may it please almighty God to
bless us together as we meditate in his word let us turn to the
2nd book of the Chronicles chapter 33 and we'll read verses 12 and
13 the 2nd book of the Chronicles
chapter 33 and reading verses 12 and 13 and when he was in
affliction he besought the Lord his God
and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed
unto him and he was entreated of him and heard his supplication
and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom then Manasseh
knew that the Lord he was God we have here two verses in the
Word of God which are very wonderful and very encouraging really to
the people of God because what we observe is the Lord's glorious
mercy and wonderful favour to someone utterly unworthy of any
attention and any mercy and it's good for you and me tonight if
in our spiritual experience we can find some similarity with
the words in these two verses because although on this occasion
Manasseh in actual fact had a physical affliction the previous verse
tells us wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the
host of the king of Assyria which took Manasseh among the thorns
and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon so he
lost his freedom as king he was a captive in Babylon and it was
in that situation that we might say he really he came to himself
but we have to say this the Lord brought him there the Lord had a favour towards
Manasseh and the Lord bear with all his actions which were so
anti-God and when we think that he followed on from his godly
father Hezekiah I know he was only 12 years old when he began
to reign nonetheless he'd seen how his father acted and what
his father did but he cast it all aside And he went farther
and farther away from God. And if we were to stand back
and make a judgment, we would say, well, there's definitely
no hope for Manasseh. Because Manasseh walked contrary
to God. He walked against light and knowledge. And yet there came this time
when God had mercy upon him. And so it should be encouraging
to us all to realize God is a merciful God. And God did not deal with
Manasseh as his sins deserved. And what a mercy if you and I
can also echo when the Lord hasn't dealt with me as my sins deserved and so we're told and when he
was in affliction well that might be physical affliction it might
be spiritual affliction it might be an affliction which is not
obvious to people but it's between your soul and my soul and God
that we are in affliction and we need to be healed from that
spiritual affliction but what a blessing it is if we come into
a situation like that physical or spiritual that we see the
wonderful favour that was granted to Manasseh and that we in our
little lives also follow the same path that he did and we
have to say it is through and by the grace of God as you know
a couple of weeks ago we preached upon that glorious word grace
the free unmerited favour of God and so it is and so it always
will be And what a blessing, therefore,
if we, in this time of affliction, receive the grace of God, and
the effect is like it was to Manasseh, we then beseech, besought
the Lord, his God, our God, and humble ourself greatly before
the God of his fathers. and this is not something that
proud man does of his own volition it's the wonderful work of the
Spirit of God and because it's the wonderful work of the Spirit
of God the Lord receives the honour and glory because of it
because it's not something that you and I can produce ourselves. It's all of his grace to pray
to God, to beseech the Lord, and to humble ourselves greatly
before the Lord. Well, in this case of Hezekiah,
his father and his fathers before that. Well, it's a great blessing
if we humble ourselves before the Lord God. See, it's not unto
man. It's unto God. Because God looks at our heart.
Our neighbours, our friends, our relatives, they can't see
our heart. But God can. And God does. And it's a great blessing if
God then puts into our heart, into our mind, a true desire
to pray earnestly unto God that he will have mercy upon us well
that's a straightforward statement isn't it? but do we know the reality of such a statement? can we echo and say well I do
understand I have walked that way. The Lord has looked upon me. The Lord has touched my heart. The Lord has shone the light
of the gospel into my heart. Well, it's a cause for great
rejoicing. It's a cause for great praise
to God If it has been so, and if it has not been so, it's a
time of great sorrow, and a time of great mourning, and a time
of earnest prayer, that God will look upon us, and the Lord will
have mercy upon us. And so as we all stand before
God here on the earth, There's one day of course we all will
stand before that judgment seat of Christ or what a blessing
it is while we're upon the earth while we're upon praying ground
to be found truly seeking unto our God what a blessing and what
a wonderful mercy it is I often think of those Wonderful words
that Isaiah begins the 63rd chapter and this is what he says in the
first verse he says Who is this? That cometh from Edom with dyed
garments from Bosra This that is glorious in his apparel Traveling
in the greatness of his strength I that speak in righteousness,
mighty to save. It's a great blessing to know
that we have a God who is mighty to save. And we have the wonderful
evidence of that, surely, in the life of Manasseh. Mighty
to save. But I believe, and as the Holy
Spirit works in our hearts, we're able to echo those words
and realize that He was mighty to save me. Mighty to save us. Again, have we the evidence in
our lives, in our hearts, the Lord has come. The Lord has looked
upon us and we can, we can express. With Isaiah, yes. This Lord indeed
is and has been mighty to save. Well, you see, men change. Men
get older, men get weaker. But our God changes not. His power does not diminish. His saving grace does not get
less. He is still today the all-powerful
God, no less than he was in the days of Manasseh, when Manasseh
was a completely changed character. But my friends, so are God's
people. They are changed characters.
Because the grace of God comes and produces that change. And that change is really summed
up in a very simple picture. Whereas I was blind, but now
I see. God has blessed us. with spiritual
eyes spiritual eyes which look into our own heart introspectively
and we see there sins which perhaps we never really seen before perhaps
we never worried about them perhaps we never realised they were sins and so we carried on As the hymn
writer says, in our mad career, as far from God as sheep can
run. But the blessing is, we can't
run beyond God's gaze. We can't go out of his sight. and God's mercy is very wonderful and very glorious so that we can thank God if we
have been blessed like Manasseh. And the reality is that all God's
people are blessed in measure like Manasseh we perhaps think
well I'm glad I was not as bad as Manasseh well we have the
example of the Apostle Paul who was a gracious man, a man
wonderfully blessed and he tells us he was the greatest sinner
and he was less than the least of all saints. He didn't exalt
himself. He didn't put himself above the
very worst of sinners. But as he says, God had mercy
upon me. And that really is the bottom
line for all of us. to know that God has had mercy
upon us and we will know that we will know that the things of God are positive
let's be very clear about that you and I will never get to heaven
on what I term a negative religion we will need to know in measure
what Manasseh knew and that's to know the effect
of the Spirit's work to turn us indeed the Word of God tells
us turn me and I shall be turned what that means is you and I
cannot resist the power of God we may want to sometimes but
you see when the Lord turns us you may struggle But you see,
the Lord is all-powerful. When the Lord does turn us, we
are a changed person. We are turned. Blessed be God. And we can then realise the wonderful
mercy and the wonderful favour towards our souls. see that's really the bottom
line isn't it in religion as to whether God has had mercy
upon our souls because if he has there will be condemnation
if he has there will be repentance if he has there will be thankfulness
to know the Lord has looked upon us he's not cast us out as rubbish
but he's remembered us with that favour he bears to his people
and what more he's revealed to us mercy and he leads us then
to the Saviour as our great and glorious Redeemer it's the blessed
work of Almighty God let us be thankful for it it is real It
is known. It is experienced. And it does bring joy into our
heart. Joy in believing. Let us not settle down in a negative
religion. Some people seem happy to settle
down in such a condition. But indeed as we sung this now
in that hymn, I think I mentioned this morning to know my Jesus
crucified by far excels all things beside and when the Lord comes and blesses us with we can say
really a revelation to our souls of the Lord Jesus Christ crucified
for us upon the cross at Calvary, what joy there is to realize
that we have indeed passed from death to life. And the wonder
is this, we are alive forevermore. There's no going back. Alive
forevermore. Well, says the word of God here,
when he was in affliction, He besought the Lord, His God. It's very beautiful, isn't it?
He didn't stop and just say, He besought the Lord as the unknown
God, like the Athenians were on Mars Hill. Oh, no. He besought the Lord, His God. What does that mean? It means
that he believed when he prayed to his God, that his God would
hear. and answer prayer. It is good
to be blessed with faith, living faith, to come to God in this
way and seek unto Him for mercy and favour. And so he besought
the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God
of his fathers. Well, he wasn't in his own eyes
then a great, wonderful king. He was a sinner saved by grace. And you see, when we realize
that we're a sinner saved by grace, we cannot claim any merit. We cannot say, well, of course,
I did this and I did that. The unmerited favor of God, that
God comes and touches our heart, a sinner saved by grace. It's a wonderful theme. It's
a glorious theme. Sure, it's the theme which the
Church of God was singing, glory to God be the praise and honor. Yes, greatly, he humbled himself
greatly. The Word of God never exaggerates.
And we can recognize that what he says here is completely true. He humbled himself greatly. Before
men? No. Before the God of his fathers. You see, real religion is before
God. Real prayer is before God. Real prayer is not like the Pharisee
who thanks God he's not like other people and not like that
publican standing afar off. You see, real prayer is not like
that. But real prayer is like the publican who couldn't really
lift up his head, hung down because of sin and shame. But he prayed
a good prayer. And what was that prayer? God
be merciful to me, a sinner. Well, as I've said on many occasions,
that's a prayer that all true believers pray. And it's good,
therefore, if we look into our hearts and are able to find that
prayer there. Perhaps we've prayed it many
times. In actual fact, it's a prayer that never becomes old-fashioned. It never goes out of date. It's
always needful. And so humbled himself greatly
before the God of his fathers, the true God, the ever-living
God. And then he says, and prayed
unto him. Prayed unto him. And then we
have this glorious statement. And he was entreated of him. Why? Because it was a magnificent
prayer? No, it was because God indicted
the prayer. And it was accepted through the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he was entreated of him. These are positive statements,
aren't they? They're not negative. And prayed
unto him, who? His God. That's who he prayed
to, his God. Well, tonight, have you prayed
to your God, the living God, the true God, the God who rules
and reigns? The God who you hope has mercy
upon you. Have you truly prayed to your
God? From your heart, from your heart. It's easy to pray from our head,
but when God gives true prayer, it emanates from our heart. And there are many beautiful
prayers in the Word of God. You can read the prayers of David,
you can read the prayers of Solomon, you can read the prayers of Ezra,
Nehemiah, so many very beautiful and wonderful prayers. And what
do they do? They desire to exalt the Lord
God. And prayed unto him, and he was
entreated of him. He was. entreated of him. What a blessing
that is, isn't it? And that's very, very humbling,
isn't it? To get a right appreciation of
such a statement. That almighty God, the ruler
of the universe, the one who created all things, the one who
is high and lifted up, he hears our prayer. We may think, well,
it's a very feeble prayer, and it's a very poor prayer. and
my friends what a great blessing if we have the evidence as Manasseh
did as he tells us and he was entreated of him we don't want
to pray, do we? and not be entreated of of our
God we don't want to just spend our time mouthing just words
just perhaps familiar phrases just going through the motions
of a form of prayer and yet there's no reality in it and if there's no reality in
it the reason is that God has not indicted it the devil's happy
for you and me just to mouth mere words but he's not happy
when we come earnestly praying to God, earnestly seeking Him,
beseeching that He will look upon us, praying earnestly for
His mercy, praying earnestly that the Lord will reveal Himself
unto us as He does not unto the world. Personal application,
personal religion, the children of God they have a personal religion
a personal experience you can't borrow it from someone else it's
between our soul and God it's what the Lord has done for us
it's his work and to him is the honour and the praise and so
tonight as we ponder these words what a blessing it is if at the
same time we can examine ourselves we are encouraged to examine
ourselves whether we are in the faith or not that means whether
we are a real believer or not we don't want to be deceived
we don't want to get up to heaven's gate and fumble in our bosom
for our certificate and find we haven't got one We want to
know, we want to have the evidence of God's work within us. And if we have that, it will
never die, it will never fade, it will never disappear. And so, and he prayed unto him,
and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication. Isn't it humbling to think that
God hears our prayers? That God looks upon us and he
hears them because of his love toward us. Again, these things
are so glorious, really, to think that almighty God should ever
have loved such an unworthy sinner. you look back and trace out your
life trace out my life perhaps we can look along and see a similarity
to that which the Lord God said when he came and spoke that parable
of what we term the prodigal son and we know what the result
was and what a wonderful blessing and what a wonderful favour it
was because this son he wanted to have his own way he wanted
to have his inheritance he got fed up with living with his father
and under the control, no doubt, of his father therefore he wanted
to have his own way about we're told and he divided unto them
this is his father is living and not many days after the younger
son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country
and there wasted his substance with riotous living wasted his
substance in riotous living or perhaps we've been in that path
perhaps we've walked that path perhaps we understand what this
man did and if we haven't we should be very thankful for it
but if we have we may have come to a similar position like he
did and when he had spent all it coincided with a famine at
that time so the Lord knew and the Lord knows in our life what
he will do and when he will do it there arose a mighty famine in
that land and he began to be in want well, what a blessing
it is if you and I have begun to be in want spiritually when
we perhaps realised and the term is this we have an aching void
within which all the frivolity and all the vanity of this world
can never fill. It's emptiness. And so he began to be in want.
Again it's wonderful if you and I can look back in our lives
to a time when we began to be in want. Every true believer
begins to be in want. Every true believer comes to
a time when they begin to truly pray. And he went and joined himself
to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields
to feed swine. And he would fain have filled
his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. No man gave
unto him. Reminds me of those words in
the 142nd Psalm, where David said, and no man cared for my
soul. We may feel lonely. It probably
isn't true that. Nonetheless, that's what it appears
to us. No man or woman cares about my soul. Here I am by myself. No man gave unto him. And when
he came to himself, when he came to himself, that means he sat
down and he pondered and recognized where he really was. And when
he came to himself, He said, how many hired servants of my
father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father. And about turn, complete change. And was saying to him, father,
I have sinned against heaven and before thee. and are no more
worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants
this was a blessing of coming to himself brought to that position and
so having been brought to that position did he still sit still? did he still continue in his
position? no he arose and came to his father But when he was yet a great way
off, his father saw him, and had compassion on, and ran, and
fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and
am no more worthy to be called thy son. And the very significant
point is here. He didn't ask to be made one,
of the hired servants. No, he stopped there. He did
say, and it was true, he wasn't worthy to be called the son. And we see the glorious reception
that he received. And that's wonderful in our spiritual
life. When God, as it were, blesses
us with a wonderful reception, and what is that reception? it
is amazing love toward us we think how could God love such
a bad person as me? but the father said to his servants
bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring
on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring him the fatted
calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry for this My son
was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. And so the wars in Manasseh's
life, lost and found. God found him. God knew where
he was. And my friends, is that so in
our lives? Perhaps we've been lost. Perhaps
God has found us. God has brought us into the banqueting
house and the banner over us, that sign over us, was love. The love of God. Nothing that
you and I deserved at all, but God's love. and prayed unto him and he was
entreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him
again to Jerusalem into his kingdom well what a wonderful blessing
if God brings you and me into that heavenly kingdom we might
say that spiritual kingdom as being one of the chosen vessels
of mercy And we understand the wonderful words the Saviour spoke
when he spoke in the upper room to disciples. Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that ye should go
and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain. What a blessing! What a mercy! Now we read here. He brought
him again to Jerusalem in his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that
the Lord, he was God. See, when God does something
in our souls, when he shines the light of the glorious Gospel
into our soul, when he shows us we are a sinner before God,
a great sinner before God, and yet There is mercy with him. He looks upon us and smiles upon
us. We realize that we have been
saved with a great salvation. We understand then that word
in the 63rd of Isaiah, mighty to save. Yes, the mighty God
has put forth his glorious hand and plucked me as a brand from
the burning. I thought I was in a downward
road, the road that leads to hell. And God plucked me out,
out of the fire. What a mercy, what a blessing,
to be able to come then and say and join with Manasseh and say,
yes, now I know that the Lord, He is God. my friends, tonight
we have this little account and it's a good reason to read the
Word of God through and not to read apart and come to a conclusion
because if you read the account in the Kings you would conclude
that Manasseh was never saved you would conclude he was a lost
man we come to the Chronicles and we realise although his sins
are still pointed out we see the glory of salvation set before
us and we see the wonderful work of God's grace in the life of
Manasseh and really how encouraging that
must be to the church of God and so tonight may we be thankful that we have an account like
this and when he was in affliction He besought the Lord his God,
and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed
unto him. And he was entreated of him,
and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem,
into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord
he was God. Amen.