the kindness shown to him. In the next verse, we are told Hezekiah repented of the pride in his heart, and God’s wrath did not come to them in Hezekiah’s days.

In today’s passage, we also read details of Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son. He rebuilt altars to Baal and foreign gods his father had torn down. He did all sorts that were forbidden — sacrificed his children, practised witchcraft, consulted mediums, made images and put them in the temple — and many more. We are told he led the people astray, and they did more evil than even the nations God destroyed before the Israelites. God warned, but they didn’t listen. They were eventually captured by Babylonians, including Manasseh. It was then that he sought God. God finally got his attention, which is what happens to us too. We sometimes have to go through pain for God to get our attention.

Manasseh prayed to God, God answered, and he knew the Lord was God (33:13). God listened to him a brought him back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. Manasseh then tried to reverse all he had done by destroying the altars and foreign gods, but the people he had led astray did not change. How unfortunate!

The reading ended like yesterday’s, briefly touching on Amon, Manasseh’s successor and introducing us to Josiah, Amon’s successor.