Reading through the Old Testament recently, I noticed there are a number of repeating patterns whenever a new king was appointed. A king’s reign was defined as either, “He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight,” or “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.”
By most accounts it would appear as though the kings who did evil in the Lord’s sight had a much shorter reign compared to their pleasing counterparts. That wasn’t always the case with every king as there were many evil kings who boasted long and wicked reigns. King Manasseh who was the son of Hezekiah is an example of an evil king who held his position for an unusually long time.
Manasseh was 12-years-old when he became king and he had a 55-year reign. Manasseh is recorded as being one of the most evil kings ever to live (2 Kings 21). God gave repeated warnings to Manasseh and his people, all of which were continually ignored. At one point towards the end of his reign Manasseh was taken prisoner and led away to Babylon. The book of 2 Chronicles 33 records his conversion in verses 12-13 after his capture:
“But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request. So the LORD brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the LORD alone is God!” [Emphasis mine.]
The Lord answered Manasseh’s prayers and as a result he had a complete transformation. He tore down the pagan idols and restored the Lord’s altar and sacrificed peace and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. He encouraged the people to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
Whenever I read this account I can’t help but think that if God could forgive someone like Manasseh who was reportedly as wicked as they come, then surely the Lord can forgive anyone. The enemy delights in telling us that we are likely the worse sinner ever born! Realistically, most of our sins can’t even compare with King Manasseh’s, yet we still feel as though we are KING-SIZED sinners. We let the enemy convince us that surely the Lord could never forgive someone like me.
Whether our sin is something as seemingly banal as gossiping about our in-laws or as devastating as adultery or an abortion, our guilt can make us feel as though we are unpardonable. The good news is: sin doesn’t come with a rating system in God’s eyes. We can rest in the knowledge that “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)
Rather than wallowing in guilt and unforgiveness, we need to wash ourselves in God’s Word and rest in the knowledge that there is no such thing as a KING-SIZED sin. It’s ALL sin to God. IF we will confess our sins, we KNOW that God hears us and will be moved by our requests just as He was with King Manasseh.
God is a one-size-fits-all Savior. The LORD alone is God!
Blessings in Christ,
Kathy K.
Thankful for a King-sized forgiver!!