2 Chron 33:1–34:33, 1 John 2:18–27, Ps 105:1–22

Today’s Theme: Repentance and Restoration

Abortion and Witchcraft

And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 2 Chronicles 33:6 (ESV)

The evil of abortion which is in fact the murder of a little baby is an abomination before God. Many would read about Manasseh’s infanticide in horror while contending that a woman has the right to choose, after already becoming pregnant, whether they want to have the baby, and if they don’t they should have the right to “get rid of it” or in more honest language, murder it with impunity.

We must stand up for these poor little ones in the womb, they stand defenceless while someone else often for the sake of convenience, inflicts unimaginable pain on them while killing them.

The killing of children (Abortion) is spoken of in the same context as witchcraft, both acts are extremely wicked. Abortion is the new Molech.

If You have ever been involved in an abortion there is hope and forgiveness for you to be found in Jesus.

Humility and Repentance

And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. 2 Chronicles 33:12–13 (ESV)

The repentance of Manasseh is a strong picture of how merciful God really is. Manasseh was like a monster, he was guilty of more evil than the average person, yet when he humbled himself and cried out to God in repentance, God forgave him.

God’s mercy and goodness lead even the worst of sinners to come to know him. Gods goodness should lead us to repentance Romans 2:4

Relationship with God

Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:18 (ESV)

Notice the verse says “his prayer to his God”. We do not just repent to a distant God to keep him happy, God desires that we come into a good relationship with himself and has made it possible through Jesus.

Our repentance should bring reconciliation in our relationship with God,

New Beginnings

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 2 Chronicles 34:3 (ESV)

The number 8 represents new beginnings in the bible. This new king Josiah who lived before God just like David began to reign when he was only aged 8. Now we read in the 8th year of his reign at age 16 he began to seek the Lord.

12 speaks of God’s government, which makes it even more significant that it was in the 12 year of his reign that the purging of the land began, restoring God’s order.

At age 16 he began to seek God and at age 20 began restoring the land. This is wonderful and shows there is hope for our young people and God can use them mightily. 1 Timothy 4:12

Respond to the Word

And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. 2 Chronicles 34:19 (ESV)

Our response to God’s word is so important, when we hear Gods word we should be in a place of humility allowing the word to change us and not us reinterpreting and therefore changing the word.

God’s word is a precious treasure, notice it was found in the treasury with all the gold.

We should treasure the word of God and ask God to make our hearts alive to the message it has for us so we can respond to it as we ought to.

Paul encourages us in Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Be Humble

because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 2 Chronicles 34:27 (ESV)

Again we read about the importance of humility, we must be humble and have tender hearts before God.

We are reminded in James 4:6-8 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Read the Bible

And the king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 34:30 (ESV)

This lesson is simple, we must read or listen to the bible.

Without the commands, directions and warnings of Gods word we would not know who God is, what the gospel is or even which direction to turn when we repent or what needs to be repented of.

The conscience and nature as witnesses to the truth are limited. We should give God thanks for the treasure of his revealed word “The Bible”, God’s special revelation.

Eternal Security

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 1 John 2:19 (ESV)

John is quite plain, those that end up leaving the faith were never truly saved according to this verse. This is because those who have truly been saved are held secure by the Lord, endure till the end and are saved.

Confess Jesus

No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.    1 John 2:23 (ESV)

This is why we need to reach out to the Jews, although they worship the same God as us, the God of the bible. They reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Messiah. As this verse says, without Jesus we do not have a relationship with the Father.

It is significant that today we have a course at church on Evangelism by Jews for Jesus

The Anointing

But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. 1 John 2:27 (ESV)

This is a great encouragement to all of us as God’s people, we receive the anointing of God the Holy Spirit when we are born again. The Holy Spirit is the one who abides in us and his purpose is to teach us so that we abide or stay in Jesus which is in line with the earlier note about eternal security.

We should be encouraged and thank God for his anointing today.

God’s Presence

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:4 (ESV)

We should long for and seek God’s manifest presence with Joy. When we rejoice in God we receive strength, this is the remedy if we feel weary, seek Gods strength by seeking God’s presence.