Key Verse Spotlight
2 Chronicles 33:1 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. "
2 Chronicles 33:1
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.
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Here we have the story of Manasseh’s great wickedness. It is almost word for word the same as the account in (2 Kings 21:1-9), and it gives a sad picture. This is not a pleasant subject, so there is little joy in dwelling on it again.
This foolish young king, in spite of the good example and careful teaching his father gave him, gave himself over to every kind of evil. He copied the disgusting practices of the heathen nations (2 Chronicles 33:2), ruined the true worship already established, and undid his father’s great reform work (2 Chronicles 33:3). He polluted God’s house with his idolatry (2 Chronicles 33:4, 2 Chronicles 33:5), sacrificed his children to Molech, and followed the devil’s false messages as his guides and counselors (2 Chronicles 33:6).
He did all this in contempt of God’s choice of Zion as his resting place forever, and of Israel as his covenant people, meaning the people bound to God by promise (2 Chronicles 33:8). He turned to other gods, defiled God’s chosen temple, and corrupted God’s chosen people. He led them astray and made them do worse than the heathen nations (2 Chronicles 33:9). When the unclean spirit returns, he brings seven other spirits more wicked than himself.
What made Manasseh’s sin even worse was that God spoke to him and his people through the prophets, but they would not listen (2 Chronicles 33:10). We should admire God’s grace in speaking to them at all, and we should also be shocked by their stubborn refusal. Either their wickedness did not drive away God’s goodness, since he still waited to show mercy, or his goodness did not turn them from their wickedness, since they still hated to change.
From this we should learn three things. First, it is nothing new, though it is very sad, for children of godly parents to turn away from the good way of God in which they were raised. Parents can give their children many good things, but they cannot give them grace, meaning God’s saving help and power. Second, corruptions in worship are like diseases in the church, and the church is very prone to fall back into them even after they seem to be cured. Third, the god of this world has strangely blinded people’s minds and has great power over those he holds captive. Otherwise, he could not turn them away from God, their best friend, to trust in their sworn enemy.
From This Chapter
2 Chronicles 33:2
"He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, after the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel."
2 Chronicles 33:3
"For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them."
2 Chronicles 33:4
"He built altars in the LORD’s house, of which the LORD said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”"
2 Chronicles 33:5
"He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the LORD’s house."
2 Chronicles 33:6
"He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits and with wizards. He did much evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger."
2 Chronicles 33:7
"He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s house, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever."
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