July 29, 2024 • 16 mins
In this Bible Story, we learn of the wicked kings Manasseh and Amon. They openly sacrifice their own children at the altar of false gods, and mock God himself. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 33 & 2 Kings 21. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 21:20 from the King James Version.
Episode 152: As Ammon lay assassinated, he left behind his eight-year-old boy Josiah to be king in his place. Josiah clung to God and pleased Him in all he did. Even when he grew older, he did not abandon the God of Israel. Instead, as he grew, he got rid of the idols of the land. After the land was cleared, he turned his attention toward restoring the temple. It was in this act that he would discover The Book of The Law of God and turn the people of Judah toward their God in repentance.
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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard
Producer: Ben Gammon
Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham
Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and he did that which was evil
in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manassa did.
Second Kings twenty one twenty. Heavenly Father, I stand before
you as a conduit to those who are lost in
wicked thoughts, actions, and behaviors. As you did with Manassa,
(00:25):
I pray you will do with all those who are
desiring to harm and inflict torment on those around me.
Because you are a forgiving God and a good God.
I pray for the hearts of all those whose faith
has grown cold to be turned round so they can
behold and experience your goodness again. I come against every
(00:48):
lie that would tell them that you are mad at
them and that you have abandoned them. Instead, use me
as a vessel to spread your love so that your
truth can shine through the darkest of arts. As you
forgave me and gave me a new life, I know
that you will do the same for them through the
(01:11):
power of your Holy Spirit. I know that nothing is impossible,
So I thank you in advance that souls are being
saved and lives are being restored back to you in
Jesus name. Amen, thank you for praying with us today.
(01:33):
Continue your time with God by listening to today's Bible story,
brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
An evil king is restored. In our last story, King
Hezekiah is saved from the clutches of death and spared
for another fifteen years. In this time, Hezekiah became friends
with the leaders of Babylon. In an attempt to impress them,
he showcased all of Judah's wealth. This would prove to
(02:09):
be a fatal mistake for the righteous king, since Babylon
was an evil nation rising slowly to overtake the world.
Now we see the evil reign of Hezekiah's son, Manassa.
His cruelty and wickedness was unmatched by any king before him.
He made his dwelling place in darkness. However, all darkness
(02:30):
needs is a little bit of light. Inspired by the
Book of Second Kings, Hello.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
And welcome to today's episode of the Bible in a
Year podcast. This is Jack Graham. In our last episode,
we heard how God spared Hezekiah from death and gave
him fifteen more years of life. We also learned that
in his eagerness to impress the nation of Babylon, Hezekiah
foolishly opened his gates to show a rising enemy all
(02:58):
that Judah had to offer, and ultimately to plunder. It
was a naive and selfish decision and a costly lapse
in judgment and discernment. Today we'll learn of the reign
of his son Manassa, a stark contrast to his father's
reign of righteousness. Manassa proves to be an evil king
far from God. But as we will be reminded today,
(03:22):
God is able always to drive out the darkness with
his perfect light. Let's listen now to the word of God.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Where does evil begin in a man's life? Does circumstance
cause bitterness to turn into hatred and hatred to turn
into evil? Is evil conceived through one's broken childhood? Or
does evil creep its way into someone's nature without warning
or cause? These answers may never be fully known. However,
(03:52):
for King Manassa, evil was just as much a part
of him as his beating heart. Manassa, the son of
the righteous king Hezekiah, began his rule in Judah at
the young age of twelve. Even as a child, death
and cruelty enticed him. He was drawn by the exotic
idols of ancient cities. Manassa devoted himself to the gods
(04:15):
of mountains and forests. He erected altars in the city
to Bale and Asserath. As Manassa grew older and more powerful,
his capability for evil increased. He would lure children and
young women into the forest to offer them up as sacrifices.
He even burned his own sons as an offering to
the valley of the son of Hinham. Manassa laughed and
(04:38):
cried as his son's burning corpses turned to ash. His
worship of exotic gods muddied his mind like a swamp.
He was never satisfied. He was continually looking for new
and creative ways to sin. He delved into omens and sorcery,
studying the ways of witchcraft and human sacrifice. He developed
(04:59):
a cureuriosity for necromancers and speaking to the dead. Manassa's
mind and heart were completely covered in darkness, and he
loved it. He enjoyed the dark recesses of wickedness. He
made his home there. He did not sin ignorantly as
other kings had. No Manassa was much more shrewd than that.
He saw his vile ways as an act against God.
(05:23):
He challenged him. He challenged his goodness, his righteousness, and
his power. King Manassa thought himself equal to God, a
mistake many men had made before him. One evening, Manassa
sat at the edge of the forest in Jerusalem. He
sat praying and speaking to the evil spirits he had
(05:43):
bound his soul too. In the dead of night, he
chanted and sang to the false gods of ancient Canaanites.
The forest rested on a small hill, and Manassa could
see the temple at the bottom in the middle of
the city. He smiled a wicked smile, and began to
walk into the sea dy with his servants. Manassa stood
in front of the vast temple. The ivory pillars and
(06:05):
beams of cedar were illuminated by torchlight. It was a
truly beautiful sight, especially after his father had restored it.
Manassa remembered his father's obsession over the temple. It bored
him as a child, but as an adult it vexed him.
His father, King Hessekiah the Righteous was a pitiful man
to him. Manassa spat on the temple floor and gestured
(06:29):
for his servants to break open its doors. Together, they
erected large idols to the Canaanite gods. The temple, the
dwelling place of God, had been defiled with Manassa's worthless idols.
Manassa burst into laughter as he remembered the words of
the Lord in Jerusalem, shall my name be forever? The
(06:49):
evil king lay in his bed, pleased with his work.
He enjoyed provoking God to anger. It was a pleasant
game for him, and he loved every minute of it.
As the weeks went by, Manassa's depraved practices seeped into
the daily lives of Judaean's. They entered the temple to
pay homage to false gods, and mediums were consulted by
(07:11):
many in the city of Jerusalem. Manassa was pleased with
his influence on judas culture, but God was not playing
Manassa's games. He would not allow for him to corrupt
his children. The Lord sent messengers regularly imploring of Manassa
to repent and turn from his ways. Every messenger was
(07:31):
either rejected or killed for sport. The Lord tugged on
the King's heart with his spirit, but his soul had
been sealed shut by years of calloused rebellion. The Lord
had given Manassa many chances to turn from his ways.
Now it was time for God to remove his protection
from the king. Manassa awoke in the dead of night
(07:52):
to screams. He looked out his window to see flames
near the palace. He could see shadows of Assyrian soldiers
raiding nearby Holmes. They were not harming anyone, No, they
were looking for someone. They were looking for the king. Panicked,
the king began to move his furniture in front of
his doors. He ignored the priest for help on the
(08:13):
other side of the door and continued to fortify his chambers.
Smoke began to creep in through the window, and King
Manassa could barely breathe. He could hear violent banging on
the other side of the fortified door. The banging grew
louder and more violent. Manassa watched helplessly as the furniture
began to move and the door cracked open. The Assyrians
(08:36):
burst through the door. After several minutes of banging. Manassa
lifted his sword to fight, but was quickly struck down
onto the floor. He could barely see the Assyrian's faces
because of the smoke. However, he could see the large
metal hook dangling on a chain in one of their hands.
The man drew closer with the hook. Manassa tried to
(08:57):
crawl away, but was kicked in the ribs immediately. Manassa
held his side and watched as the man bent down
and drove the metal hook into his shoulder. The hook,
attached to a chain of bronze, was driven deep into
the king's right shoulder. He screamed in agony as the
man tugged on the chain, forcing Manassa to his feet.
(09:17):
Manassa was then led away out of Jerusalem, captive to
the Assyrian army. Manassa was dragged out of the country
of Judah towards Babylon. He was beaten and bound in
bronze chains. Food and water were scarce, and the evil
king began to break down. As the Assyrians were camping.
Manassa lay in the cold, bound in chains, with the
(09:39):
hook still driven securely in his shoulder. He looked up
to the stars and began to weep. He did not
pray to the dead that night. He did not seek
the comfort of bail or the shrine of Asherah. In
the cold and in pain, Manassa wept before God. He
asked for the Lord's favor and forgive. He wailed towards
(10:01):
the sky and humbled himself before the living God. The
Lord saw Manassa's tears. God was moved by Manassa's words.
For the first time in the king's life, he had
a true connection with his God. Early the next morning,
the Assyrians released the king and sent him back to Jerusalem.
(10:22):
He returned to his home with a damaged ego and
a humbled heart. No longer did Manassa spite God. He
knew that he was the Lord of heaven and earth.
He knew that he was not only powerful, but merciful.
Although Manassa did not deserve mercy from God, he received it.
As the sun breaks the morning fog, Manassa's mind began
(10:44):
to clear. He saw his nation with new eyes. He
fortified the cities to protect his people from harm. He
stripped away the idols in the streets and temple. He
restored the temple that had been desecrated, and became a
devoted worshiper until the end of his days. After Manassa died,
his son Aman was made king. Haman did not share
(11:06):
the story of his father. He devoted himself to evil
and conspired against the Lord. He led many people astray,
and was selfish in everything he did. He abused those
who served him and worshiped himself as a god. Because
he refused to humble himself, his servants assassinated him in
(11:27):
his own home. His son Josiah was then made king
after him.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
In today's scripture, passage, Hezekiah has been succeeded by his
son Manassa, still a child when he became king. Manassa
did not follow the righteous footsteps of his father or
live in the wonderful legacy that he had been given.
In fact, he went the exact opposite direction. Hezekiah had
torn down the idolatrous altars and even the high places
(12:01):
where evil gods were worshiped in Judah. But as Manassa
grew his evil heart could not get enough of the
evil deities of the foreigners. He erected altars and asherah
polls in the city. He defiled God's house and sacrificed
his own sons to false gods. As much as Hezekiah
found great joy in serving the Lord, his son Manassa
(12:24):
seemed to take joy in blaspheming and insulting God, making
a mockery of his holiness, and doing all kinds of
evil things. But as we have seen time and time again,
as the king went, so did the people. They soon
turned their back on God and went back to their
old ways, chasing after the exotic gods and empty promises
(12:49):
of those false deities. Here's what we read in Second
Kings twenty one, verses eleven and twelve. Because Manassa, king
of Judah, has done these abominations, having done wickedly more
than all the Amorites who did go before him, and
has also made Judah sin with his idols. Therefore, thus
the Lord says the God of Israel, behold, I am
(13:11):
bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears
of it, both his ears will tingle. Yes, God is
a god of love. He is full of mercy and
grace towards his children. But there is a time when
God sends judgment. Manassa and the people of Judah deserve
this judgment to be annihilated, wiped out because of their
(13:34):
mockery of God. The Bible says, remember this, whatever a
man sows that he will also reap. The people were
sowing their own judgment, and they reaped it. But even
in his judgment we see God's immeasurable mercy. He sent
Assyrians to capture the king. They drove hooks into his
(13:55):
shoulders and let him in change through the forests, likely
some of the very land where Nasa had murdered his
own children in the fire, and then they took him
out of Judah. Imagine this king who so pridefully mocked God,
defied God, and engaged in so many vile acts. Now
(14:15):
he is brought down chained like a slave of the enemy.
It is a visual depiction of his inner state. He
has been enslaved to sin and wickedness for years. The
hooks and his flesh were strong, but not nearly as
powerful as the grip that sin had on his heart
and mind. So Manassa was led out of the land
(14:37):
in Change under the control of the sworn enemies of
God's people. Manassa's heart broke. He cried out to God,
the only one who could rescue him, and though he
didn't deserve it, God heard his cry. He forgave the
king because God could see there was genuine repentance, heart
change Was this all just desperation and fear? Well, certainly that,
(15:02):
but it does not make it any less genuine. If
God chooses to forgive a contrite heart, a repentant heart
is what God seeks from all of us, and that's
what Manassah offered to the Lord. So amazingly, the Assyrians
released the king and he returned, humbled and restored to Judah.
(15:22):
He tore down the altars and restored God's temple and
lived out his days in humility serving the Lord. This
is a wonderful story of salvation that comes through repentance
and deliverance from God. His son Amon sadly did not
follow him and persisted in evil until he was killed
by his own servants. But Amon's son Josiah would lead
(15:45):
Judah into another area of reform, revival and return to
the Lord. We'll hear his great story the next time
we're together. Dear God, thank you for your word always
that reminds us that you will judge sin. But when
we genuinely cry out to you and seek you and
return to you in your grace and mercy because of
(16:08):
your cross and resurrection, that we can come back to you,
and that you will receive us like prodigal children, into
your family. And we pray this with deep gratitude in
our hearts for your grace and mercy. Amen. Thank you
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app
(16:30):
and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
And if you enjoy this podcast, please let as many
people know as possible. And also, if you would like
to know more about Christ, know more about the Christian life,
know more about what the Bible says, visit me at
Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org because
(16:54):
we have many resources there available to you. God bless
you
Let us pray, and he did that which was evil
in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manassa did.
Second Kings twenty one twenty. Heavenly Father, I stand before
you as a conduit to those who are lost in
wicked thoughts, actions, and behaviors. As you did with Manassa,
(00:25):
I pray you will do with all those who are
desiring to harm and inflict torment on those around me.
Because you are a forgiving God and a good God.
I pray for the hearts of all those whose faith
has grown cold to be turned round so they can
behold and experience your goodness again. I come against every
(00:48):
lie that would tell them that you are mad at
them and that you have abandoned them. Instead, use me
as a vessel to spread your love so that your
truth can shine through the darkest of arts. As you
forgave me and gave me a new life, I know
that you will do the same for them through the
(01:11):
power of your Holy Spirit. I know that nothing is impossible,
So I thank you in advance that souls are being
saved and lives are being restored back to you in
Jesus name. Amen, thank you for praying with us today.
(01:33):
Continue your time with God by listening to today's Bible story,
brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
An evil king is restored. In our last story, King
Hezekiah is saved from the clutches of death and spared
for another fifteen years. In this time, Hezekiah became friends
with the leaders of Babylon. In an attempt to impress them,
he showcased all of Judah's wealth. This would prove to
(02:09):
be a fatal mistake for the righteous king, since Babylon
was an evil nation rising slowly to overtake the world.
Now we see the evil reign of Hezekiah's son, Manassa.
His cruelty and wickedness was unmatched by any king before him.
He made his dwelling place in darkness. However, all darkness
(02:30):
needs is a little bit of light. Inspired by the
Book of Second Kings, Hello.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
And welcome to today's episode of the Bible in a
Year podcast. This is Jack Graham. In our last episode,
we heard how God spared Hezekiah from death and gave
him fifteen more years of life. We also learned that
in his eagerness to impress the nation of Babylon, Hezekiah
foolishly opened his gates to show a rising enemy all
(02:58):
that Judah had to offer, and ultimately to plunder. It
was a naive and selfish decision and a costly lapse
in judgment and discernment. Today we'll learn of the reign
of his son Manassa, a stark contrast to his father's
reign of righteousness. Manassa proves to be an evil king
far from God. But as we will be reminded today,
(03:22):
God is able always to drive out the darkness with
his perfect light. Let's listen now to the word of God.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Where does evil begin in a man's life? Does circumstance
cause bitterness to turn into hatred and hatred to turn
into evil? Is evil conceived through one's broken childhood? Or
does evil creep its way into someone's nature without warning
or cause? These answers may never be fully known. However,
(03:52):
for King Manassa, evil was just as much a part
of him as his beating heart. Manassa, the son of
the righteous king Hezekiah, began his rule in Judah at
the young age of twelve. Even as a child, death
and cruelty enticed him. He was drawn by the exotic
idols of ancient cities. Manassa devoted himself to the gods
(04:15):
of mountains and forests. He erected altars in the city
to Bale and Asserath. As Manassa grew older and more powerful,
his capability for evil increased. He would lure children and
young women into the forest to offer them up as sacrifices.
He even burned his own sons as an offering to
the valley of the son of Hinham. Manassa laughed and
(04:38):
cried as his son's burning corpses turned to ash. His
worship of exotic gods muddied his mind like a swamp.
He was never satisfied. He was continually looking for new
and creative ways to sin. He delved into omens and sorcery,
studying the ways of witchcraft and human sacrifice. He developed
(04:59):
a cureuriosity for necromancers and speaking to the dead. Manassa's
mind and heart were completely covered in darkness, and he
loved it. He enjoyed the dark recesses of wickedness. He
made his home there. He did not sin ignorantly as
other kings had. No Manassa was much more shrewd than that.
He saw his vile ways as an act against God.
(05:23):
He challenged him. He challenged his goodness, his righteousness, and
his power. King Manassa thought himself equal to God, a
mistake many men had made before him. One evening, Manassa
sat at the edge of the forest in Jerusalem. He
sat praying and speaking to the evil spirits he had
(05:43):
bound his soul too. In the dead of night, he
chanted and sang to the false gods of ancient Canaanites.
The forest rested on a small hill, and Manassa could
see the temple at the bottom in the middle of
the city. He smiled a wicked smile, and began to
walk into the sea dy with his servants. Manassa stood
in front of the vast temple. The ivory pillars and
(06:05):
beams of cedar were illuminated by torchlight. It was a
truly beautiful sight, especially after his father had restored it.
Manassa remembered his father's obsession over the temple. It bored
him as a child, but as an adult it vexed him.
His father, King Hessekiah the Righteous was a pitiful man
to him. Manassa spat on the temple floor and gestured
(06:29):
for his servants to break open its doors. Together, they
erected large idols to the Canaanite gods. The temple, the
dwelling place of God, had been defiled with Manassa's worthless idols.
Manassa burst into laughter as he remembered the words of
the Lord in Jerusalem, shall my name be forever? The
(06:49):
evil king lay in his bed, pleased with his work.
He enjoyed provoking God to anger. It was a pleasant
game for him, and he loved every minute of it.
As the weeks went by, Manassa's depraved practices seeped into
the daily lives of Judaean's. They entered the temple to
pay homage to false gods, and mediums were consulted by
(07:11):
many in the city of Jerusalem. Manassa was pleased with
his influence on judas culture, but God was not playing
Manassa's games. He would not allow for him to corrupt
his children. The Lord sent messengers regularly imploring of Manassa
to repent and turn from his ways. Every messenger was
(07:31):
either rejected or killed for sport. The Lord tugged on
the King's heart with his spirit, but his soul had
been sealed shut by years of calloused rebellion. The Lord
had given Manassa many chances to turn from his ways.
Now it was time for God to remove his protection
from the king. Manassa awoke in the dead of night
(07:52):
to screams. He looked out his window to see flames
near the palace. He could see shadows of Assyrian soldiers
raiding nearby Holmes. They were not harming anyone, No, they
were looking for someone. They were looking for the king. Panicked,
the king began to move his furniture in front of
his doors. He ignored the priest for help on the
(08:13):
other side of the door and continued to fortify his chambers.
Smoke began to creep in through the window, and King
Manassa could barely breathe. He could hear violent banging on
the other side of the fortified door. The banging grew
louder and more violent. Manassa watched helplessly as the furniture
began to move and the door cracked open. The Assyrians
(08:36):
burst through the door. After several minutes of banging. Manassa
lifted his sword to fight, but was quickly struck down
onto the floor. He could barely see the Assyrian's faces
because of the smoke. However, he could see the large
metal hook dangling on a chain in one of their hands.
The man drew closer with the hook. Manassa tried to
(08:57):
crawl away, but was kicked in the ribs immediately. Manassa
held his side and watched as the man bent down
and drove the metal hook into his shoulder. The hook,
attached to a chain of bronze, was driven deep into
the king's right shoulder. He screamed in agony as the
man tugged on the chain, forcing Manassa to his feet.
(09:17):
Manassa was then led away out of Jerusalem, captive to
the Assyrian army. Manassa was dragged out of the country
of Judah towards Babylon. He was beaten and bound in
bronze chains. Food and water were scarce, and the evil
king began to break down. As the Assyrians were camping.
Manassa lay in the cold, bound in chains, with the
(09:39):
hook still driven securely in his shoulder. He looked up
to the stars and began to weep. He did not
pray to the dead that night. He did not seek
the comfort of bail or the shrine of Asherah. In
the cold and in pain, Manassa wept before God. He
asked for the Lord's favor and forgive. He wailed towards
(10:01):
the sky and humbled himself before the living God. The
Lord saw Manassa's tears. God was moved by Manassa's words.
For the first time in the king's life, he had
a true connection with his God. Early the next morning,
the Assyrians released the king and sent him back to Jerusalem.
(10:22):
He returned to his home with a damaged ego and
a humbled heart. No longer did Manassa spite God. He
knew that he was the Lord of heaven and earth.
He knew that he was not only powerful, but merciful.
Although Manassa did not deserve mercy from God, he received it.
As the sun breaks the morning fog, Manassa's mind began
(10:44):
to clear. He saw his nation with new eyes. He
fortified the cities to protect his people from harm. He
stripped away the idols in the streets and temple. He
restored the temple that had been desecrated, and became a
devoted worshiper until the end of his days. After Manassa died,
his son Aman was made king. Haman did not share
(11:06):
the story of his father. He devoted himself to evil
and conspired against the Lord. He led many people astray,
and was selfish in everything he did. He abused those
who served him and worshiped himself as a god. Because
he refused to humble himself, his servants assassinated him in
(11:27):
his own home. His son Josiah was then made king
after him.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
In today's scripture, passage, Hezekiah has been succeeded by his
son Manassa, still a child when he became king. Manassa
did not follow the righteous footsteps of his father or
live in the wonderful legacy that he had been given.
In fact, he went the exact opposite direction. Hezekiah had
torn down the idolatrous altars and even the high places
(12:01):
where evil gods were worshiped in Judah. But as Manassa
grew his evil heart could not get enough of the
evil deities of the foreigners. He erected altars and asherah
polls in the city. He defiled God's house and sacrificed
his own sons to false gods. As much as Hezekiah
found great joy in serving the Lord, his son Manassa
(12:24):
seemed to take joy in blaspheming and insulting God, making
a mockery of his holiness, and doing all kinds of
evil things. But as we have seen time and time again,
as the king went, so did the people. They soon
turned their back on God and went back to their
old ways, chasing after the exotic gods and empty promises
(12:49):
of those false deities. Here's what we read in Second
Kings twenty one, verses eleven and twelve. Because Manassa, king
of Judah, has done these abominations, having done wickedly more
than all the Amorites who did go before him, and
has also made Judah sin with his idols. Therefore, thus
the Lord says the God of Israel, behold, I am
(13:11):
bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears
of it, both his ears will tingle. Yes, God is
a god of love. He is full of mercy and
grace towards his children. But there is a time when
God sends judgment. Manassa and the people of Judah deserve
this judgment to be annihilated, wiped out because of their
(13:34):
mockery of God. The Bible says, remember this, whatever a
man sows that he will also reap. The people were
sowing their own judgment, and they reaped it. But even
in his judgment we see God's immeasurable mercy. He sent
Assyrians to capture the king. They drove hooks into his
(13:55):
shoulders and let him in change through the forests, likely
some of the very land where Nasa had murdered his
own children in the fire, and then they took him
out of Judah. Imagine this king who so pridefully mocked God,
defied God, and engaged in so many vile acts. Now
(14:15):
he is brought down chained like a slave of the enemy.
It is a visual depiction of his inner state. He
has been enslaved to sin and wickedness for years. The
hooks and his flesh were strong, but not nearly as
powerful as the grip that sin had on his heart
and mind. So Manassa was led out of the land
(14:37):
in Change under the control of the sworn enemies of
God's people. Manassa's heart broke. He cried out to God,
the only one who could rescue him, and though he
didn't deserve it, God heard his cry. He forgave the
king because God could see there was genuine repentance, heart
change Was this all just desperation and fear? Well, certainly that,
(15:02):
but it does not make it any less genuine. If
God chooses to forgive a contrite heart, a repentant heart
is what God seeks from all of us, and that's
what Manassah offered to the Lord. So amazingly, the Assyrians
released the king and he returned, humbled and restored to Judah.
(15:22):
He tore down the altars and restored God's temple and
lived out his days in humility serving the Lord. This
is a wonderful story of salvation that comes through repentance
and deliverance from God. His son Amon sadly did not
follow him and persisted in evil until he was killed
by his own servants. But Amon's son Josiah would lead
(15:45):
Judah into another area of reform, revival and return to
the Lord. We'll hear his great story the next time
we're together. Dear God, thank you for your word always
that reminds us that you will judge sin. But when
we genuinely cry out to you and seek you and
return to you in your grace and mercy because of
(16:08):
your cross and resurrection, that we can come back to you,
and that you will receive us like prodigal children, into
your family. And we pray this with deep gratitude in
our hearts for your grace and mercy. Amen. Thank you
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com app
(16:30):
and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
And if you enjoy this podcast, please let as many
people know as possible. And also, if you would like
to know more about Christ, know more about the Christian life,
know more about what the Bible says, visit me at
Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org because
(16:54):
we have many resources there available to you. God bless
you
Host
Jack Graham
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