In Second Kings, chapter twenty-one, verse fourteen, Judah was the focus of redemptive history at this time, forming what remains of God’s elected people. Like the northern kingdom, however, a large number of them, by worshipping false gods, cast aside the salvation that God had prepared for them. Only those who persevere in genuine faith are in assurance of remaining a part of God’s elect people.
Manasseh, King of Judah at the time that did evil in the sight of the Lord, reigned for fifty-five years when he began his reign at twelve years old. He built high places, as in verse three of chapter twenty-one, where God did destroy through His servant Hezekiah, who is the father of Manasseh. This new King of Judah, in verse six of the same chapter, caused his son to go through the fire and follow ungodly rituals. He seduced the people of God to do more evil than the other nations in verse nine.
In Second Chronicles thirty-three, verse eleven, Jehovah caused Manasseh the king to be taken prisoner by the generals of the king of Assyria and go to Babylon in chains, and that when he humbled himself before God there and made supplication to Him, He brought him back to Jerusalem and placed him upon his throne again. Then Manasseh fortified the walls of Jerusalem still further, put garrisons in the fortified cities, removed the idol from the temple, abolished the idolatrous altars erected in Jerusalem and upon the temple mountain, restored the altar of Jehovah, and commanded the people to offer sacrifice upon it. The conversion of Manasseh was not followed by any lasting results so far as the kingdom was concerned. The abolition of outward idolatry in Jerusalem did not lead to the conversion of the people. After the death of Manasseh, even the idolatrous abominations that were gone came back into existence by his son, Amon.