He sacrificed his
children in the fire…
practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens,
and
consulted mediums and spiritists.
He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD,
arousing his anger.
2 Chronicles 33:6
King Manasseh
would never be named Father of the Year. Not only did Manasseh sacrifice his
own babies to idols, but because he was king, other dads followed his example.
He led the nation of Judah into all kinds of wickedness, so God was angry with
him. Manasseh had so hardened his heart against the Lord that even child
sacrifice was acceptable. He assumed he had God’s favor because he was king of
God’s people, so he might as well court the favor of idols too. Can’t have too
many gods, right? Wrong. So how could a father justify sacrificing his own
children? For the same reasons we do.
When the Lord
ceases being our only God, we are prone to all kinds of twisted thinking. Many
modern fathers have done as Manasseh did and sacrificed their children upon the
altars of selfishness and pride. “You’re
pregnant? Here’s $500. Get rid of it.” We sacrifice them in other ways as
well: their values to the sports god, their self-worth to the money god, and
their minds to the entertainment god. The good news is that by verse 20,
Manasseh repented. He tried to reverse the damage he’d caused, but even then,
his eldest son followed in his footsteps to become Judah’s next evil king. No
sin is too great for God’s pardon, but often the damage is irreversible. When we
repent, God forgives, but scars may remain. Don’t be a Manasseh.
.
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