In Second Chronicles, chapter thirty-three, verse thirteen, Manassah forsook the God of his father, Hezekiah, and became more evil than any other king in Judah’s history. However, in times of crisis and great distress, as in verses eleven and twelve, this king genuinely repented and cried out to God in verse twelve and thirteen. God’s forgiveness of Manassah after his deep repentance and humility illustrates that even the most wicked sinners can find grace whenever they sincerely humble themselves and call out to God. Unfortunately, Manassah’s long and ungodly rule had led many into sin and ruin, as in Second Kings twenty-one, verses nine through fifteen. His repentance and restoration did not stop the ongoing rippling consequences of his previous influence on evil, as in Second Kings twenty-four, verses three to four.
Manasseh was convinced, by his own experience, of God’s power, justice, and goodness that Jehovah alone was the true God and not those idols he had worshipped, by which he had received great hurt and no good. He might have known this at a lesser expense if he had given due attention and credit to the word written and preached, but it was better to pay this dear for the knowledge of God than perish in ignorance and unbelief.
We have seen Manasseh’s wickedness; here, we have his repentance and a memorable instance of the riches of God’s pardoning mercy and the power of his renewing grace. Deprived of his liberty, separated from his evil counselors and companions, without any prospect but ending his days in a wretched prison, Manasseh thought upon what had passed; he began to cry for mercy and deliverance. He confessed his sins, condemned himself, and was humbled before God, loathing himself as a monster of impiety and wickedness. Yet he hoped to be pardoned through the abundant mercy of the Lord. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah was God, able to deliver. He knows him as a God of salvation; he learned to fear, trust in, love, and obey him. From this, he bore a new character and walked in the newness of life. Who can tell what tortures of conscience, what pangs of grief, what fears of wrath, what agonizing remorse he endured when he looked back on his many years of apostasy and rebellion against God on his having led thousands into sin and perdition and on his blood-guiltiness in the persecution of several God’s children?