March 10, 2024

Passage Read: 2 Chronicles 30-33
Meditation Verse: 33:23

Thought

Manasseh reigned 55 years, during much of which he was unfaithful to the Lord in the worst ways. He was taken captive to Babylon, where he humbled himself and the Lord restored him to his throne. His son Amon reigned two years, did evil in God's sight as bad as his father had done, and the record notes that he did not humble himself before the Lord. Instead, his servants conspired against him and killed him. Manasseh was the worst king, who is continually blamed for the wrath that the Lord brings on Jerusalem, but he was sent prophets and warnings to repent for years and years. He multiplied evil in Judah and Jerusalem for decades, until he was captured and led away to Babylon, where he finally humbled himself and repented. Amon had two years to humble himself, didn't, then was killed. God knows those who will repent, and will give them time to do so. Others, He knows they won't repent, and whether they live long or short, they will never repent. Not all of them get to live a long life.

Application

I can ask God to remove wicked rulers earlier, if He knows they will never repent. If they will eventually repent, I can plead with God to bring that repentance sooner rather than later. A ruler may still live long on the land and never repent, but whether anyone lives long or short, if they do not repent, the end is the same. It doesn't matter how long anyone lives, but whether a person repents or not. And God knows who will repent and who won't, so I can ask for the removal of those who won't repent.