TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
King Hezekiah of Judah had been faithful to the Lord and had accomplished much. But his son, King Manasseh was evil and seemed to roll back all of the good things his father had done. He brought back the horrible, violent, and cruel practices of the Canaanite religions that his father had put a stop to. He built pagan altars in the Temple of Jerusalem desecrating its holiness. He even sacrificed his own son as a burnt offering, practiced sorcery and consulted mediums and spiritists. The lesson we might learn from all this is to teach your children well. Because, we are always only one generation away from a spiritual fall.
(2 Kings 21:1-9) 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
4 He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” 5 In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
7 He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them.” 9 But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.
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